Before his breakout role in HBO’s hit series Game of Thrones, Peter Dinklage has made a name for himself in several memorable supporting roles. From playing egotistical children’s author Miles Finch in Elf to a hermit that lives in an abandoned train yard in the critically-acclaimed The Station Agent, Dinklage has proved to be a formidable presence in cinema. Now the Emmy and Golden Globe winner will get the chance to lead a feature film.
Peter Dinklage, who stands at a height of 4’5″, has a form of dwarfism called achondroplasia, which means that his body is perfectly formed, but the bones initially modeled in cartilage and the long bones of the arms and legs do not grow long enough. Despite his shorter stature, Dinklage has been able to entertain audiences both comically and dramatically without resorting to acting roles in projects that exist solely as a punchline or a unnecessary story-quirk. While the characters he chooses to portray do not exist in a world that is unaware of the apparent difference in his form, they are hardly ever one-dimensional. This is especially the case in roles like Tyrion Lannister in Game of Thrones, where he actually steals the show based on personality and depth alone.
In his new role, Dinklage is set to play the lead in a yet-comedy which has been described as, “being deep in R-rated territory but wrapped around an emotional heart,” according to Borys Kit at The Hollywood Reporter. Kit also writes that “it plays off of Dinklage’s size as the story centers on a man who tells people he is a true leprechaun.” If the producers follow through with that promise of “emotional heart,” then we’re in for a potentially poignant and nuanced performance from one of the few actors who could truly pull off this specific character.
Penning the script for the untitled comedy is Andrew Dodge, whose first screenplay was just the basis for actor Jason Bateman’s directorial debut.
Peter Dinklage is also set to appear in X-Men: Days of Future Past in 2014, as well as in the upcoming season of Game of Thrones.
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