The plight of a short stature actor has set twitter alight after a Golden Globe winner urged the watching audience to Google his name.
In his acceptance speech after winning an award for his appearance in ‘Game of Thrones’, critically acclaimed actor Peter Dinklage said: “I want to mention a gentleman I’m thinking about in England. His name is Martin Henderson. Google him.”
Within hours millions of people learned about Martin Henderson, who was left partially paralysed after a drunken rugby fan picked up the small actor, who was out celebrating his 37th birthday, and threw him for a ‘joke’.
The attack has left Mr Henderson, who has appeared in two Harry Potter movies, needing a wheelchair or crutches for mobility.
The attack happened only two weeks after several members of the England rugby team were criticised for taking part in a ‘dwarf throwing’ contest at the recent rugby world cup.
Team captain Mike Tindall was photographed holding one of the small people upside down.
Last week, speaking in the Sun newspaper Mr Henderson said: ‘I couldn’t believe it when I heard Tindall and the England team were involved in dwarf throwing,’
‘People see stars like him doing it and think it’s acceptable. That could be why it happened to me. The thug thought it was funny.’
Hear Peter Dinklage’s speech:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvRj9EBQ1qY{/youtube}