Dwarfism is a medical condition that is typically described as having a fully-grown adult height of under 4ftn 10in.
Dwarfism affects over 650,00 in the world and an estimated 30,000 people in the United States. They are usually of normal intelligence.
Around 80 percent of little people are born to parents of average size.
The 4 most common causes of dwarfism in children are:
- lack of emotional or physical nurturance;
- inadequate pituitary function (pituitary dwarfism);
- Turner syndrome;
- achondroplasia.
The most often diagnosed cause of short stature is achondroplasia, a condition which results in disproportionately short legs and arms.
Achondroplasia affects about 1 in 15,000 to 1 in 40,000 people.
Symptoms of achondroplasia include the following:
- an adult height around 4 feet (122 centimeters);
- progressive development of swayed lower back;
- progressive development of bowed legs;
- a disproportionately large head, with a flattened bridge of the nose and a prominent forehead;
- limited mobility at the elbows;
- short fingers, commonly with a wide separation between the ring and middle fingers;
- short legs and arms, especially with short upper arms and upper legs;
- an average-size trunk.
List Of 12 Famous People With Dwarfism:
#1 Peter Dinklage
Peter Dinklage is an actor who is best known for his role as Tyrion Lannister on HBO’s Game of Thrones. Peter won an Emmy for his role as the scheming Tyrion.
In addition, Dinklage starred in the British film version of the comedy Death at a Funeral. Additionally, he played roles in films such as:
- Prince Caspian;
- Ice Age: Continental Drift;
- Pixels;
- X-Men: Days of Future Past;
- Elf;
- The Station Agent.
The actor has a form of dwarfism, achondroplasia, that affects bone growth. As a result, Peter is 135 centimeters (4 feet 5 inches) tall.
#2 Bri Barlup
Barlup is a reality TV star who featured in rapper Lil Chuckee’s music video for his song, named -“Da Wop.” Bri gained fame after appearing on the TV series Little Women: Atlanta. She was also a club dancer.
The type of dwarfism that Barlup has is achondroplasia, a type of short-limbed dwarfism.
Her mother also has achondroplasia dwarfism.
#3 Verne Troyer
He was an American stunt performer, comedian, and actor who played Mini-Me in the Austin Powers film series.
Troyer was only 81 cm (2 ft 8 in) tall, the result of cartilage–hair hypoplasia (a rare genetic disorder that is characterized by short-limbed short stature). This made Troyer one of the shortest men in the world.
He died on April 21, 2018. According to the LA County Medical Examiner-Coroner’s office, the death of Troyer has been certified as a suicide.
#4 Danny Woodburn
Woodburn is an American activist for the disability rights movement linked to his dwarfism, comedian, and actor.
In 2014, Danny appeared in the film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. He also played the role of Deputy Felix Shoe in the thriller – ”Life Blood.”
Woodburn graduated from Temple University School of Communications and Theater in 2001.
Moreover, he has had starring roles in Passions, Special Unit 2, Conan the Adventurer, and Crash & Bernstein. But, he is best known for portraying the role of Mickey Abbott on the TV show Seinfeld alongside Jerry Seinfeld.
#5 Billy Barty
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He was an American activist and actor. In adult life, Barty stood three feet, nine inches (114 centimeters), due to a disorder of bone growth, named – cartilage–hair hypoplasia dwarfism.
Billy married Shirley Bolingbroke in 1963. The two had two children.
Billy began his acting career when he was 3 years old. Despite his short stature, Barty actively pursued competitive sports such as basketball.
He died on December 23, 2000.
#6 Josh Ryan Evans
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He was an American actor who suffered from achondroplasia. Evans was 3 feet 2 inches (97 centimeters) tall.
Josh is best known for his role of Timmy Lenox in the soap opera Passions.
Josh died on August 5, 2002, during a medical procedure from complications related to a congenital heart condition.
#7 Emily Fernandez
Emily Fernandez was a main cast member on Little Women: Atlanta.
Before she was on Little Women: Atlanta, Emily was a club dancer.
The type of dwarfism that Emily has is achondroplasia.
In 2016, she moved back to Dallas to be with family. She later joined the cast of Little Women: Dallas.
#8 Kenny Baker
He was an English musician and actor who appeared in Labyrinth, Amadeus, Flash Gordon, Willow, Time Bandits, and The Elephant Man.
Baker is best known for portraying the character R2-D2 in the Star Wars franchise.
As an adult, Kenny stood 3 ft 8 in (1.12 meters).
He died on August 13, 2016, 11 days before his 82nd birthday.
#9 Amanda Salinas & Andrea Salinas
Amanda and Andrea are identical twin sisters who have achondroplasia dwarfism. Both appeared in the television series Little Women: Atlanta.
Before appearing in the series, the twin sisters were club dancers and performed together as the “Tiny Twinz.”
#10 Jack Purvis
Born in London, Jack was an actor with dwarfism. When he was an adult, Jack stood at 4 feet 1 inch.
Purvis is best known for appearing in the original Star Wars trilogy.
His last role was in 1990 on Caspian director Alex Kirby’s TV fantasy The Silver Chair (1990).
He died on November 21, 1997, in Bushey Hertfordshire, England. Purvis was 60 years old.
#11 Warwick Davis
He is an English producer, comedian, director, writer, television presenter, and actor.
Davis was born with Spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita, an inherited bone growth disorder, which results in problems with hearing and vision (occasionally), characteristic skeletal abnormalities, and dwarfism.
Warwick played in the sitcom Life’s Too Short, directed and written by Stephen Merchant and Ricky Gervais.
Moreover, he played Griphook and Professor Filius Flitwick in the Harry Potter films, the Ewok Wicket in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, and the title characters in Willow and the Leprechaun film series.
#12 Jason Acuña
He is an American television personality, professional skateboarder, stunt performer, and actor, who is one of the hosts of Fox Sports Net’s skateboarding show 54321. In addition, Acuña is one of the stars of Jackass on MTV.
Acuña has achondroplasia and is 4 ft 0.5 in (1.23 meters) tall.
Jason’s Jackass antics include:
- doing deep-knee bends while holding Shaquille O’Neal on his back;
- dressing like a king while rolling Johnny Knoxville down a staircase in a red carpet;
- kicking himself in the head;
- skating as an Oompa-Loompa.
References https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/ https://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-347