The star of indie film The Station Agent and HBO's nerd-fest Game of Thrones, 4'5" Peter Dinklage is the most famous achondroplastic dwarf in America.

A New Jersey native, after graduating from Bennington College, Dinklage made his film debut in the cult film Living In Oblivion as a frustrated dwarf actor, lamenting his cliched roles. He breakout came with The Station Agent, which earned him Independent Spirit Award and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations. He followed up with cameo appearances on TV shows as diverse as Nip/Tuck to 30 Rock, and although he prides himself on avoiding stereotypical roles, sometimes he's found himself there in films like Elf and The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. He's also done some voice work, most famously on Seinfeld and more recently in Ice Age: Continental Drift. However, these days he's best known as Tyrion Lannister in the HBO adaptation of George R. R. Martin's novels in the Game of Thrones series. He's received widespread praise for the role and earned himself an Emmy and Golden Globe during the show's first season.

Dinklage and his wife Erica Schmidt, a theater director, who have been married since 2005, welcomed their first daughter to the world in 2011. [Image via Getty]