Peter Dinklage: 5 Awesome Performances And 5 That Sucked

1. Finbar McBride - The Station Agent (2003)

It was really tough to place Dinklage's lesser-seen work in The Station Agent above his globally revered shift on Game Of Thrones, but in a way, that's a good reason to justify the choice. Dinklage had been working pretty steadily for 7 years before he landed the lead in McCarthy's directorial debut, playing Finbar McBride, a train enthusiast who following the death of his only friend, moves to New Jersey in search of solitude and with a mind to follow his passion of locomotives. Whilst there he befriends other lost souls, and complex relationships ensue. Agent is a quiet but incredibly potent drama, the sort that slowly leads you through its first act before unleashing a flurry of emotionally wrenching insights, working you over on an almost subconscious level. As the lead Dinklage is key to the feature's success, bringing a guarded intensity that perfectly defines his character from frame one. Unlike other outings, The Station Agent addresses Dinklage's height in a perceptive and intelligent fashion, integrating its complications into the narrative, and not always in expected ways. The actor bravely confronts everything McCarthy throws at him, and as the belated Roger Ebert wrote, is "incredibly present" in every scene. It's a performance from a small man, that completely fills a big movie. A lot of people also credit The Station Agent with bringing Dinklage to wider attention, leading to his casting in bigger products, and eventually Thrones. As a result this powerful, impressive performance is a worthy topper for the list.