Peter Dinklage: Secrets Of ‘Game Of Thrones’ Star

Peter Dinklage has become an acting giant as crafty Tyrion Lannister on HBO’s "Game of Thrones" — and the small-statured star has led a wild life!

1) Peter was born in 1969 and was diagnosed with achondroplasia — a common form of dwarfism.

2) Growing up in Morristown, N.J., his neighbor was Bruce Springsteen’s manager. Bruce used to play the guitar in their house, but Peter, who was two years old at the time, doesn’t remember any of it!

3) The Emmy-award-winning performer was bitten by the acting bug after appearing in a fifth-grade production of "The Velveteen Rabbit." He was delighted by the audience’s reaction. “When you get your first solo bow, that feels pretty good,” he admitted.

4) Peter’s been a vegetarian since he was 16, noting: “I like animals. All animals. I wouldn’t hurt a cat or a dog — or a chicken or a cow. And I wouldn’t ask someone else to hurt them for me.”

5) He has a scar on his face from getting kneed during a gig at a punk rock club in New York with his old band, Whizzy. “Blood was going everywhere. I just grabbed a dirty bar napkin and dabbed my head and went on with the show,” he says.

6) Peter made his film debut in 1995’s "Living in Oblivion," playing an actor with dwarfism who complains about only being offered clichéd roles.

7) One of his first roles was a voice-only gig on "Seinfeld," playing Wake-Up Call Guy — who thrilled Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) with his sexy voice.

8) While his "Game of Thrones" character is a jaded royal skilled at intrigue, Peter doesn’t take that to heart. “I don’t feel like a badass,” he reveals. “The fight scenes are all a big lie.”

9) Peter owns a home in upstate New York, where he enjoys tending his herb garden.

10) Peter is good friends with Lena Headey, who plays Cersei Lannister on "Thrones" — and originally suggested her for the role!