Hornswoggle claims Peter Dinklage took roles meant for his community, says he shouldn't be the voice of dwarves

WWE legend Hornswoggle, popular for his unique in-ring persona, recently sat down for a chat with Ariel Helwani on his show. Hornswoggle, who spent a decade in the WWE and also plied his trade in Impact Wrestling for a few years, reflected on his career, becoming a father, and also his issues with Peter Dinklage.

Hornswoggle first made waves in WWE in 2006 under the name Little Bastard, which was changed to Hornswoggle in 2007.

Outside wrestling, Hornswoggle has also confronted challenges in Hollywood. He was vocal about Disney’s live-action Snow White casting decisions:

“Peter Dinklage goes on a podcast and says, ‘What have I been on my soapbox for?’—fighting for our community to get regular roles. Disney cancels it and then casts normal-sized actors, not dwarfves. What are we doing here?”

He emphasizes the importance of opportunities for the dwarf acting community:

“These are seven roles made for people of my community, not me. Stunt doubles, extras—all of that. You took those jobs away. My issue was, why is he the voice of our community? I was on television for ten years. Why am I not considered the voice?”

On joining the iconic faction DX, he recalls:

“I was doing stuff with Chavo, and one week we were going to have him turn and save me. Then they pulled me aside and said, ‘You’re going to be part of DX.’ I go, ‘Okay, awesome.’ Later, I found out kids really liked me, so I could be our mascot kind of thing. And that was it. Off to the races.”

He fondly remembers his experiences with Pyro and merchandise:

“I got to do Pyro. I got a shirt. It’s on a figure now. Man, that and Vince’s kid stuff overtook my life. It’s just such a rocket ship feeling—man, this is insane.”

Despite being a smaller wrestler in a world dominated by giants, Hornswoggle never let his stature define him. He recalls his time in the locker room:

“I’m the ultimate god. I said, ‘Thank God I was not a subject to all of this. I’m going to start it myself.’ I would pick on the Great Khali so much, just get him riled up. One day he would catch me off guard, come in the locker room, get his hands on me. Stop [stuffing] with me. But it was hilarious.”

He developed strong bonds with colleagues like Kofi Kingston and Curt Hawkins, coining the term “Team Dad” with them due to their shared experiences as fathers.

“We always called ourselves Team Dad because I had Landon, Kofi had his first son, and Hawkins had his kids. We’d go to a Denny’s or out to eat, put our order in, and leave the table to call home. Hawkins texts Kofi and me, ‘Hey guys, can I be part of Team Dad?’ That’s how it worked—it was about having his daughters and the experience of being a dad.”

Hornswoggle also ran his own promotion, ACW Wisconsin, demonstrating his commitment to wrestling beyond personal fame.

“I own it. I run it with an awesome group. ACW Wisconsin out of Oshkosh. We have a show coming up November 9th and our anniversary in December. AI Wrestling out of Cleveland, next Saturday—me versus Danhausen. I have not had him in yet. He would be awesome.”

Even today, Hornswoggle stays plugged into the wrestling world, keeping up with WWE, AEW, TNA, and NXT.

“I love how much wrestling there is. Whether you like something or you don’t, you can find something that you like.”

Hornswoggle’s professional success was built atop a foundation of resilience shaped by health challenges from childhood.

“My first back surgery was 1990. I was four. It paralyzed me for six months. Then in 1992, they put a rod and a rib in my back. First thing the doctor says is, ‘No trampolines and no contact sports.’ And then a few years later, I had ear surgery. I had a tumor in my ear. The doctor opened it up—never did surgery on a little person either. Hit an artery, I just started bleeding out. Patched me up and put this huge bandage around my head.”

He explains how he faced these obstacles with a resilient mindset:

“Nah, I didn’t let myself be bullied. Kids didn’t pick on me. No, because I was like, I didn’t sell for them. If they tried to, I would. Once you take that away, they don’t have the laughs from others. All they want is the pops from the others. It’s all they care for.”

Hornswoggle’s life took a transformative turn when he became a father. Recalling the moment he found out he was going to be a dad, he says:

“I wasn’t ready at all. I wasn’t ready for a 15-year-old. Okay, I wasn’t ready for a 16-year-old. He’s going to be driving on his own in two months. I’m not ready for that.”

He credits WWE colleague Fit Finlay for helping him navigate the news:

“I remember walking the hallway and Fit sees me and he must have seen something. He goes, ‘What’s going on?’ And I go, ‘I can’t tell you.’ He goes, ‘Well, now you have to.’ So we go off to the side. I go, ‘I’m going to be a dad.’ And he drops to a knee and he just hugs me and he starts like getting welled up and I’m like, ‘I can’t do this. I can’t do this.’ He goes, ‘Yes, you can. Firstly, call her back. Secondly, let’s say a prayer.’”

Becoming a father fundamentally changed him:

“When Landon was born, I always say like the world paused and I was like, ‘All right, kid. Time to grow up. Time to get your [stuff] together.’” He admits he initially worried about his son’s health: “I was very, very worried about that health stuff, bullying, all of that. Turns out he’s obviously… he ain’t no little. He’s a big boy. He’s a great football player. He’s doing awesome, man. There he is. God, man. I don’t get like… I don’t get emotional about a lot. But he makes me that way. And because I’m just proud of him, man. Like he’s just a cool kid.”

Hornswoggle also credits his father for shaping his approach to parenting:

“He’s my absolute hero. I think we don’t realize how cool our parents are until we get older. As kids, we’re just like, ‘They’re our parents.’ As we get older, we’re like, ‘Man, they’re awesome.’” Watching his father interact with Landon inspires him: “To see his relationship with Landon is the greatest. I live my life, especially with Landon, going, ‘I just want to be as good of a dad as he was. I never will be untouchable. Untouchable. But I can try, and I’m going to try.’ That’s all I want. That’s all I care about.”

Hornswoggle is also deliberate about guiding Landon’s ambitions, particularly regarding wrestling:

“In two years, Landon’s 17. He finally brought up to his mom and I that he wants to pursue wrestling. I flat out had a talk with him. I said, ‘Hey, let’s keep wrestling as a backup plan. Let’s not have that as number one. It could be 1A, but backup. Because it’s not guaranteed.’ All of these guys nowadays get lucky. Wrestling is crazy. You can be the best in the country, but if you don’t get the hype, you don’t get signed.”

He adds, with characteristic warmth:

“I would be lying if I said I don’t want him to. But I just don’t want him to make it a priority. I don’t want him to live his life thinking, ‘I need to do that.’”

About his outlook on life now, Hornswoggle said:

“I just want to be a good dad. I want to be a good human and fun. That’s all I care about.”

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