Why Mighty Eagle From The Angry Birds Movie 2 Sounds So Familiar
If you've watched "The Angry Birds Movie 2," you might have recognized a familiar voice in the cast of characters based on the Angry Birds video game series. Mighty Eagle is Bird Island's retired hero who had let himself go in the first movie but has become something of a mentor to Red (voiced by Jason Sudeikis), who saved Bird Island from the pigs of Piggy Island in "The Angry Birds Movie."
In the computer-animated sequel, Mighty Eagle joins Red and other birds in forming an alliance with the pigs to protect both colonies from a new enemy — Zeta (Leslie Jones), a purple eagle from Eagle Island who happens to be Mighty Eagle's ex. Zeta shoots ice balls from a massive weapon because she wants to take control of both Piggy Island and Bird Island.
So who voices the deep-voiced, authoritative, and often goofy Mighty Eagle in the family film? It's none other than Emmy-winning actor Peter Dinklage, best known for his role as Tyrion Lannister in the HBO series "Game of Thrones."
Peter Dinklage is best known for Game of Thrones
At 4-feet-5-inches tall, Peter Dinklage was born with achondroplastic dwarfism, but he didn't let that deter him from a career as a serious actor. He told The New Yorker he began his career with a promise to himself he would never play an elf or leprechaun. Instead, he began acting in theater and independent films, landing a lead role as a quiet and withdrawn man in "The Station Agent" alongside Patricia Clarkson and Bobby Cannavale. The film earned him numerous acting award nominations. Soon after, he played one of his most memorable roles — as the grumpy bestselling children's book author Miles Finch in "Elf" with Will Ferrell.
In 2011, he'd land the role that would make him a household name. For eight seasons, Dinklage played Tyrion Lannister, the black sheep of the show's powerful Lannister clan who ultimately outlived his siblings due to his cunning and moral compass. He was the first actor to be cast in the series, and he won a Golden Globe Award and four Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor. His popularity helped him land roles in such films as "X-Men: Days of Future Past."
One of his biggest roles was in Ice Age: Continental Drift
Following his success on "Game of Thrones," Peter Dinklage also accepted his first voice acting role as the orangutan Captain Gutt in "Ice Age: Continental Drift" in 2012. He told New York Daily News he prepared by resting his voice as much as possible. "You make sure you don't stay out too late the night before because then your voice will give way, like a sore muscle. It will go away if you're talking too much," he said. He added that he liked to take roles that put him outside his comfort zone.
"Ice Age: Continental Drift" turned out to be another big hit for the actor, with the animated film earning nearly $900 million at the box office, according to Box Office Mojo. Dinklage also voiced the character in multiple video game adaptations, which led to him taking an ill-fated voice acting role in the video game "Destiny" as The Ghost. Gamers united in their dislike of Dinklage's performance in the game, and outlets such as Polygon reviewed his part unfavorably.
While Dinklage didn't return to voice the character in future games, he didn't let it deter him from tackling additional animated films, such as "The Angry Birds Movie 2."
Dinklage has voiced characters in several other family-friendly films
While Peter Dinklage is known for playing characters who appear rough around the edges with sardonic wit, "The Angry Birds Movie 2" gave him a chance to showcase his comedic talents alongside some of the best comedians in the business today. The movie also starred Jason Sudeikis, Josh Gad, Bill Hader, and Tiffany Haddish.
"There's such a huge group of seriously hilarious comedians starring in the movie," he said during promotion for the first film. "Like the most funny people ever in one movie. I had such a blast upstaging all of them." He also described Mighty Eagle as egotistical. "He likes to talk and talk and talk about himself," Dinklage said.
Like "Ice Age: Continental Drift," "The Angry Birds Movie" series isn't the only family-oriented project Dinklage has participated in. According to IMDb, he also starred in "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" and recently voiced the character Phil Betterman in "The Croods: A New Age." It also likely won't be his last. He's currently filming the animated movie "Hitpig," in which a grizzled porcine bounty hunter is hired to hunt down a naive elephant.