FEARLESS PETER DINKLAGE
Challenging, Diverse Roles and Those Eyes
You know him best as the calculating Tyrion Lannister on HBO’s fantasy epic series Game of Thrones, for which he won the Emmy a record four times before GoT ended in 2019. Still, Peter Dinklage already had an impressive career before the show. Dinklage made his film debut in the 1995 hidden gem Living in Oblivion, opposite Steve Buscemi, Catherine Keener, and Dermot Mulroney. The movie, which is split into three parts, is about making a low-budget film and was praised by critics after its Sundance Film Festival debut. Though it never found a broad audience, it’s a beloved film for those who know it. However, his real breakthrough came in 2003 when he starred as a man who seeks solitude in a train station in The Station Agent, a role which garnered him his first SAG nomination.
It was not easy for Dinklage when he first started. He has a form of Dwarfism known as achondroplasia; due to that, he initially found it hard finding work, with the only roles offered to him being those of elves or offensive caricatures. Once he finally broke through, though, his career continued upward. He starred in both the original British version and the American remake of the black comedy Death at a Funeral. He even got roles in significant franchises like X-Men, The Chronicles of Narnia, and The Avengers. He excels at both laugh-out-loud comedy and drama. And while his movie and TV roles are pretty impressive, we would be remiss if we didn’t mention his time hosting SNL, specifically the skit Mafia Meeting. Seriously, if you haven’t watched that skit, watch it right now and then come back and finish reading this. We’ll even make it easy for you to watch; click right here.
Dinklage has lots of exciting new projects in the works, but the one we most want to focus on is Joe Wright’s romantic musical drama, Cyrano. The movie is an adaptation of Erica Schmidt’s 2018 stage musical, and the play was an adaptation of Edmond Rostand’s 1897 Cyrano de Bergerac. Dinklage stars as the titular Cyrano, enamored of the beautiful Roxanne (Haley Bennett) but too shy to woo her. So instead, he helps fellow admirer Christian (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) win her heart by writing love letters for Christian to send to Roxanne.
Cyrano had its world premiere on September 2, 2021 at the Telluride Film Festival. It will have a one-week theatrical run in Los Angeles beginning on December 17, 2021, and get a limited American theatrical release starting on January 21, 2022.
