Peter Dinklage: The ‘Station Agent’ With a Heart of Gold

If you rent the DVD of the award-winning 2003 film The Station Agent, which features a head-turning performance by Peter Dinklage, be sure to watch the extras. You’ll find out, as we did, that Dinklage is a vegetarian. In every scene of the movie in which Dinklage’s character is eating a meal, he assures viewers that the food is all-vegetarian, right down to the “beef” jerky strips.

With Dinklage’s secret out, we asked him to star in our new vegetarian-testimonial PSA series, in which celebrities like Forest Whitaker, Casey Affleck, James Cromwell, J.D. Fortune, and Joss Stone explain the many reasons for forgoing flesh—from saving animals and protecting the environment to preventing diseases like heart disease and various types of cancer. Despite his busy schedule, Dinklage readily agreed to participate, making time in between filming guest appearances on the FX series Nip/Tuck and his roles in several upcoming films, including Underdog and The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.

“I like animals, all animals. I wouldn’t hurt a cat or a dog—or a chicken or a cow. And I wouldn’t ask someone else to hurt them for me,” says Dinklage. “That’s why I’m a vegetarian.”

Join Peter and countless other people by going vegetarian today! Sign up for PETA’s 30-Day Veg Pledge to explore a vegetarian diet for one month, and we’ll e-mail you our top tips on the best places to eat out, our favorite recipes, the tastiest animal-friendly snacks, and the most delicious pre-packaged vegetarian meals.