Over the past years I have found myself becoming fascinated by vertically challenged people in films. I say vertically challenged to include both midgets (who are just small, and proportionate) and dwarfs (who are small and not proportionate). So here I thought I would include some of my favorite little people.
Tony "Tiny" Cox aged 51, has hit our screen a whopping 63 times, usually appearing in comedies, his most "bad ass" role being santa's little helper 'Marcus' in Bad Santa (2006) (which is a typical role for small people with Danny Woodburn who plays one in Jingle All The Way (1996)). Cox is a veteran midget, who has shamefully been put in the spoof films of recent such as Date Movie (2006) and Epic Movie (2007), but alongside doing actual good comedies (and one of his latest features Midgets Vs Mascots (2009) of which the trailer below, where he is along side Jordan Pentice from In Bruges (2008)). I suppose that film is probably the best way to make money as a a midget, as your personality is what comes in to play with the audience. As in another work environment that is less creative prejudices are almost certainly likely to come in to play. This happens to be the same for others such as Gary Coleman 
the star of Different Strokes (1978-1986), however, it can't be too great to be laughed at because your little, after all they have feelings too. But if I was a midget I would get myself an agent and start to act, because at least then most people would see you in a good light, and no sitcom could have ever ran with a character supposed to be a kid for Twelve years. Other than comedies midgets are not used in too many other films, however fantasy and sci-fi are a good outlet for the vertically challenged to appear as actors in, such as Warwick Davis who has had the best of both worlds. As an actor he has achieved a lot appearing in the fantasy film series of Harry Potter (2001-), a sci-fi The Hitchiker's Guide To The Galaxy (2005) and a horror Skinned Deep (2004), which is also worth a look. Despite all of this he has still had the opportunity to work on the famous Ricky Gervais comedy series Extras (2005-2007), alongside Daniel Radcliffe who plays Harry Potter (who is a kid not a midget). Also Verne Troyer, who is well known for playing mini-me in the Austin Powers The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999) and Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002), also stars in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001) and Men In Black (1997). These two examples show that dwarfs and midgets aren't pigeon holed in to just comedies that we immediately associate midgets to.
In the Philippines a group of B-Movies have been made starring Weng Weng who plays an a spoof of James Bond named Agent 00, of which one of the films is named For Y'ur Height Only (1981). Agent 00 is effectively "the midget superhero" and even though it is a comical film, it shows midgets in a "cool" spotlight, being action heroes.
Jason 'Wee Man' Acuña is an interesting character, a midget skateboarder who is well known from the Jackass (2000-2002) TV show. In the show he inflicts pain upon himself, and with him being a midget it turns into somewhat of a weird freak show. Midgets being abnormal makes them surreal when then do things, this also opens avenues for the little people to appear in films such as Charlie and The Chocolate Factory (2005) where Deep Roy (another midget who is also in Star Trek (2009)) plays the all singing and dancing Oompa Loompa's. This approach with short people as actors has been the case in many films by more underground, surrealist film makers such as David Lynch and Werner Herzog. In the Herzog film Auch Zwerge haben klein angefagen (Even Dwarfs Started Small) (1970) which stars an all midget cast, with a total of 14 midgets, which shows their isn't a shortage of midget actors out there!, and when the film was shot all of the midget were drunk and the whole thing is just them causing havoc in an institute for small people. Similarly in David Lynch's Twin Peaks (1990) season 1 episode 3, a midget (who I couldn't find the name of donations welcome!) starts to dance in a dream sequence which creates a very eerie scene (below).
However, none compare to Danny DeVito who is undoubtedly the most famous midget actor.
RELATED EXTERNAL LINKS
Clip From Even Dwarfs Started Small
Weng Weng Tribute Rap WIth Clip
Other Monumental Films With Midgets:
Time Bandits (1981)
Willow (1988)
Star Wars Series (1977-1983) Ewoks are played by midgets and R2-D2 is played by Kenny Baker, and doesn't say anything
Scary Movie 2 (2001) and Bubble Boy (2001) A midget called "Beetlejuice" appears in it.
Other Famous Midgets:
Bridget Powers
Bushwick Bill
CONTRIBUTIONS WELCOME!
