Peter Dinklage is one of the most recognizable actors in the world right now thanks to his role as Tyrion Lannister on Game of Thrones. As the mega-popular HBO series comes to a close, let's look back on Dinklage's life and impressive career before he was Hand of the Queen to Daenerys Targaryen.
Dinklage's love of performing started way back when he was just a kid in high school.
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You can see how happy he was to be on stage in one of his earliest productions. He starred in Pirates of Penzance.
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Did you know Dinklage was once in a band called Whizzy? Here he is rocking out at Columbia University in 1994.
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Even though Dinklage wasn't as famous as he is now, he still made appearances on popular talk shows early in his career. Here he is with host Jay Leno during an interview on October 16, 2003.
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One role you may remember Dinklage in from before his days in Westeros is Miles Finch from Elf. You know, the guy Buddy calls an "angry elf?" Here's Dinklage on the red carpet for the Elf premiere in 2003.
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Dinklage appeared on stage with Bobby Cannavale at the 56th Annual Writers Guild Awards in 2004. They co-starred in the 2003 film The Station Agent.
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Game of Thrones wasn't the actor's first TV gig, either. Dinklage starred in THRESHOLD, a suspense drama about a team of experts who must try to thwart the possible global threats that stem from a strange phenomenon discovered in the mid-Atlantic Ocean. It aired on CBS in 2005.
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Before starring in today's most popular fantasy series, Dinklage starred as Trumpkin in The Chronicles of Narnia film series. Here he is attending a panel for The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian at New York Comic-Con 2005 with co-stars William Moseley and Ben Barnes.
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Dinklage also had an important role in the adorable rom-com Penelope. While promoting the film, he posed for portraits during the Toronto International Film Festival in 2006
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The screen the only place Dinklage has put his talnets on display. Here is performing on stage with actress Sarah Ries in the "24 Hour Plays" at the Atlantic Theater in 2008.
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Game of Thrones premiered in April 2011 to rave reviews. Dinklage took home an Emmy for Best Supporting Actor for his work as the intelligent, scheming Tyrion. He was a fan-favorite from the beginning.
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When you're on the most popular fantasy television series in history, Comic Con becomes a regular stop. Here is Dinklage signing autographs at his first Game of Thrones Comic Con panel in 2011.
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Dinklage won his first Golden Globe for playing Tyrion in 2012.
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He brought his wife Erica as his date, of course. Here they are on the red carpet in 2012.
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Dinklage made his first appearance on SNL in 2013. It was just a cameo as "Dunk Uncle's" brother-in-law Peter during the weekend update segment.
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Opening night of play A Month in the Country during the curtain call at the Classic Stage Company Theatre in 2015.
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Game of Thones season five premiered in 2015. Here's Dinkalge in episode one, titled "Mother's Mercy."
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Dinklage's suit for the 2016 season six premiere of Game of Thrones coordinated with the show's promotional artwrk.
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Dinklage posed alongside Frances McDormand and Sam Rockwell at the premiere of Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri in 2017. The film was nominated for seven Academy Awards.
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The cast of Game of Thrones became quite close over the course of filming. When Kit Harrington and Rose Leslie tied the knot in June 2018 after meeting on set, Dinklage was there to watch the vows.
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Emilia Clarke shared this sweet BTS shot with Dinklage and their former co-star Jason Momoa from the final season.
Dinklage posed with Clarke on the red carpet for the 8th and final season of Game of Thrones. The show made both actors household names over it's nearly decade long run.
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