Chatting with The Dink

Ok, sincere apologies for this but I can't seem to upload the actual video on YouTube but here is the link to my interview with Peter Dinklage (plus a minute with Mr Jackman).

Leisa Interviews: TW, Hugh Jackman & Peter Dinklage.

Serious fan girl moments in there folks.

Enjoy

The one in which she meets Tyrion Lannister

When Tyrion Lannister first stepped onto the screen in the HBO series Game of Thrones I wanted to be written in as an Arya-type character who would eventually bump the lecherous little bastard off. The first episode aired and by the end credits I didn't like him. I hadn't read the books so wasn't at all familiar with the story and how crucial Tyrion was to the plot; nor did I realise how intelligent, kind and sensitive Tyrion was. I judged him too harshly after first seeing him in a brothel in a bed full of buxom wenches, swilling down wine like there was no tomorrow.

Image source

Perhaps I was just not used to seeing a character with dwarfism portrayed in such a way. I have to admit that in spite of my desire to see short statured actors given meaty, in your face, real roles that called upon their talent as opposed to them simply fitting a height (or lack of) requirement, to actually see it happen...I kind of wasn't prepared for how confronted I was...and given the fact that Game of Thrones isn't shy about the depiction of sex scenes I began to wonder if we were going to even see a person of short stature in one.

We haven't...yet.

Anyway the more I've watched GoT the more I've come to like Tyrion Lannister. and love the way Peter Dinklage has brought him to life. It's no secret now how much I admire Dinklage and have enjoyed following his career since he made his presence known in The Station Agent. 

You cannot imagine my excitement when I received an invition to the Melbourne Premiere Screening of X-Men - Days of Future Past by Hoyts Cinemas as a representative of my workplace. In the film, Dinklage plays Boliver Trask, creator of the robotic Sentinels designed to exterminate the mutant population. The role was not written for an actor of short stature however Peter Dinklage was cast, adding an interesting nuance to the role.

What made the premiere event even more exciting was that Peter Dinklage, Hugh Jackman and Fan Bing Bing were going to be in attendance!  Would I finally get a chance to meet the star?

In a serendipitous turn of events I suddenly found myself issued with three media passes and a position on the red carpet at the premiere with the possibility of interviewing two of the hottest stars in Hollywood. To say I was overwhelmed was an understatement.

What was I going to say?

What was I going to ask?

And what an EARTH was I going to wear?

So, accompanied by my son Tim and my colleague Akash who is a whizz with a camera and everything technical, I found myself in the centre of the red carpet press pit, surrounded by a gaggle of reporters and hundreds of screaming fans.

After we'd arrived and set ourselves up our biggest concern was the fact that the barriers used to corral the reporters and photographers was almost as tall as me. How was a short statured interviewer going to be able to interview an actor who was also short statured over a barrier that was almost as tall as them both? Publicity and Security staff were most helpful and brought in an equipment case for Tim and I to stand on. This meant that we towered over even the tallest guests, however I didn't feel comfortable about trying to interview Peter Dinklage from such a lofty vantage point. I wanted to be able to speak with him eye to eye, so I took matters into my own hands, got down and stood at the entrance to the corral in the hope of being seen.

Before I knew it, there they were - Hugh Jackman followed by Peter Dinklage and Fan Bingbing. All of them slowly made their way around the red carpet and eventually came to me. Let me just say that Hugh Jackman is incredibly tall! 

Yes, he's talking to me but I'm not even in the shot!

As I write this I have not yet seen Akash's film footage and I was incredibly star struck so can't quite remember what I asked him, but I do know that Hugh Jackman was a very warm, friendly man who was more than happy to pose for a blurry selfie with me.

There I am! Oh my gosh! I'm touching his shoulder!

For a few scary moments I thought that Peter Dinklage was going to pass me by but then he stopped and turned and was only too happy to have a chat. I talked to him about the powerful lines he delivers as both X-Men's Boliver Trask and Game of Thrones Tyrion Lannister and whether he drew on his experiences as a person of short stature to deliver them with such emotion and passion. He answered that when he first really started acting there were roles where he felt he was internally working through some things but not so much in his current work. I alluded to the idea that he had become a bit of an ambassador for people of short stature wanting to break into the film industry but he was reluctant to see himself as such and it is not something he actively tries to be, regardless that other people may view him in this manner. I found him to be quite humble about his success and nonetheless grateful for the honour it has afforded him.

Serious interview face.

In the last few moments we had Tim and I joked with him, saying that Tim has been asked many times in the street if he is "that guy from Game of Thrones". Peter looked at Tim and said, "Gee man! Sorry about that!" To which Tim replied, "That's ok! It's not your fault!" We laughed together and then Peter shook our hands whilst I thanked him for speaking with us.

We made him laugh!

The interview was possibly only two or three minutes long and given that there were so many people who wanted to speak with him we were grateful for those brief moments. We watched as he slowly made his way around, speaking with other reporters and posing for selfies with the many excited fans who were there to see him.

I am still in disbelief that I was able to speak with him and found him to be a generous person to interview who well deserves the respect and admiration he receives.