Net worth & personal profile
Peter DinklageNet Worth
The $25 million publisher estimate, conflicting Game of Thrones salary reports, wife Erica Schmidt, two private children, Estuary Films and his 2026 screen work—separated by what each source can actually prove.
Peter Dinklage’s current net worth cannot be independently verified from public records. Celebrity Net Worth publishes $25 million, while the best-documented Game of Thrones rates conflict sharply: Variety reported $500,000 per episode for the final seasons and The Hollywood Reporter reported $1.1 million for the same work. Neither a complete personal balance sheet nor contract is public.
Source · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Displayed crop
The essentials
No public record reviewed here lists Dinklage’s complete assets, debts, taxes or private-company interests, so the headline value remains open. [1]
For the final Game of Thrones seasons, two leading trade publications reported rates that differ by a factor of 2.2: $500,000 versus $1.1 million per episode. [7]
Applying the reported rates only to seasons five through eight produces conditional gross arithmetic of about $12.5–$20.3 million, not net worth. [3]
Peter Dinklage’s existing article did something rare for a celebrity-finance page: it refused to manufacture certainty. Its central evidence remains sound. Public salary reporting for Game of Thrones conflicts, no personal asset-and-liability statement is available, and a gross-pay subtotal cannot fill that gap.
The revised profile preserves that research and makes the distinctions easier to use. Reported rates, conditional arithmetic, an outside net-worth estimate, a production agreement and current acting work each answer different questions. Net Worth VIP — methodology
01 / The breakthrough
The Station Agent made the role about a person, not a stereotype
Dinklage was born Peter Hayden Dinklage in Morristown, New Jersey, with achondroplasia. He studied drama at Bennington College and spent years taking stage and screen work while rejecting roles that reduced dwarfism to a costume or punchline. Biography — Peter Dinklage
The Station Agent became his breakout in 2003. Its central role gave Dinklage the kind of fully written character he had been seeking, and the film’s Sundance reception moved him into broader independent and studio work. Deauville American Film Festival — Peter Dinklage
Game of Thrones then turned Tyrion Lannister into his global signature role from 2011 through 2019. The Television Academy records four supporting-actor Emmy wins. Awards demonstrate career standing and bargaining power; they do not reveal retained wealth. Television Academy — Peter Dinklage
02 / Personal life
Erica Schmidt, two children and a creative marriage kept largely private
Dinklage and playwright-director Erica Schmidt married in 2005. Schmidt adapted and wrote the screen version of Cyrano, in which Dinklage starred, making their most visible collaboration both a family and professional project. Biography — Peter Dinklage · The Independent — Peter Dinklage interview
A joint Death, Sex & Money interview recorded at Tribeca and released June 16, 2026 confirms that they remain spouses after two decades. They discussed the tension of two full-time artistic careers and family life rather than presenting their marriage as celebrity content. Apple Podcasts — Peter Dinklage and Erica Schmidt
They have two children. Reliable profiles do not publish the children’s names, and the family has repeatedly kept them out of publicity. This page therefore excludes names circulated by aggregators and does not infer either child’s health, height or finances. The Independent — Peter Dinklage interview
03 / The money story
The strongest salary evidence ends in a genuine contradiction
Deadline reported in October 2014 that Dinklage and other principal cast members were nearing $300,000 per episode for seasons five and six, with the five deals negotiated one by one. The Hollywood Reporter described that round as a tiered system but did not attach dollar figures to the tiers. Deadline — 2014 Game of Thrones renegotiation · The Hollywood Reporter — 2014 tiered contracts
In June 2016, Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter both reported more than $500,000 per episode for seasons seven and eight. Five months later, The Hollywood Reporter raised its figure to $1.1 million for seven episodes of season seven and six of season eight. Variety then published $500,000 in August 2017 for the same stars and seasons. HBO did not release the contracts, and neither trade publication reconciled the 2.2-times gap. Deadline — 2016 salary report · The Hollywood Reporter — June 2016 salary report · The Hollywood Reporter — November 2016 salary survey · Variety — 2017 television salary survey
If roughly $300,000 is applied to Dinklage’s 20 episodes in seasons five and six, and the conflicting $500,000–$1.1 million rates to his 13 episodes in seasons seven and eight, the arithmetic is about $12.5–$20.3 million gross. This is a transparent scenario for four seasons, before representatives and tax. It omits seasons one through four and every other role, and it is not a career-earnings total or personal balance sheet.
The evidence, with its limits
| Source / measure | Public figure | What it establishes |
|---|---|---|
| Celebrity Net Worth — Peter Dinklage | $25 million | Current publisher estimate; no disclosed personal balance sheet. |
| Deadline — 2014 Game of Thrones renegotiation | Close to $300,000 per episode | Contemporaneous report for seasons five and six. |
| Deadline — 2016 salary report · The Hollywood Reporter — June 2016 salary report | More than $500,000 per episode | Two June 2016 trade reports for seasons seven and eight. |
| The Hollywood Reporter — November 2016 salary survey | $1.1 million per episode | Later report for seven plus six episodes of the final seasons. |
| Variety — 2017 television salary survey | $500,000 per episode | Conflicting 2017 estimate for the same final seasons. |
| Deadline — Estuary Films first-look deal | Terms undisclosed | Estuary Films’ multi-year first-look television deal; not personal income. |
04 / Producing and now
Estuary Films and a busy 2025–26 release run
Dinklage co-founded Estuary Films with David Ginsberg in 2016. A multi-year first-look television deal with eOne was announced in 2021 without price, ownership percentages, project fees or a current company valuation. “First look” describes access to projects; it does not prove a guaranteed personal payout. Deadline — Estuary Films first-look deal
His recent run spans producing as well as acting. The Toxic Avenger reached theaters in August 2025 after a long distribution delay. Dinklage then played Leon Prater in Dexter: Resurrection, while the official Idiots page lists an August 28, 2026 release. None of those public pages discloses his compensation. Associated Press — The Toxic Avenger · Paramount — Dexter: Resurrection cast announcement · Independent Film Company — Idiots
Wicker premiered at Sundance and is scheduled by its official site for October 23, 2026. This makes the current profile time-sensitive: a film release is confirmed, but box office, backend participation and producer economics should be added only when a reliable source publishes the relevant measure. Wicker — official site
Financial record
The money timeline
Idiots opens in U.S. theatersCareerNot disclosedDetails & source
Amount and context
Not disclosed · USD
The official distributor page lists Dinklage in the cast; his fee is not disclosed.
