Mainstream and critical success (2011–present)
Between 2011 and 2019, Dinklage portrayed Tyrion Lannister in HBO's fantasy drama Game of Thrones, an adaptation of author George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire novels. Game of Thrones takes place on the fictional continents of Westeros and Essos and chronicles the power struggles among noble families as they fight for control of the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms. Tyrion is a member of House Lannister, one of the wealthiest and most powerful families in Westeros, and uses his status as a Lannister to mitigate the impact of the marginalization and derision he has received all of his life.
In May 2009, he was the first actor to be cast. Showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss noted that Dinklage, whom they described as funny, smart and witty, was their first choice for the role, as the actor's "core of humanity, covered by a shell of sardonic dry wit, is pretty well in keeping with the character".
Unfamiliar with the source material, Dinklage was cautious in his first meeting with the producers; as a dwarf, "he wouldn't play elves or leprechauns" and was choosy about genre roles. Benioff and Weiss told Dinklage that the character was "a different kind of fantasy little person", or in the actor's words, "No beard, no pointy shoes, a romantic, real human being." Dinklage signed on to play Tyrion before the meeting was half over, in part because, he said, "They told me how popular he was." Martin said of Dinklage's casting, "If he hadn't accepted the part, oh, boy, I don't know what we would have done." The series proved to be a commercial success; it was renewed for multiple seasons and concluded with its eighth season in May 2019.
Dinklage received widespread critical praise for his performance. Matthew Gilbert from The Boston Globe said that Dinklage "gives a winning performance that is charming, morally ambiguous, and self-aware". Dan Kois of The New York Times noted that Dinklage's performance has made the character "all the more popular". The Los Angeles Times wrote "In many ways, Game of Thrones belongs to Dinklage." HuffPost called Tyrion the "most quotable" character and "one of the most beloved characters" of the series.
For his performance, he went on to win the Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2011, 2015, 2018, and 2019, as well as the 2012 Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor. As a result of his performance and increased screen time, Dinklage was given top billing starting in the series' second season. In 2014, he said on The Late Show with David Letterman that he had once tried to read the books the show is based upon, but had found them confusing. He joked, "George Martin, our author, is probably going to kill my character soon because I mentioned that." In 2014, Dinklage and four of his Game of Thrones co-stars became some of the highest paid actors on television, although sources differ on the actors' per-episode salaries. In 2015, Dinklage lent his voice for the role of Tyrion in Game of Thrones: A Telltale Games Series, a video game based on the show.
In 2011, Dinklage appeared opposite Kate Hudson in Nicole Kassell's A Little Bit of Heaven. The following year, Dinklage voiced Captain Gutt in Ice Age: Continental Drift. Dinklage said he prepared himself by making sure to rest his voice before the recording sessions as it was his first voice acting role, and that he prefers doing roles he has not done before. After appearing in an episode of NBC's late-night sketch comedy Saturday Night Live in 2013, Dinklage hosted an episode of the show in April 2016; his appearances included a sketch of him and Gwen Stefani singing a new song called "Space Pants". He received praise for his performance.
In 2014, Dinklage starred in the comedy horror film Knights of Badassdom opposite Ryan Kwanten and Steve Zahn. The film is about three best friends that go to the woods and reenact a live action Dungeons & Dragons role play, when they mistakenly conjure up a demon from Hell. The same year, he played the villain Bolivar Trask in the superhero film X-Men: Days of Future Past. In preparation for his role, Dinklage stated that he did not want to approach the character necessarily as a villain, saying that Trask "actually sees what he's doing as a good thing". He also voiced the AI Ghost in the 2014 video game Destiny, but was replaced by Nolan North in August 2015. Executive producer Mark Noseworthy said that it was due to scheduling difficulties caused by Dinklage's other acting commitments.
In 2015, Dinklage starred in the science fiction comedy film Pixels as a former arcade champion named Eddie Plant. According to director Chris Columbus, Plant was partially inspired by Billy Mitchell. The film was critically panned. The Guardian praised Dinklage's performance in an otherwise "dreary romp".
In 2016, Dinklage provided the voice of The Mighty Eagle in The Angry Birds Movie, and recorded a song for the musical's soundtrack.
His next release, the independent film Rememory (2017), failed to impress reviewers, but his role of Sam Bloom was praised. Freelance film critic Yasmin Kleinbart stated that "Dinklage deserves better than this film" and John DeFore in The Hollywood Reporter said that he "delivers a soulful lead performance that will attract fans' attention". Also in 2017, Dinklage had a supporting role in the drama-dark comedy film Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, from director Martin McDonagh, and the drama Three Christs, both of which played at the Toronto International Film Festival, with the former receiving widespread critical success. In 2018, Dinklage produced and starred in I Think We're Alone Now, a post-apocalyptic drama based on the companionship between Del, played by Dinklage, and Grace, played by Elle Fanning. The film premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, and was later released to theaters on September 14, 2018.
In 2016, Dinklage and his longtime manager David Ginsburg founded their joint-venture production company, Estuary Films. I Think We're Alone Now is the first film under Estuary.
Dinklage appeared in the 2018 Marvel Studios film Avengers: Infinity War as the character Eitri, a giant dwarf.
Dinklage and writer-director Sacha Gervasi spent several years writing and producing a film based on the final days of actor Hervé Villechaize, who died by suicide shortly after his 1993 interview with Gervasi. In 2018, Dinklage starred and played the title role in My Dinner with Hervé. The movie was approved by HBO, with Dinklage co-starring alongside Jamie Dornan.
In August and September 2018, he starred in the title role of Cyrano, a stage musical adaptation of Cyrano de Bergerac written by his wife Erica Schmidt, with songs by the band The National. He reprised the role in a 2021 film adaptation of the musical, for which he was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy.
In 2019, Dinklage was announced he would co-star in the comedy film Brothers, alongside Josh Brolin. The film, directed by Max Barbakow with a screenplay by Macon Blair from a story by Etan Cohen, was released in October 2024.
In 2020, Dinklage portrayed the pirate Fannybaws in the music video of the same name from Scottish power metal band Alestorm.
In 2020, Dinklage portrayed mobster Roman Lunyov in the crime thriller I Care a Lot. His performance was praised, with Tony Sokol favorably comparing his character to Russian mobsters in other media, including Training Day and Orange is the New Black.
In 2023, Dinklage voiced Terrorcon Scourge, the main antagonist in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. He also starred in the romantic comedy-drama film She Came to Me, and played Casca Highbottom in the film The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. In 2024, Dinklage was announced to voice Dr. Dillamond in the two-part film adaptation of the musical, Wicked, alongside a cast including Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. In 2024, Dinklage had a cameo in Jerry Seinfeld's Unfrosted, which premiered on Netflix.
On October 5, 2017, Dinklage purchased the rights to the film adaptation of Joe R. Lansdale's novel The Thicket. The film, The Thicket, which stars Dinklage alongside Juliette Lewis and Esme Creed-Miles, was released in September 2024.
In 2024, Dinklage voiced Hercule Poirot in an Audible adaptation of Agatha Christie's The Mysterious Affair at Styles, reprising the role in 2025's The A.B.C. Murders.
In 2023, Dinklage starred as the titular character in The Toxic Avenger, which was released on August 29, 2025.
In 2025, Dinklage starred as main antagonist Leon Prater in the first season of Dexter: Resurrection.
