Now Playing

Snow White slammed by little people for using CGI dwarfs instead of real actors

1 April 2025, 13:06

By Sam Prance

Peter Dinklage previously called out Disney for making a live-action Snow White and playing into offensive stereotypes.

Loading audio...

Disney's live-action Snow White is coming under fire over its decision not to hire little people as the dwarfs in the film.

As soon as Disney first announced that they were making a live-action Snow White, the film came under fire over how it would depict the seven dwarfs from the original animated movie. On Marc Maron's WTF podcast, Game of Thrones actor Peter Dinklage said: "You’re still making that fucking backwards story about seven dwarfs living in a cave?"

In response, Disney released a statement. They told The Hollywood Reporter: "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."

Ultimately, Disney opted to animate the dwarves instead of using actors but now little people are speaking out.

Read more: Rachel Zegler responds to racist backlash she received after Snow White casting
Read more: Here's why Snow White cut major song from the live-action soundtrack

Watch the live-action Snow White trailer

In an interview with Sky News, comedian and model Fats Timbo criticised the film for "erasing" little people. She said: "Our representation is already small as it is - no pun intended. It's already limited. To erase that and use CGI, like we're mythical creatures or people that could be made on computers, it's disregarding us in general."

Fats added: "Let's say kids have never seen somebody that has my condition and they've seen a CGI version of me. It's going to be a bit baffling to children. It could have been a real educational piece to have actors that have the condition and give them the role they deserve."

As for how she's been treated as a little person, fat said: "I used to get made fun of all the time. [Kids would be] saying 'You're one of the dwarves from Snow White,' that kind of thing."

Fats Timbo at the London screening of One Of Them Days. Picture: Alan Chapman/Dave Benett/Getty Images

While Disney opted not to cast and little people as live-action dwarves, Pirates of the Carribean star Martin Klebba does voice animated Grumpy and Harry Potter actor George Appleby plays one of the live-action seven robbers named Quigg.