25 Things You Didn't Know About Peter Dinklage

The man behind Game of Thrones' most beloved character, Tyrion Lannister.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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It's a fact: Peter Dinklage is the baddest dude on television right now. As the snarky and quick-witted Tyrion Lannister on Game of Thrones, Dinklage is arguably the only member of the evil and scheming House Lannister whom you don't want to punch in the gut. Thanks to his critically acclaimed performance on the series, Dinklage not only won a Golden Globe, but also a legion of devoted fans who'd storm House HBO if his character ever met his demise. 

With his popularity on the rise, we suggest you hop on his bandwagon now before you look like too much of a poser. And we're even willing to give you a head start. Get to know the actor with this list of 25 Things You Didn't Know About Peter Dinklage.

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Dinklage grew up in New Jersey, where his neighbor was Bruce Springsteen's manager. "Bruce used to come over to his house and hang out and play guitar," Dinklage says.

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His first film performance was in Living in Oblivion in 1995, in which he played a dwarf. The film also starred another current HBO standout, Steve Buscemi, who is a good friend of Peter.

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Dinklage appears in two versions of the same film, Death at a Funeral. He plays Peter in the 2007 British comedy and Frank in the 2010 U.S. remake.

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He and his director wife, Erica Schmidt, have collaborated several times, including an upcoming production of The Imaginary Invalid at Bard College.

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Dinklage was first choice for author George R.R. Martin and the Game of Thrones producers for the role of Tyrion Lannister.

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He is the only Game of Thrones cast member who is American.

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Lena Headey, who plays Cersei Lannister, was good friends with Peter before Game of Thrones. In fact, Peter suggested her for the role when talking to producers.

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Although he's as badass as Tyrion Lannister, he does not enjoy the sword play acting he must do. He says, "The fight scenes are all a big lie. The whole time, you're trying not to get hit in the eye with a sword, and you wish you had on a welding helmet."

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During his Golden Globes acceptance speech, Peter spontaneously mentioned Martin Henderson, who was partially paralyzed during a dwarf-tossing attack in Britain.

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Charles Dance, who plays Tywin Lannister on Game of Thrones,

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Peter Dinklage was James, the "wake-up guy" with the sexy voice on Seinfeld.

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On his first day of college, Peter came dressed in tights and a woman's velvet cape.

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Peter used to let his height bother him but has since gotten over it: "When I was younger, definitely, I let it get to me. As an adolescent, I was bitter and angry and I definitely put up these walls. But the older you get, you realize you just have to have a sense of humor. You just know that it's not your problem. It's theirs."

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Peter suffers from achondroplasia, which impaired his arms and legs and had bowed his legs so badly he could barely walk, requiring doctors to break, reset and brace them with a bar.

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Although he once said that he wanted to reach a point in his career where he could be the lead and "get the girl," Dinklage is rethinking that. He says, "Maybe I'll have to take that back. I like playing the guy on the sidelines. They have more fun."

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After college, he and his friend Ian Bell moved to Williamsburg with visions of building a theater company modeled on the famous Steppenwolf in Chicago.

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His favorite bar in L.A. is The Lava Lounge, which has since been shut down.

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Before he gave his commencement speech at his alma mater Bennington College, a student handed him a mace five minutes before he was supposed to go out so he walked out with it in his hands.

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Even as a starving actor, Peter refused to take parts as elves, leprechauns or anything that made him feel "dirty." As a result, "I said no a lot," he confesses. "A lot."

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Peter's family had a habit of collecting creatures that didn't always want to be pets and the first pet he can remember was a Lab named Zoe.

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He and his brother did puppet shows for their neighborhood in New Jersey. He says, "We basically did little puppet musicals with the loudest songs we could find. We did a puppet version of Quadrophenia, The Who album."

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Peter has been developing a script for years, based on the life of the Fantasy Island star Hervé Villechaize, with his friend Sacha Gervasi, director of Anvil!.

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He has a scar that runs from his neck to his eyebrow due to an onstage accident when he was performing at CBGB in New York with his old band Whizzy.

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