Actor Peter Dinklage on Tyrion's relationship with his father, Tywin

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.


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.

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