Former WWE star Dylan Postl, better known as Hornswoggle, has launched a scathing attack on ‘Game of Thrones‘ actor Peter Dinklage over comments that led to Disney’s controversial casting decisions for their live-action “Snow White” remake.
In an interview on The Ariel Helwani Show, Postl didn’t hold back his frustration with Dinklage’s influence on Hollywood’s representation of little people. The controversy stems from Dinklage’s criticism of Disney’s planned “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” remake, which ultimately led to the studio canceling the traditional dwarf casting and opting for normal-sized actors instead.
“Peter Dinklage goes on a podcast and says, ‘What have I been on my soap box for?’ for fighting for our community to get regular roles,” Postl explained during the interview. “Disney then casts it as normal-sized actors, not dwarfs. What are we doing here? Now I set up for our my community.”
Postl’s criticism centers on what he sees as hypocrisy from Dinklage, pointing to the actor’s own career choices. “My issue is when you did Elf, that check cashed just fine. You’ve done a lot of roles where it was made for a little person,” he said bluntly. “But don’t take it away from others.”
The former WWE performer emphasized the significant impact of losing these opportunities for his community. “These are seven roles made for people of my community. Not me. People of my community of the dwarf community that we don’t get the opportunity what would be a major motion picture,” Postl argued. “Seven roles. Now you’re talking seven roles. Now you’re talking stunt doubles, extras, all of that. You took those jobs away.”
Beyond the lost opportunities, Postl questioned Dinklage’s authority to speak for the entire little people community. “Why is he the voice of a community, right? When I could argue I was on television for 10 years,” he stated, referencing his nearly decade-long tenure with WWE where millions of viewers watched him weekly.
When asked about a potential encounter with Dinklage, Postl maintained he wouldn’t be confrontational but would address his concerns directly. “I wouldn’t be a d**k. I just be like, ‘Hey man, I don’t appreciate and I hope you can see what your voice and what you said did,'” he explained.
Postl’s perspective offers a counterpoint to Dinklage’s stance, arguing that removing opportunities specifically created for little people actors ultimately harms the community rather than helping it.
The Disney remake ultimately received mixed reception and underperformed at the box office, though Postl noted he never wishes for projects to fail.