Peter Dinklage's 'Snow White' Criticism Hits Too Close for Some Fellow Actors

Peter Dinklage took a stand against Disney's live-action remake of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs last week, but not everyone in the industry agreed with him. In a new interview with The Daily Mail, a few other actors who are little people said that they were frustrated with Dinklage, feeling that all he had done was take away an opportunity for them to work.

Dinklage discussed the upcoming Snow White remake in an interview with Marc Maron on the WTF podcast earlier this month. He mocked Disney for being "proud" of casting a Latina actress in the lead role without re-examining the portrayal of "seven dwarfs living in a cave together." He felt that this was "backward" from the "progressive" message the company was trying to send. The following day, Disney reps told The New York Times that they were "consulting with members of the dwarfism community," and ultimately the company decided to replace the seven dwarves with unspecified "magical creatures."

The Daily Mail spoke with three other actors with various forms of dwarfism for their takes on the conversation. WWE veteran and former Muppets star Dylan Postl felt that Dinklage had undermined other actors like him with his criticism. He said: "It makes me so sick to my stomach to think that there are seven roles for dwarfs that can't get normal acting roles, or very few and far between roles, and now they are gone because of this guy. Peter Dinklage is the biggest dwarf actor probably of all time but it doesn't make him king dwarf."

"When he was cast as a little person role in Lord of the Rings or in A Game of Thrones or in Elf or this that or the other thing... those checks cashed just fine," Postl went on. He had no issue then. But now he wants to be progressive? Come on man... I know me and six other little people who would love this role. Disney – call me. This would be a dream role for me. I am begging for one."

Meanwhile, actor Jeff Brooks told The Daily Mail that he did not consider Snow White to be offensive to little people. He was confused by Dinklage's complaint about the dwarves "living in a cave," saying: "Dwarfs did work in the mines. They did jobs that were easier to complete by people who are small. They worked in mines, manufacturing, they built planes, cars – all kinds of things that involved a cramped space."

Brooks said that he, too, would jump at the chance to play one of the seven dwarves in a live-action film, and worried that Dinklage was undermining opportunities for other actors. He said: "It scares me that Disney would change a decision that big over the comment of one actor. They have been too quick here."

Finally, The Daily Mail spoke to Katrina Kemp who agreed that the roles of the seven dwarves should go to real little people. However, she did not condemn Dinklage too harshly, instead saying that she believe the conversation had been over-simplified and that Disney was at risk of acting too hastily.

"It's a missed opportunity to make a movie with seven little people where they actually have intended characters," Kemp said. "There will have been people who gladly would have taken those roles. Are they people gunning for a SAG award? No. Peter has the privilege not to [take the roles. The people who are freaking out about this do not. Going to Dinklage for this is like going to Kim Kardashian for law firm advice. He is on another level, another plain of success completely."

"There are other dwarfism players who are just trying to use the inspiration that he has put out there," Kemp continued. "You can't fix it by saying 'oh we won't put any little people in it at all.'"

According to a report by The Wrap, casting sheets for the live-action Snow White movie currently call for "voice actors" for the roles of the seven dwarves. Production on the movie is slated to begin soon, with filming starting in March in the U.K. There is no release date for the movie just yet.

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