Peter Dinklage from “Game of Thrones” always knew he was different. The actor, born in New Jersey, with achondroplasia, noticed his growth was different from his older brother, Jonathan (a violinist), who kept growing.

Dinklage never grew past a certain height; at age five, he underwent collective leg surgery. Due to his height, the actor revealed that his entire life had been full of stares.

As the only dwarf in the family, it was difficult to accept the difference. Thus, in his youth, he was often angry. Fortunately, through his upbringing — he was raised in an Irish-Catholic household, his parents taught him how to deal with his insecurities and accept that difference.

Dinklage grew up in a working-class family; his mother was an elementary school teacher, while his dad worked as an insurance salesman. The average-height couple was strict in raising their kids, and even though they did not have much money, they struggled to send their sons to the best schools.

During his speech at the Bennington College graduation in 2012, the actor revealed that his parents left him to figure out life after graduation. He stated:

Maybe you don’t wanna hear this. Is that once I graduated, I was on my own. Financially, it was my journey.”

Peter Dinklage Struggled with Poverty

Despite being raised with the right values, learning to accept his height, and acquiring a quality education, Dinklage could have had a better start as an independent man.

After graduation, he had no money, credit card, bank account, or apartment. The only thing he could call his own was debts accumulated over the years which did not stop growing. In his words:

“A big, hungry, growing-larger-every-moment debt.”

For many years, he squatted with different friends, moving from couch to couch. Since his youth, Peter had a passion for writing and acting, so he did not fancy getting a day job until things became worse.