Open source for Idiots opens in U.S. theaters ↗Estuary Films signs an eOne first-look dealCareerNot disclosedDetails & source
Amount and context
Not disclosed · USD
The multi-year television agreement was announced without financial terms.
Open source for Estuary Films signs an eOne first-look deal ↗The Hollywood Reporter publishes $1.1 million per episodeSalary$1.1MDetails & source
Amount and context
$1,100,000 · USD
The higher report covers seven episodes of season seven and six of season eight; Variety later published $500,000 for the same work.
Open source for The Hollywood Reporter publishes $1.1 million per episode ↗Deadline reports close to $300,000 per episodeSalary$300,000Details & source
Amount and context
$300,000 · USD
The report covers seasons five and six and says the principal deals were done individually.
Open source for Deadline reports close to $300,000 per episode ↗The Station Agent begins its U.S. releaseCareerNot disclosedDetails & source
Amount and context
Not disclosed · USD
The independent film became Dinklage’s breakout; no salary figure is public.
Open source for The Station Agent begins its U.S. release ↗Amounts describe different financial measures and retain their original currencies. They must not be added together as personal wealth. Our methodology.
Common questions
Questions, answered
What is Peter Dinklage’s net worth in 2026?
No independently verified figure is public. Celebrity Net Worth publishes $25 million, but public sources do not disclose Dinklage’s complete property, investments, company interests, debt, taxes or spending.
How much did Peter Dinklage make per Game of Thrones episode?
For seasons five and six, Deadline reported close to $300,000 per episode. For seasons seven and eight, Variety published a $500,000 estimate while The Hollywood Reporter reported $1.1 million for the same work. The contracts are not public.
How much can be calculated from his Game of Thrones salary?
Applying the reported rates to his episodes produces a conditional gross range of about $12.5–$20.3 million for seasons five through eight. It excludes four earlier seasons, other work, representatives, taxes, spending, assets and debt, so it is not net worth.
Who is Peter Dinklage married to, and does he have children?
He has been married to writer and director Erica Schmidt since 2005. They have two children and keep their names and private lives out of reliable public reporting.
Does Peter Dinklage own a production company?
He co-founded Estuary Films with David Ginsberg. A multi-year first-look television deal was announced in 2021, but ownership percentages, current valuation, revenue and personal compensation are not public.
Follow the evidenceSources & reading21 links
- Net Worth VIP — methodology ↗
Why reported pay rates, gross career earnings and publisher estimates cannot be treated as the same measure.
- Celebrity Net Worth — Peter Dinklage ↗
Publishes a $25 million estimate but does not disclose a personal balance sheet.
- Deadline — 2014 Game of Thrones renegotiation ↗
Contemporaneous report: close to $300,000 per episode for seasons five and six, with deals done one by one.
- The Hollywood Reporter — 2014 tiered contracts ↗
Describes the 2014 renegotiation as tiered without publishing the tier amounts.
- Deadline — 2016 salary report ↗
Reported north of $500,000 per episode for seasons seven and eight.
- The Hollywood Reporter — June 2016 salary report ↗
Reported upward of $500,000 per episode; HBO declined to comment.
- The Hollywood Reporter — November 2016 salary survey ↗
Later reported $1.1 million per episode for seven episodes of season seven and six of season eight.
- Variety — 2017 television salary survey ↗
Published a conflicting $500,000 per-episode estimate for the same final seasons.
- Harper’s Bazaar — Game of Thrones salary roundup ↗
Uses conditional language for the often-repeated $1.2 million figure rather than identifying a primary contract source.
- SEC — Time Warner 2016 annual report ↗
Reports a $2.5 billion group-wide talent commitment, not an individual Dinklage salary.
- Deadline — Estuary Films first-look deal ↗
Reports a multi-year eOne first-look television agreement with no financial terms.
- Television Academy — Peter Dinklage ↗
Official awards profile for his Game of Thrones Emmy record.
- Deauville American Film Festival — Peter Dinklage ↗
Festival biography identifies The Station Agent as his 2003 breakout and four Emmy wins for Game of Thrones.
- Biography — Peter Dinklage ↗
Biography covering full name, Morristown upbringing, achondroplasia, career and marriage.
- Apple Podcasts — Peter Dinklage and Erica Schmidt ↗
June 16, 2026 joint interview identifies them as spouses married for two decades.
- The Independent — Peter Dinklage interview ↗
Profile identifies Schmidt as his wife and the mother of their two children.
- Paramount — Dexter: Resurrection cast announcement ↗
Official announcement of Dinklage as series regular Leon Prater.
- Independent Film Company — Idiots ↗
Official film page lists Dinklage and an August 28, 2026 theatrical release.
- Wicker — official site ↗
Official film site lists Dinklage and an October 23, 2026 release.
- Associated Press — The Toxic Avenger ↗
2025 report on Dinklage’s starring role and the film’s delayed release.
- Wikimedia Commons — Peter Dinklage at Berlinale 2023 ↗
Harald Krichel portrait, cropped on Commons and licensed CC BY-SA 3.0.
