For all the kings and queens, dragons and whores, witches and dead men in the show ‘Game of Thrones’, there is one character who charms merely by virtue of his wit and his indifference towards a world he understands a little too well. He is Tyrion Lannister – sly, bold, and irreverent. In him, fans see a man ill-favoured by luck, a man who’s been given a raw deal in a world where physical bravado determines your lifespan and the respect you earn. And yet he manages to outsmart them all, with his refusal to get bogged down by their broad-chested armour plates, using the one thing he has best – a quick-witted mind and a confidence that stems from realizing that.

© Instagram_Peter Dinklage

Peter Dinklage’s struggle is not vastly different from the character he has immortalized, but unlike reel life, the struggle and success story is more layered. Born in New Jersey to an insurance salesman and a music teacher, Dinklage was born with achondroplasia, a genetic disorder that causes dwarfism. Acting began at an early age as Dinklage explored theatre at school and college level, but commercial success was to arrive much later.

© Instagram_Peter Dinklage

Dinklage struggled to make ends meet when he moved to New York to further his acting career. Staying in a run-down apartment that had no heating and hardly any comfort, he strived hard to get good work, something that was hard to come by given his physical stature. Despite the scarce means, he stood his ground and refused roles that were typically written for dwarves, to either bring comic relief or to heighten the supernatural element using the ‘elf’ as a trope. 

© Reuters

It was difficult. To say no when you are a struggling actor with no money. But Dinklage was ambitious enough. His story was that of any struggling actor trying to break into the glamorous world of showbiz, only in his case, there was an additional clause. His looks challenged the general perception of what a mainstream hero looked like, but Dinklage refused to be sidelined into the role society would have him set in. 

© Instagram_Peter Dinklage

And it did pay off. Success came in spurts but it was enough to keep him going. His first breakthrough came in the form of the 2003-movie ‘The Station Agent’ in which he played Finbar McBride, a character with normal human emotions, minus the caricatures. The movie got him critical acclaim and a visibility in the circles. 

© Miramax Films

What followed were noticeable roles in movies and theatre productions. The highlight of his career was, of course, his role as Tyrion Lannister in ‘Game of Thrones’ created by David Benioff and DB Weiss. The portrayal of the cynical but sharp Lannister brought him rave reviews and a fandom long due. Dinklage added an edge to the character, bringing personality to an already well-written part. 

© HBO

Dinklage was the first actor to be cast in the show and according to the creators, he was the first choice for the role. But Dinklage himself was wary when he was approached for the role. Years of being offered caricatural dwarf roles made him get his guard up. In an interview with the New York Times, he confesses he put one condition before the creators Benioff and Weiss: that there would be no flowy beard and no pointy shoes – a typical ensemble for dwarf characters in movies. 

© Reuters

The role was anything but typical, and Dinklage did it full justice. He went on to earn a Golden Globe award and two Emmy awards for Outstanding actor in a drama series for his role as Tyrion Lannister in the series. 

© Reuters

Dinklage confessed to having been bitter and angry about his condition, especially in his younger years. He has often spoken in support of normalizing the condition and against the culture of bullying and mocking dwarves. During his Golden Globe acceptance speech, he urged people to google Martin Henderson, a dwarf who was picked up and hurled by a rowdy rugby fan in London. In the interview with the New York Times, he says though, “Everyone’s different. Every person my size has a different life, a different history. Different ways of dealing with it. Just because I’m seemingly okay with it, I can’t preach how to be okay with it. I don’t think I still am okay with it. There’s days when I’m not.”

© Reuters

Today, he has come far from the struggling actor living in a cold apartment. With prestigious awards, critical acclaim and fandom tucked by his side, he is a name to reckon with now. He married theatre director Erica Schmidt and has a daughter; of course, he lives in luxury today. But the journey wasn’t easy and Dinklage stood his ground.

© Instagram_Peter Dinklage

He delivered a moving speech at Bennington College, where he studied acting before moving to New York to try his luck in movies and theatre. Standing at 4 feet 5 inches, Peter Dinklage has managed to reach the most coveted heights of success in showbiz. It didn’t come because of luck; it didn’t happen by chance. It came because he was persistent enough, because he believed in himself enough to say no to the world when it tried to push him into a definition it was comfortable with.

If you have to take anything from this story, it is this. This speech, where he urges you to not wait. To not wait for the right moment, to not wait for the world to give you an opportunity. Don’t wait for the world’s approval or permission. Do it anyway.

Quoting Becket he says, “Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.”