Get To Know Peter Dinklage's 2 Kids

"Games of Thrones" star Peter Dinklage and his partner, Erica Schmidt, are parents to two children. Schmidt is a playwright and director, and while she primarily works in theater, the couple worked together on the 2021 film "Cyrano," with Schmidt as one of the writers and Dinklage in the starring role. 

Dinklage and Schmidt's romance began in the early 2000s. They met on a winter night as they watched elephants from a visiting circus journeying through the snow in New York City.  They got married in Las Vegas in 2005. Dinklage was attending a charity event, and the couple made the spontaneous decision to elope.

Dinklage is meticulously private about his life because he believes knowledge about himself as a person will detract from his acting performances.  His desire for confidentiality goes even further when it comes to his two children. Like other celebrities who keep their kids' lives concealed, Dinklage and Schmidt work hard to keep their kids out of the public eye. "I live in New York and I have a little place in the woods where I tend my garden. I like privacy," Dinklage explained to The Guardian. 

On the occasions Dinklage has been spotted with his family, he's demonstrated that he's a hands-on parent, whether he's entertaining his older child by carrying her sideways while they walk, or pushing an empty stroller while she walks and holds his hand. Here's what we know about his two kids. 

In 2011, Peter Dinklage and Erica Schmidt's first child was born. While the couple hasn't revealed their daughter's name, Dinklage has been vocal that it isn't Zelig. The actor has taken multiple opportunities to dispel the internet-fueled rumor that he named his daughter after the title character in Woody Allen's 1983 film.  While Dinklage admits he's a fan of the film, he was perplexed that a person would choose it for a baby's name. The actor also observed that it's difficult to convince people otherwise. "Her name is not Zelig. But It's hilarious that that's a fact in Wikipedia," Dinklage informed The Guardian in 2015.

When his daughter was a preschooler, Dinklage wasn't in a hurry for his daughter to see any of his acting efforts, including his work as a voice actor in the animated film "Pixels." After taking her to see, "My Neighbor Totoro," Dinklage realized she was too little at the time to enjoy sitting in the theater.

Although she didn't visit her dad on set when he starred in "Game of Thrones,"  Dinklage's daughter attended school while the series was shooting in Ireland. After spending extensive time there for nearly a decade, the star reported that she had an Irish accent.  When she was six, she and Dinklage were spotted riding through New York on a scooter. The little girl sported two long braids and massive, fluffy red earmuffs to protect her from the cold. 

In the autumn of 2017, Peter Dinklage and Erica Schmidt's second child was born. News of Schmidt's pregnancy had previously been revealed in March that year when she opened her play "All the Fine Boys." In September, the couple attracted media attention when took their youngest to a concert. Previously, when his oldest child was a baby, Dinklage revealed that he was anxious to leave her with a babysitter so he and Schmidt could attend the 2012 Golden Globes. To make their separation easier, Dinklage texted the sitter for updates on his daughter. 

Dinklage and Schmidt haven't made any public statements about their second kid's name or sex. Instead, Dinklage has used interviews to articulate his views about privacy. The actor has expressed frustration with fans who try to snap photos of him while he's out and about with his family. "It's hard when you have your kid with you and you feel everyone is just spying and not really living in the moment," he informed The Guardian. Dinklage has also noted that people taking a furtive photo are occasionally bewildered when he tries to strike up a conversation with them. "If you're a fan of what I do, why would you pay me back with that?" Dinklage vented to The New York Times.