Struggling Actor: The Globe had a nice feature this weekend about actor Pete Dinklage, who has generated some buzz from "The Station Agent," an indie flick that caught serious attention at the festivals this year. I went to school with Pete, who was a year ahead of me, and though I didn't know him well, I remember him from the school plays and musicals. He was a fearless actor then, ready to take any part and throw himself into it. From the article, it sounds like not much has changed.

As it happens, Pete is four and a half feet tall.

With the success of "Station Agent," Hollywood has come calling, but it's clear most studio executives aren't sure how to pigeonhole a talented leading man who comes in at under 5 feet. "After Sundance, I was in LA for a few weeks, and everybody wanted to meet me," says Dinklage drily. "Nobody had a project, but they all wanted a 'sit-down' -- heads of movie companies and all that stuff. I guess they just wanted to `catch the buzz' . . . I hope it doesn't slip into, 'OK, I'm writing a movie about teaching tolerance and let's call Pete.' "

Good on him. Maybe sooner or later, they'll just stop making movies that aim at "teaching tolerance."