PETER DINKLAGE

Date of Birth: June 11, 1969

At 4'6" tall, this Morristown, New Jersey native is the son of an elementary school music teacher and a retired insurance salesman. Both of his parents are normal height as is his older brother, John, a violinist. Despite his small stature, Peter Dinklage was raised to believe he could do just about anything that other people could. He began acting in fifth grade, when he landed the lead role in a production of The Velveteen Rabbit. Dinklage went on to study liberal arts at Bennington College in Vermont, graduating in 1991 with a degree in drama.

After making his professional acting debut in theater, his screen debut was as a disgruntled actor in the 1995 indie film Living in Oblivion (1995). Next came an uncredited role as a building manager in Bullet (1996), starring Mickey Rourke and Adrien Brody. He landed a role as a hit man in Safe Men (1998), starring Sam Rockwell and Mark Ruffalo, followed by the indie film Pigeonholed (1999), starring Patricia Arquette. He again worked with Patricia Arquette in Human Nature (2001), a screenplay written by Charlie Kaufman. Dinklage had worked his way up to playing supporting roles in films such as 13 Moons (2002) with Steve Buscemi and Just A Kiss (2002) directed by Fisher Stevens and starring Marley Shelton, when he landed the title role in The Station Agent (2003). Actually, the part had been written for him by writer/director Tom McCarthy, who'd cast him as Tom Thumb in an off-off-Broadway play called The Killing Act seven years earlier. McCarthy and Dinklage had remained friends ever since.

The film was well-received by critics and audiences alike, winning three awards at the Sundance Film Festival. Dinklage has since appeared in major motion pictures such as Elf (2003) The Baxter (2005) and Find Me Guilty (2006).

Dinklage makes his home in Brooklyn.

Filmography:

Death at a Funeral
Pete Smalls Is Dead (2010)
I Love You Too (2009)
Saint John of Las Vegas (2010)
The Last Rites of Ransom Pride (2009) The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008)
Underdog (2007)
Ascension Day (2007)
Death at a Funeral (2007)
Penelope (2007)
Find Me Guilty (2006)
Lassie (2006)
The Limbo Room (2006)
Fortunes (2005)
Escape Artists (2005)
The Baxter (2005)
Little Fugitive (2005)
Surviving Eden (2004)
Elf (2003)
The Station Agent (2003)
Fortunes (2002)
Just a Kiss (2002)
13 Moons (2002)
Human Nature (2001)
Never Again (2001)
Pigeonholed (1999)
Safe Men (1998)
Bullet (1996) (uncredited)
Living in Oblivion (1995)