Peter Dinklage's 50th Birthday: His Best Movies and TV Shows Ranked

Today (June 11) Peter Dinklage, of Game of Thrones and Elf fame, celebrates his 50th birthday. The actor was born with achondroplasia, a form of dwarfism, but Dinklage didn't let this hold him back from pursuing his career in acting.

According to Britannica Encyclopedia, he began acting at an early age and in 1991 he founded a theater group in Brooklyn. This led to off-Broadway opportunities and Dinklage refused projects or parts that typecast him because of his height.

His first big screen role was Living in Oblivion (1995), an independent film about the treatment of dwarfs in Hollywood. His portrayal landed him film and TV roles, with his breakthrough coming in the form of the movie The Station Agent (2003).

Following this, he starred in Christmas favorite, Elf (2003). He starred in TV shows such as Nip/Tuck (2006) and films such as Underdog (2007) and The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008).

In 2011, Dinklage appeared as Tyrion Lannister in the HBO smash hit, Game of Thrones. His performance earned him several Emmy Awards for best supporting actor and a Golden Globe Award in 2012.

Following this, Dinklage starred in X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), Pixels (2015), Angry Birds (2016) and The Boss (2016). He had a supporting role in drama Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017), and starred in the apocalyptic film I Think We're Alone Now (2018). He starred in biopic My Dinner with Hervé (2018), which aired on the cable network HBO.

In celebration of his 50th birthday, Newsweek has analyzed data from Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic to rank his top 10 best films and TV shows to date.

10. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008)

Score: 64

Rotten Tomatoes: 66 / Metacritic: 62

Plot: The four former kings and queens of Narnia return after a long period away to help Prince Caspian take his throne.

Also starring: Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes and William Moseley

What critics said: "[The director] barrels the action along in an even-handed manner that should keep most of the family happy." CNN.com

9. Elf (2003)

Score: 73.5

Rotten Tomatoes: 83 / Metacritic: 64

Plot: A oversized elf finds out his real father is in New York City, so he travels to meet him and his new family.

Also starring: Will Ferrell, James Caan and Bob Newhart

What critics said: "Ferrell is a hoot. So is much of this witty holiday family entertainment, which, up until the end, when the "true spirit of Christmas" must be reaffirmed, happily favors slapstick over treacle." Newsweek

8. My Dinner with Hervé (2018)

Score: 75.5

Rotten Tomatoes: 83 / Metacritic: 68

Plot: A tale about the friendship between journalist Danny Tate and French actor Hervé Villechaize.

Also starring: Jamie Dornan, Mireille Enos and Harriet Walter

What critics said: "It's a compelling story made more poignant by the fact that it's told by Dinklage, a performer who seems to be the exact opposite of Villechaize." NPR

7. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

Score: 76.5

Rotten Tomatoes: 85 / Metacritic: 68

Plot: The Avengers, including Captain America, Iron Man and the Hulk, must join forces to save the universe.

Also starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth and Mark Ruffalo

What critics said: "Never has the Marvel Cinematic Universe seemed like more of a universe, in ways both good and bad. Infinity War—the title is almost too apt—is far from a perfect movie, but it is probably close to the best movie it could have been." The Atlantic

6. X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)

Score: 82.5

Rotten Tomatoes: 90 / Metacritic: 75

Plot: Wolverine must go back in time to stop the assassination of an anti-mutant billionaire.

Also starring: Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender

What critics said: "Quicksilver…is the coolest of this picture's new guys, zipping around so fast…that he can taste soup, rearrange guards' limbs, and nudge bullets off their trajectories all in the time it takes to blink." NPR

5. Game of Thrones (2011 - 2019)

Score: 84.5 / 100

Rotten Tomatoes: 89 / Metacritic: 80

Plot: A series that follows the politics of Westeros and who will rule the Iron Throne.

Also starring: Sean Bean, Kit Harington and Sophie Turner

What critics said: "Game of Thrones found purpose. Not to press our faces to the fire, but to show us those already burned, and teach us how to hold their suffering." Polygon

4. Living in Oblivion (1995)

Score: 84.5

Rotten Tomatoes: 88 / Metacritic: 81

Plot: A day in the life of an independent filmmaker.

Also starring: Steve Buscemi, James Le Gros and Catherine Keener

What critics said: "A hip indie version of Truffaut's Day for Night, Living in Oblivion celebrates the very act of filmmaking as grand folly, a triumph of absurdist heroism." Entertainment Weekly

3. The Station Agent (2003)

Score: 87.5

Rotten Tomatoes: 94 / Metacritic: 81

Plot: Finbar McBride moves to an abandoned train station in rural New Jersey, to live the life of a hermit.

Also starring: Patricia Clarkson, Bobby Cannavale and Paul Benjamin

What critics said: "What saves the movie, and gives it what emotional reality it has, is the acting. A lot of the good will this movie has generated is due to Dinklage, who single-handedly overturns decades of screen stereotypes." Newsweek

2. Lassie (2006)

Score: 88.5

Rotten Tomatoes: 93 / Metacritic: 84

Plot: A loyal collie travels more than 1,000 miles from northern Scotland to Yorkshire to return to her young friend.

Also starring: Peter O'Toole, Samantha Morton and John Lynch

What critics said: "It's such a relief to settle into a film that lets dogs be dogs, children be children, and old-fashioned movies be old-fashioned movies." Slate

1. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)

Score: 89.5

Rotten Tomatoes: 91 / Metacritic: 88

Plot: A mother takes a bold move to push the local police to find the murderer of her daughter.

Also starring: Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson and Sam Rockwell

What critics said: "But while that is a rage that's exhilarating to witness, it's a rage that's not available to everyone. Just as not everyone in Ebbing can claim the protection of being considering "good," we still don't live in a world where everyone gets to be angry." Buzzfeed News