Peter Dinklage, the actor who brought the clever and witty Tyrion Lannister to life, once shared a behind-the-scenes story that was far from heroic. In a 2021 interview, he recalled a battlefield moment from the early days of Game of Thrones that left him feeling more comical than courageous.
The Graham Norton Show Revelation
During a 2021 appearance on The Graham Norton Show, Peter Dinklage talked about his character’s journey on the award-winning HBO series. He revealed that despite the many large-scale battle sequences in the show, his character was rarely directly involved in the fighting. He then went on to share a specific and surprising memory from one of the few times Tyrion was in the thick of the action.
Dinklage described a scene where he was armed with an axe and his character was supposed to attack another soldier. The actor then disclosed the unexpected details about his on-screen victim. He said the gentleman was an amputee, a fact Dinklage was aware of during filming. He estimated the man was about 70 years old, making the on-screen victory feel less than triumphant.
Dinklage said: “I was at the battle with an axe and I chopped a guy’s leg off. The gentleman whose leg I chopped off….God bless him….an amputee. So, I knew he was probably about 70 years old. So, the one man I did kill early on in the show was about a 70-year-old amputee, so, that’s not very heroic.”
This self-deprecating story highlighted the sometimes awkward and unglamorous reality of filming epic television scenes.
Tyrion Lannister: The Unlikely Hero
The story was especially funny because of the character Peter Dinklage played. Tyrion Lannister was never meant to be a traditional, sword-wielding hero. He is introduced as a member of the powerful Lannister family, but he is often looked down upon by his father and siblings because of his dwarfism.
Instead of physical strength, Tyrion relied on his intelligence, sharp wit, and political cunning to survive and influence the game of power in Westeros. His character’s complexity, brought to life by Dinklage’s acclaimed performance, made him a fan favorite. He was a survivor with a strong moral compass, whose impactful dialogues and kind heart often stole the show, making him more central to the plot than many other leading characters.
This context made Dinklage’s story about the battlefield sequence all the more relatable. It was a perfect, if unplanned, reflection of his character’s nature—finding himself in a situation that was the opposite of the heroic ideals of knights and warriors so common in the world of Game of Thrones.
Looking Back at a Legacy
The series, based on George R.R. Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire” novels, became a global phenomenon. While the main series has ended, its universe continues to expand with prequels like House of the Dragon. Dinklage himself has spoken about these new projects, once noting that while he thinks they will be good, they are less of a creative risk for HBO than the original show was when it first launched.
His on-set anecdote remains a memorable glimpse into the making of the iconic series. It serves as a reminder that even the most grand and serious fantasy epics are filled with human moments, a bit of humor, and occasional unheroic acts behind the camera.
Also Read: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Cast Guide: Who Plays Who in the New Game of Thrones Prequel?
