Yet another video interview

MTV has one more video interview. This one with the final cast member present at TCA, namely Peter Dinklage. He describes his character Tyrion and continues to balk at the use of “fantasy” when describing this show.

As for the last of our coverage of the TCA press tour, you can expect our full panel report tomorrow!

Fire And Blood EXTRA: (Seacrest voice) … After the break!

Winter and I were actually able to finagle a short interview with Peter shortly after the TCA gathering—and right before he was whisked away to the MTV interview. And I can say just by witnessing both Sean Bean and Peter Dinklage, close up and in person, they are as different as night and day.

Sean is clearly comfortable holding court amidst a half-hundred reporters, a gazillion microphones and recorders all shoved up toward his mouth. He smiles, he banters, he answers questions, and it doesn’t seem like a put on, or forced at all. He likes the attention, likes jokes (even the not-so-funny ones), and he can give as good as he gets.

Peter is cut from a different kind of cloth, and if anyone epitomizes an “indie” vibe it’s him. While Winter was trying to elbow his way through the sea of Bean adoration, I found Peter standing quietly off to the side, head down, hands stuffed deep in a bohemian-chic gray-green jacket. He had a wool stocking cap pulled so far down it nearly hid his eyes, and he was speaking in an almost hushed tone to the other two people who seemed as surprised to find him off by himself as I was. He seems shy, perhaps slightly self-conscious. But very, very smart, and extremely serious about his chosen craft. He gets tongue-tied from time to time, his mind working faster than his mouth, and you can tell it irks him a little. I would classify him as an actor’s actor.

(This first part is a paraphrased answer, as Winter had not yet given up on trying to get through the Bean crowd. After the first question, we had our recorder on hand.)

FabiHoff: You’re normally cast in movie roles, or in guest spots on television. What made you decide to take on a role in an ongoing television series?

Peter: I saw it as a great opportunity, actually. Tyrion is a brilliant character, and I get to walk in his shoes for, hopefully, many years. It’s such a great role, they all are. And they all have different, complicated relationships. As it [the story] moves along, you can sort of see the reasons for him being the way he is, for the things he wants and does, and the things the other Lannisters do. There are reasons for the complicated relationships within the family. Good reasons.

Woman: Is this your first TV series?

Peter: No, I did uh–as a regular?

Woman: Yeah.

Peter: No, I did a show many years ago. [mutters] Many. [corrects] FIVE years ago. Threshold. Which was on was on CBS for… We lasted eleven episodes. No, twelve episodes. In that season when all the aliens were invading the world. There was three of them [shows].

Man: [laughs] Three networks, three aliens [invasions].

Peter: [laughs] And we all got knocked off [canceled] one at a time.

Woman: Do you like taking the character over a long period of time as opposed to…?

Peter: Yes. That’s a big reason why something like this is great. We basically made a 10 hour movie. and we’re going to make a 10 hour movie, or maybe a 12 hour movie, every year, in the time that it takes [to make] a 3 hour or 2 hour movie. The reason HBO attracts actors is because there’s a shorter schedule. You’re not working 10 months a year, you’re working 5 months a year, so you’re able to do movies and other things, so it’s a great gig. For all the reasons.

Woman: Do you have anything else coming up that we should be aware of?

Peter: Uh, coming out to theaters? A couple things, yeah. Small, low budget stuff. Comedies. There’s a movie called Knights of Badassdom, which is about live action roleplayers, which is a really funny horror movie, and… there’s another thing. My mind’s blank. But there’s a couple things.

Man: With TV shows, sometimes it can be a little scary for actors not knowing where it’s going–

HBO rep: Peterrrrr, when you guys are done… time to do some Tee-veeee…

Peter: [to rep] Okay.

Man: –not knowing where it’s going, but with this you had four books already to let you see, this is the path of the character. Did that give you a lot of confidence knowing what a great storyline you have ahead of you?

Peter: Yeah, of course. I’ve only read the first book. I’m going to read them, sort of as the seasons go along.

FaBihoff: [nerd] The second book is where Tyrion just shines.

Peter: Yeah, he goes to the…

FaBihoff: [helpful nerd] He’s at King’s Landing.

Peter: To become the Hand of the King.

Everyone: [happy nerd chuckles]

Peter: But yeah, there’s such a fine line with this. Like, there’s such a fan base, but there’s also people who have never read the book, so you don’t want to give anything away. You probably know everything that happens.

Man: I only know two things!

Peter: You know more than me. [to Winter and FaB] You probably know, of course… you know.

FaBihoff: Well, we’re with winter-is-coming.net. So yes, we know.

Peter: Then you know what I’m having for breakfast tomorrow.

FaBihoff: [doth protest] Uh, no!

[NOTE: eggplant, grapefruit, and granola!]

FaBihoff: What was it like working with Tom [McCarthy] again?

Peter: [grinning] Aw, it was great. Of course. He’s one of my closest friends.

FaBihoff: Okay, so you both keep in touch. [stupid fanboi smile] The Station Agent was just brilliant, man.

Peter: Yeah, thanks. And it was really–It was so serendipitous for him to shoot the pilot. Really, it was great.

FaBihoff: And you were both overseas doing it. Was that weird? It’s kind of a different setting than New Jersey.

Peter: Ahh, we had traveled so much with that movie. We had seen each other in many places… overseas… [happy smile] Man, yeah, he’s doing very well. His movie [Win Win, which just wrapped] is great. The new one.

[Peter then gets dragged off to do MTV]

But FaBihoff got… a parting fistbump. That’s right, man. A fistbump. From Tyrion freaking Lannister.

That day was a win.

• Published on 01/20/2011 at 8:21 PM CDT
• Last updated on 01/21/2011 at 2:59 AM CDT