I love this man, because for years he's been fighting to be seen as an actor with dwarfism rather than a dwarf actor, and he's finally getting the attention he deserves. He could have been making a lot of money playing elves and leprechauns throughout his career, but he made the conscious decision to hold out for roles of substance. Dinklage got his first major role playing, aptly enough, an actor frustrated by the roles available for dwarfs. He went on to play the lead role in The Station Agent, which is the first time I can remember ever seeing a dwarf in a role where "dwarfism" wasn't the character's primary attribute. Now, of course, he's starring as Tyrion Lannister on Game of Thrones, a role he was born to play. And true to form, he's using his fame as a platform to bring attention to those without a voice. At the end of an awards speech at the Golden Globes, he told the audience simply to Google a man named Martin Henderson, who as it turns out was a victim of "dwarf-tossing" and suffered permanent damage to his legs. He's a thoughtful, articulate man, and I just love him to death.
Audrey Fox is an ex-film student, which means that she prefers to spend her days in the dark, watching movies and pondering the director's use of diegetic sound. She currently works as an entertainment writer, joyfully rambling about all things film and television related. Add her on Twitter at @audonamission and check out her film blog at 1001moviesandbeyond.com.
