Peter Dinklage may be best known for his Emmy-winning performance as Tyrion Lannister on “Game Of Thrones,” but the acclaimed actor wasn’t keen on pursuing a career in Hollywood from the get-go. Instead, Dinklage was set on being in a punk-funk band, he told Sean Evans while tackling a platter of spicy chicken wings on this week’s episode of “Hot Ones.”
“Back in the day, I was like, ‘I’m not gonna be an actor. I’m not gonna do any silly commercials or any of that, I’m gonna do plays downtown for no money in which I’m gonna throw up on the audience and I’m gonna be in a punk band,’” Dinklage — who is currently promoting his latest film “Brothers” — said. “We were Beastie Boys rip-offs and yeah, we had fun. It was a lot of fun. And it was a couple years doing it, I got a cool scar on my temple. Head wounds bleed a lot. So I throw up on the audience, and I bleed on the audience. It’s a very visceral experience if you wanna see me live.”
Dinklage ultimately became an actor, but he recalled feeling “too angry for a long time” when he immersed himself in the industry: “I just knew what the entertainment business was serving up people who are my size and that to me wasn’t acting. But I surrounded myself with really brilliant people. Not intentionally, but just friendships.”
He continued, “I call it the tribe and we just carried that friendship and working environment sort of one in the same into the future together. ‘Cause you can’t do it alone, I couldn’t do it alone and that’s the beauty of what I do for a living, is the collaboration. So I was just lucky to find really great people who inspired me more so every day.”
On the topic of acting, Dinklage praised his GOT co-star Charles Dance, who played Tywin Lannister, Tyrion’s estranged father. Dinklage recalled Dance approaching him in between takes and apologizing after a particularly tense or harsh scene.
“We wouldn’t hug it out ’cause of time, and it felt very paternal too,” Dinklage added. “He [Dance] played a horrible human being, but he’s one of my favorite human beings and it was a shame how that one ended, on the toilet…”
When asked what defines a great actor’s director, Dinklage said, “You shouldn’t have to talk to an actor much if you hired them.”
“You saw something in them that you want for the part and that can lead to chaos and you need to make sure everybody knows your vision is very clear, ‘cause they’ll take over. We’ll spot a weakness in a director and go oh ok, I got this…all actors want to direct…and there has to be one captain to keep that vision clear…”
Dinklage persisted until the very end of his interview and conquered the infamous Wings of Death.
Watch the full episode below, via YouTube:
