Peter Dinklage has been acting since the '90s, but it wasn't until he was cast as Tyrion
Lannister in Game of Thrones that he became a megastar.
Despite his incredible popularity, the actor and his wife of seventeen years, Erica Schmidt,
have managed to keep their relationship away from the prying eyes of the spotlight.
The couple has remained very private when it comes to their family, but every now and
again, they've shared a rare glimpse into their marriage.
According to Peter's fellow Game Of Thrones costar, Lena Headey, Dinklage is "super flirtatious."
In fact, she actually dubbed him "the most successful flirt I've ever met."
While Peter didn't disagree, he did admit that he wasn't always all that confident in
his own skin, and it took him quite some time to gain the courage to approach women with
his flirtatious charm.
He shared, "I was socially a little bit of a mess, in terms of confidence with the other
half."
The actor explained that it was only as he got older that he started to become more comfortable
with himself.
He understood that "women respond to comfort and sense of humor," and he knew that he was
able to make them laugh.
So when it came to his charm, he relied on his good sense of humor.
He added, "Women on the whole are often not as shallow as men are.
They can be, but they cut through things a little more easily than men do in terms of
that superficial stuff."
And the woman to become completely smitten with his funny and flirtatious side was his
beloved Erica Schmidt.
Peter and Erica met on an incredibly unique night in Manhattan while Elephants were walking
through the streets.
Yep, you heard that right, Elephants.
They were at a mutual friend's house and heard that the circus was visiting the town.
When they went out, they saw a long line of elephants walking through Manhattan.
To make things even more romantic, it was snowing that night.
The pair eloped to Las Vegas and said "I do" in 2005, long before Peter's acting career
had taken off.
Following Dinklage's big break from Game Of Thrones five years later, the couple had to
adjust to his newfound fame and the popularity that came along with it.
During an interview with Rolling Stone, Erica joked, "Lately, girls have been, like, licking
his face."
Interestingly enough, it's not her husband's fame that seems to bother her.
Rather, it's the fact that people are surprised by his appeal.
Erica explained, "What's frustrating about it is that Pete is an incredibly handsome,
charming, funny guy, but when he does a magazine or something it's like, 'Isn't it amazing
he's four foot five inches tall and he's sexy?'
You know, that's just who Pete is.
And the rest of the world has to catch up."
While Peter and Erica might work in the same industry, there is no competition between
them.
She has no problem with all the attention her husband receives and all the adoring fans
that come with his fame.
In fact, Erica is an award-winning playwright and theater director herself, and she's more
focused on her own impressive career rather than competing with her hubby's.
While working in the same industry might lead to unhealthy competition or even animosity
between some partners, Peter and Erica are so proud and secure in who they are that there's
just no time for jealousy.
In 2020, Schmidt even directed Peter in an off-Broadway production, 'A Month in the Country.'
So they even enjoy working together too.
Interestingly enough, when Peter is asked who the most successful artist in their household
is, he'll quickly let you know it's not him.
During a 2015 interview, the actor called his wife "brilliant" and gushed, "She loves
theater.
Unlike a lot of other people in our profession where film is the ultimate goal, theater is
sacred to her.
It's not entertainment; it's art."
He added, "She's very inspiring.
She's definitely the artist of the family.
I am just the TV actor who pays the bills."
Throughout their seventeen years of marriage, they've spent most of their lives in show
business, and yet, somehow, they've managed to maintain the mystery around their private
lives.
While we do have a bit of information about how they met and when they were married, when
it comes to their kids, there is basically little to no information that can be found.
And that's just the way that Peter and Erica like it.
In 2011, the couple welcomed their first child, a daughter, whose name they never revealed.
Peter shared, "Let me tell you right now: her name is not Zelig.
But it's hilarious that that's a fact in Wikipedia."
There is very little known about their daughter, and maybe that's because she was born right
as Game of Thrones turned Dinklage into an internationally famous household name.
When Peter was asked if he wanted to correct the reports on his daughter's alleged name
on Wikipedia, his response was, "I don't care!"
The actor also admitted to being an incredibly protective father.
So when he's working on set, he makes sure to keep his private life away from his work
life.
He explained, "I am so protective of everything that society has to offer, especially if I
am in it.
Maybe one day she'll watch Thrones . . . She has been to the cinema once and she lasted
about half an hour . . . I think she was a little too young."
In October 2017, Dinklage and Schmidt's second child was born.
Although Schmidt was visibly pregnant at public events earlier in the year, the couple never
actually confirmed the pregnancy to any media outlets or via any statements.
It was later reported that they were seen at a concert in September, apparently with
their newborn baby.
Since then, however, there has been no news at all about their youngest child, who is
now about five years old.
The couple has chosen not to release any details about their second child, not even their gender
or name.
Peter and Erica may not shout about their love from the rooftops; it's clear that their
relationship is seriously sweet.
Just because they prefer to keep their family and romance private doesn't mean that there
is any question that Peter is a proud husband and father.
In 2011, when the actor won an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, he gushed,
"I love you, Erica.
You're amazing.
I love you."
During an interview just six weeks after his daughter was born, he called fatherhood "incredible"
and "life changing."
A few months later, he told Rolling Stone his daughter was simply "beautiful" and joked,
"I wonder who the father is."
Peter also credits becoming a father with making him a better man.
Recalling his youth in a 2018 interview, the actor opened up about his struggle with self-esteem
and self-worth.
He shared, "Oftentimes, when I was younger, I'd think in negative terms.
Without believing in reincarnation I'd think, 'What did I do in my past lives to deserve
this scarlet D on my chest?'
Because a lot of the time it sucks."
However, the birth of his daughter put a lot of things into perspective for him.
He explained, "I think everything gets easier as you get older.
When you're young your ego is so strong.
Then you get older and you get freed from yourself.
Maybe it's having children that does it … You're not who you were before having kids."
While the actor has described his life as being near-perfect with a "beautiful new baby"
and a "happy marriage" that accompanied a seriously impressive career, there was just
one downside to his blissful existence: the inability to keep a low profile.
He admitted, "I can't be anonymous because of my size."
Erica added, "Even if they don't recognize him, they think he's Wee Man from Jackass
or they think he's the guy from In Bruges, so there's a constant assault."
It was because of all the constant ambushing of people that Peter moved his family to update
New York from Manhattan.
It might not have been the easiest move for Erica's work in theater, but she agreed because
she knew how important it was to him.
Peter confessed, "The list of people happy here is probably my dog, me, the baby, then
my wife – from happiest to least happiest."
They may not talk about their relationship all that much, but it's clear that Peter Dinklage
and Erica Schmidt trust and support each other unconditionally.
They refuse to compete with one another on a professional level; they don't allow jealousy
to taint their union, and they're willing to make sacrifices for one another.
If there's one thing that's blatantly obvious about their top-secret relationship, it's
that they are sure about who they always want to go home to and spend the rest of their
lives with, each other.
For such a successful actor, we can imagine how difficult it must be for Peter to keep
his private life away from prying eyes.
But he's done a very good job at it.
We're so glad that he and Erica have found love and happiness together with their family,
and we wish them nothing but the best for their future.