Film Recommendation: Even Dwarfs Started Small - Werner Herzog
Album Recommendation: We Can't Be Stopped - Geto Boys
Tony "Tiny" Cox aged 51, has hit our screen a whopping 63 times, usually appearing in comedies, his most "bad ass" role being santa's little helper 'Marcus' in Bad Santa (2006) (which is a typical role for small people with Danny Woodburn who plays one in Jingle All The Way (1996)). Cox is a veteran midget, who has shamefully been put in the spoof films of recent such as Date Movie (2006) and Epic Movie (2007), but alongside doing actual good comedies (and one of his latest features Midgets Vs Mascots (2009) of which the trailer below, where he is along side Jordan Pentice from In Bruges (2008)). I suppose that film is probably the best way to make money as a a midget, as your personality is what comes in to play with the audience. As in another work environment that is less creative prejudices are almost certainly likely to come in to play. This happens to be the same for others such as Gary Coleman 
the star of Different Strokes (1978-1986), however, it can't be too great to be laughed at because your little, after all they have feelings too. But if I was a midget I would get myself an agent and start to act, because at least then most people would see you in a good light, and no sitcom could have ever ran with a character supposed to be a kid for Twelve years. Other than comedies midgets are not used in too many other films, however fantasy and sci-fi are a good outlet for the vertically challenged to appear as actors in, such as Warwick Davis who has had the best of both worlds. As an actor he has achieved a lot appearing in the fantasy film series of Harry Potter (2001-), a sci-fi The Hitchiker's Guide To The Galaxy (2005) and a horror Skinned Deep (2004), which is also worth a look. Despite all of this he has still had the opportunity to work on the famous Ricky Gervais comedy series Extras (2005-2007), alongside Daniel Radcliffe who plays Harry Potter (who is a kid not a midget). Also Verne Troyer, who is well known for playing mini-me in the Austin Powers The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999) and Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002), also stars in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001) and Men In Black (1997). These two examples show that dwarfs and midgets aren't pigeon holed in to just comedies that we immediately associate midgets to.In the Philippines a group of B-Movies have been made starring Weng Weng who plays an a spoof of James Bond named Agent 00, of which one of the films is named For Y'ur Height Only (1981). Agent 00 is effectively "the midget superhero" and even though it is a comical film, it shows midgets in a "cool" spotlight, being action heroes.
Jason 'Wee Man' Acuña is an interesting character, a midget skateboarder who is well known from the Jackass (2000-2002) TV show. In the show he inflicts pain upon himself, and with him being a midget it turns into somewhat of a weird freak show. Midgets being abnormal makes them surreal when then do things, this also opens avenues for the little people to appear in films such as Charlie and The Chocolate Factory (2005) where Deep Roy (another midget who is also in Star Trek (2009)) plays the all singing and dancing Oompa Loompa's. This approach with short people as actors has been the case in many films by more underground, surrealist film makers such as David Lynch and Werner Herzog. In the Herzog film Auch Zwerge haben klein angefagen (Even Dwarfs Started Small) (1970) which stars an all midget cast, with a total of 14 midgets, which shows their isn't a shortage of midget actors out there!, and when the film was shot all of the midget were drunk and the whole thing is just them causing havoc in an institute for small people. Similarly in David Lynch's Twin Peaks (1990) season 1 episode 3, a midget (who I couldn't find the name of donations welcome!) starts to dance in a dream sequence which creates a very eerie scene (below).However, none compare to Danny DeVito who is undoubtedly the most famous midget actor.
RELATED EXTERNAL LINKS
Clip From Even Dwarfs Started Small
Weng Weng Tribute Rap WIth Clip
Other Monumental Films With Midgets:
Time Bandits (1981)
Willow (1988)
Star Wars Series (1977-1983) Ewoks are played by midgets and R2-D2 is played by Kenny Baker, and doesn't say anything
Scary Movie 2 (2001) and Bubble Boy (2001) A midget called "Beetlejuice" appears in it.
Other Famous Midgets:
Bridget Powers
Bushwick Bill
CONTRIBUTIONS WELCOME!
Film Recommendation: Even Dwarfs Started Small - Werner Herzog
Album Recommendation: We Can't Be Stopped - Geto Boys
The Black midget from Gummo who beats (i think Mark Gonzales) in an arm wrestle and is wearing a Palestine t-shirt. his names Bryant L. Crenshaw. was just Harmony Korine's mate from school, said he used to mack loadsve chicks cos he was a black midget lol. hes also in some next film called Trite This Way (2007)
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