Dylan Postl AKA Hornswoggle Blasts The Walt Disney Company’s ‘Snow White’ Film For Scrapping Dwarf Characters

John F. Trent |

Jul 19, 2023

Dylan Postl via Sky News Australia YouTube

Dylan Postl, famous for playing Hornswoggle in WWE, put The Walt Disney Company on blast for scrapping the dwarfs from their upcoming Snow White live-action film.

Natalya and Dylan Postl as Hornswoggle at WWE Smackdown Wreslemania Revenge in 2013 Photo Credit: Brian Hargadon, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Postl’s comments follow a number of set photos revealed that the seven dwarfs will no longer be dwarfs in The Walt Disney Company’s live-action adaptation of their animated classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

The set photos were published by The Daily Mail and depicted seven individuals with only one of them appearing to have dwarfism.

@ScriptTrooper weighs in on the leaked set photos from 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'

ScriptTrooper Twitter

The photos confirmed what a Disney spokesman relayed to The Hollywood Reporter in January 2022 after Peter Dinklage criticized the adaptation.

Dinklage criticized the film during an appearance on the WTF with Marc Maron podcast where he said, “Well, you know, it’s really progressive to cast a— literally no offense to anyone, but I was a little taken aback by — they’re very proud to cast a Latina actress as Snow White. But you’re still telling the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs so.”

He continued, “Take a step back and look at what you’re doing there. It makes no sense to me. Because you’re progressive in one way but you’re still making that f*****g backward story of the seven dwarfs living in a cave. What the f*** are you doing, man?”

LONDON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 07: Peter Dinklage attends the UK Premiere of “CYRANO” at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square on December 07, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Joe Maher/Getty Images for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures & Universal Pictures)

“Have I done nothing to advance the cause from my soapbox? I guess I’m not loud enough,” he opined.

He then concluded, “I don’t know what studio that is. But they were so proud of that. And all love and respect to the actress and to the people who thought they were doing the right thing, but I’m just like, ‘What are you doing?’”

Later in the podcast, Dinklage added, “If you tell the story of Snow White and it’s [the] most f***ed up cool, progressive spin on it? Let’s do it. All in. But I just don’t know.”

Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister in Game of Thrones (2019), HBO

In response to these comments, the Disney spokesman said, “To avoid reinforcing stereotypes from the original animated film, we are taking a different approach with these seven characters and have been consulting with members of the dwarfism community.”

“We look forward to sharing more as the film heads into production after a lengthy development period,” the spokesman added.

The Hollywood Reporter also noted, “The film has been in development for three years; the studio has been reimagining the dwarf characters since the earliest stages.”

The Seven Dwarfs in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), The Walt Disney Company

Postl was asked by Piers Morgan, “The people who it seems to me have really suffered in all this are the six dwarf actors who would have expected to have roles in this remake in a massive Hollywood blockbuster who are now not going to have that experience. All the money, all the fame that may have come with that. What is your response to that?”

Postl responded, “So it’s not a progression at all to me. My issue with it is exactly what you said. There are actors, dwarf actors, that dream to be in a major motion picture such as this Disney remake. And now, because Peter Dinklage said what he said last year, now, it’s taken away. And it’s taken because of ‘progression.’ It’s not right because these are roles made for actors of my stature, roles that aren’t ever really given.”

He elaborated, “I can’t go out for the Harrison Ford or the George Clooney roles because that’s not for me. These dwarf roles are for people of my stature and now it’s taken away. I don’t feel that’s right.”

“And not only that, but now think about the additional stunt actors or body doubles or that. Now, you’re talking multiple actors of my statute that don’t get these major roles. And why? What’s the reasoning? Because we’re supposed to be progressive and just not view them as that? These are heroes. All of these dwarfs took care of Snow White. They all had characteristics, separate characteristics. They weren’t these cave dwelling monsters that people speak of. They all had seven different characteristics for seven different actors from my community.

He reiterated, “And I don’t feel it’s right that that got taken away from us.”

Dylan Postl as Hornswoggle at WWE Smackdown Wreslemania Revenge in 2013 Photo Credit: Brian Hargadon, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Postl then specifically took issue with Dinklage and implied he was a hypocrite, “Peter Dinklage spoke up about this and that was my issue. He had in the past no issue cashing checks that were made for dwarf roles like Elf and all of that. Yes, he blew away the barriers when he did his roles that weren’t necessarily made for a dwarf. But the Elf role was made for a dwarf. That check cleared just fine.

“So now that he’s gone and done that. The progression of actors– it just doesn’t sit right with me. This guy who is exactly what you said. What gave him the voice for all of our community? Why?” he said.