- Jonathan Dinklage picked up the Violin in Fourth Grade and held onto it till he made it to Broadway with a spectacular performance on Hamilton as well as collaborations with singers like Michael Jackson
- He is not as well known as his younger brother, Peter Dinklage, one of the top stars in the HBO series Game of Thrones
- At the moment, Jonathan is in a second marriage with the actress Kailee Graham following his divorce from Ta’Rea Campbell
Jonathan Dinklage is a violinist and concertmaster who found his way to his passion at an early age. His name is not widely circulated yet it has a nice ring to it because of his famous younger brother, Peter Dinklage, one of the antagonists in the HBO eight-season series Game of Thrones.
Besides working as the Broadway Hamilton‘s lead violin player, Jonathan contributed to the work of icons running from Michael Jackson to Lady Gaga. His part in projects like Beast of the Southern Wild and Rush: Cinema Strangiato 2019 have been given the green light.
With all these in mind, there is so much to unravel about Jonathan Dinklage’s life.
A Look Into His Early Life
Jonathan Dinklage was born into the suburbian American family of John Carl Dinklage and his wife, Diane Dinklage in Point Pleasant, New Jersey. Though he was reported to be 51 years old in 2018, details about his birthday is still unclear.
However, his father is said to have been born on October 24, 1931, a few years before the outbreak of the second world war. Sadly, he lost his father on June 27, 2004. The Dinklage family patriarch died in his sleep at the age of 72.
His father, John worked as an insurance agent while his mother put her services into teaching music in elementary school. His mother’s training as a music teacher in Roxbury township influenced his home life. As a result he and his only sibling, Peter Dinklage later found repute as entertainers of high timber and caliber.
Jonathan Dinklage Chose To Play The Violin
It is not uncommon to have genius children in a family, and in the Dinklage household, Jonathan proved to be the one to have the talent for music. His journey into the entertainment world started right from elementary school.
In those early years, he and his brother performed puppet musicals in their basement while their neighbors turned to watch . Yet, when the moment for choosing his lifelong path came, he chose the violin over acting. This is not surprising as he made up his mind after his parents took him to a performance put up by the New Jersey Symphony.
After the event, he was so impressed that he took up a violin. Ever since then, he chose the violin over any other thing. Moreso, Jonathan was outstanding on the violin which he started playing in 4th grade in the Abbey Orchestra. The group was conducted by Roy Horton, a music director at the Morristown private school. Horton alongside Fr. Germaine Fritz, his first violin teacher became his mentors.
How Jonathan Dinklage Came To The Limelight
Having laid a good foundation playing the violin, Jonathan was drawn to Jazz, and for many years he played for local bands before moving to Broadway. He performed as a regular and sometimes substituted in 15 shows. Yet, it was Matilda that made a friend invite him to take the first reading for his breakout role in the Alexander Hamilton musical.
He served as the lead violin player beginning in 2018 and subsequently got other roles. So far his works are;
Performance
- Sesame Street Band- When You Wish Upon a Pickle, The Magical Wand Chase
- He incorporated the soundtrack for The Caller, Beat of the Southern Wind
- Hamilton
- Wendy
- Little Women
- The Lennon Report
- Shrek the Musical
- The Caller
- Trumbo
- Anytown, USA
- Why We Fight
Films
- Bad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives
- Lincoln’s Dilemma
- Station Eleven
- Superman & Lois
- The Good Doctor
- Obama: In Pursuit of a More Perfect union
- Ramy
- Hunters
- Live from Lincoln Center
Other Captivating Facts About The Gifted Craftsman That No One Told You About
1. Jonathan Dinklage received formal training in entertainment
Having laid the foundation for entertainment right from his childhood neighborhood in the Brookside section of Mendham Township, it was quite obvious that was his calling.
The years preceding that period led Jonathan to the holloed chambers of academia but unlike the rigors of studying in pain, he studied to hone his skills. He received training at the Mason Gross School of the Arts situated at The State University of New Jersey, Rutgers.
2. The Mendham-born taught violin before he made it to Broadway
Though he is a highly sought violin player and concertmaster, he once dedicated his time to teaching others just like Germaine had done for him. Dinklage returned to teach in his alma mata in Delbarton.
Subsequently, he picked up teaching at the Sylvan Learning Center where he earned his first check of $38. That payment was so important to him that he never cashed it but instead, he kept it as a souvenir.
3. His marriage was affected by Covid 19
2020 will go down as one of the years that the world stood still while everyone stayed behind closed doors to avoid getting infected with the Coronavirus. Cancellations ran wild while many others saw the silver lining and continued with plans.
Jonathan Dinklage and the actress, Kailee Graham were not left out as they made plans to seal their future together. They encountered many obstacles that almost impeded their big day. However, they were able to make it happen by applying for a marriage license online through the New York Project Cupid. In the end, they got the license and used Jonathan’s best friend Paul Rudd, his best man as the officiating minister.
In the end, they were lucky to have their family members at the occasion which was held on June 27 2020 at Mullaney’s Harp & Fiddle in Strip District. Jonathan Dinklage and Kailee Graham have a child named August together.
4. How he met and married Kailee Graham
The top gear entertainer’s love history will sure make a good script for a Broadway production. Kailee grew up going to Harp & Fiddle with her parents and it is quite coincidental that she later met Jonathan at an Irish pub.
In a little twist to the plot of their love, the pair planned on eloping to Ireland but Covid halted their grand plan.
5. Jonathan Dinklage has been married twice
There are various reports about the number of times the craftsman has been married. He is currently married to Kailee Graham. Yet, his marriage to her may be a second one.
He and Ta’Rea Campbell tied the knot on June 14, 2015. The marriage lasted a few years before they divorced. Campbell is an actress and she acted in the role of Angelica Schuyler during the national tour of Hamilton.
6. The Violinist is a huge supporter of his brother’s career
Jonathan and Peter Dinklage could have been twins for all their closeness yet both are as different as the two sides of a coin. Right from childhood, Jonathan always looked out for his ‘baby’ brother who was born with a common form of dwarfism known as achondroplasia.
It wasn’t long before Peter made his own niche as an actor. Over the years, Peter made a name for himself as an actor and went international following his role as Tyrion Lannister in Game of Thrones.
Reportedly, he and his mom visited his brother in Ireland every year throughout the shooting of the series which ran for eight years.
7. Jonathan Dinklage played for these musical icons
- Michael Jackson
- Mary J. Blige
- Barbra Streisand
- Tony Bennett
- Lady Gaga
- Sturgill Simpson
See Also: Yuka Kitamura- What You Should Know About the Singer and Composer
How much is Jonathan Dinklage’s net worth?
The violinist has not revealed his net worth even though he has spent many years contributing to icon works. As per his exposure as a concertmaster for many shows, he may have a huge bird’s nest stashed somewhere. Moreover, the union rules have a stipulation that allows concert masters to earn more than other parts of a string.
Although his net worth is not known, his brother, Peter Dinklage has an impressive net worth of $25 million. his time on the HBO series Game of Thrones placed him on the list of the Worlds Highest actors.
