Actor Peter Dinklage on Tyrion's relationship with his father, Tywin
Anderson Cooper speaks with Peter Dinklage, who plays Tyrion Lannister on "Game of Thrones." Below is a transcript.
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Peter Dinklage: I really enjoyed and found very complex, the dynamic between Tyrion and his father, Tywin, played by Charles Dance-- because here's a man who is very embarrassed by me, but he had to-- he-- he knew how-- right I was for the role of the hand of the king. And early of those-- those early scenes where he is the one that actually appoints me to be-- his-- the second in command.
Anderson Cooper: The hand is the advisor to the king.
Peter Dinklage: Yeah. Yeah. And I thought all of that dynamic between the two of them, between Tyrion and Tywin, was very interesting. And Charles was such an incredible actor to-- to-- to play with. I have always loved that relationship between the father and the son. There's something beautifully Shakespearean about it and-- and-- tragic. And there's-- there's-- there's so much love-- there, but it can never be expressed. There's so much shame there. And it's-- it's expressed too often. It-- it's just-- it's a beautiful drawn relationship.
Anderson Cooper: It's also-- I mean, it's such a sad relationship, because-- they're two brilliant people--
Peter Dinklage: Uh-huh.
Anderson Cooper: --I mean, y-- your character and-- and your father are clearly, you know, on a par with each other just in terms of ability to see ahead, s-- to strategize, you know, and there was the potential for, you know, an incredible relationship. And--
Peter Dinklage: Uh-huh (AFFIRM).
Anderson Cooper: --that's just never--
Peter Dinklage: Right. It never--
Anderson Cooper: --possible--
Peter Dinklage: --would have been-- if I was physically different.
Anderson Cooper: Right, exactly.
Peter Dinklage: It'd be the perfect relationship.
Anderson Cooper: Right.
Peter Dinklage: 'Cause they're very similar. And that's, you know, what everybody deals with their own parents, not to this sort of tragic degree. But, you know, it's-- everybody's trying to run from who their parents were or who-- their style of parenting and or the time when you embrace who they are and the-- how much them-- they are like you. And-- and I just think that's very fascinating.
Anderson Cooper: It is a startling scene, though, when you take out a crossbow and kill him while he's on the toilet.
Peter Dinklage: Yeah, "Thrones" has a way of-- you do something like that and you are forgiven quite easily-- (LAUGH) because someone is not as liked as you are. I-- you know, like I-- (LAUGH) I kind of really-- I-- I love that about the show.
Anderson Cooper: Yeah, I mean, you've killed your father and, like, your siblings--
Peter Dinklage: Yeah, I'm a murderer. Tyrion's a murderer.
Anderson Cooper: --and you siblings haven't really, you know--
Peter Dinklage: Bluhhh.
Anderson Cooper: --taken vengeance.
Peter Dinklage: Nah. (LAUGH) Not yet. Yeah, there's a lot of-- murder on the show. (LAUGH)
The video above was edited by Will Croxton.