How Peter Dinklage Became the Reluctant True Superhero of Little People

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There are few kingmakers in popular culture as unlikely as Game of Thrones’ Tyrion Lannister, the dwarf noble rejected by his own family who is more interested in carousing than politics but ends up shaping the destinies of the Seven Kingdoms. Peter Dinklage’s brilliant portrayal of Tyrion’s inadvertent influence on the world around him has won him enormous acclaim and countless fans and, in the process, it has also placed him in a similar position to that of his on-screen counterpart. All Peter wanted was a chance to act, but now he has become a figurehead for dwarves worldwide, helping to change perceptions and attitudes toward little people; a reluctant but highly effective True Superhero.

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Tough times for a Brooklyn punk

Peter was born in 1969 in New Jersey with achondroplasia, the most common cause of dwarfism, although he was the only member of his family with the condition. His father was an insurance salesman while his mother taught music, and to begin with they tried to keep Peter and his older brother Jonathan away from the pernicious influence of television. They claimed not to have a television in the house until the brothers caught them surreptitiously watching a set that they had hidden in their bedroom closet. While Tyrion famously declared that “all dwarfs are bastards in their fathers' eyes”, this tale of deception is as close as Peter comes to being critical of his own parents, who strived to ensure their children had a comfortable and happy childhood, and both Peter and Jonathan - a violinist - went on to have successful careers in the performing arts. 

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