Age: 55
Birthplace: Sturgis, Michigan, U.S.
Verne Troyer (born January 1, 1969) is an American actor, stunt actor and comedian. He is notable for his height of 2 ft 8 in (0.81 m), the result of cartilage-hair hypoplasia dwarfism, making him one of the shortest men in the world. He is best known for playing Mini-Me in the Austin Powers series of comedy films.
Since 2014, Troyer has appeared as 'The Boss' in adverts for gambling site Bgo.com
Troyer was born in Sturgis, Michigan, the son of Susan, a factory worker, and Reuben Troyer, a repair technician. He has two siblings, Davon and Deborah. During his childhood, Troyer spent much time visiting Amish relatives in Centreville, Michigan, and graduated from Centreville High School in 1987. Troyer was initially raised Amish but his parents left the faith when he was a child. He has stated that his parents "never treated me any different than my other average sized siblings. I used to have to carry wood, feed the cows and pigs and farm animals".
He reportedly married model Genevieve Gallen on February 22, 2004, but filed for an annulment the next day. Though the couple's engagement was widely reported, Troyer and his attorney deny that the two ever had any formal wedding plans, saying that Gallen had fabricated the story for her own financial gain.
On June 25, 2008, a private home video leaked of Troyer and his former live-in girlfriend, Ranae Shrider, having sex. The video, filmed in 2008 in Beverly Hills, California, and Shrider's hometown of Fort Cobb, Oklahoma, was leaked to the public by Shrider and TMZ.
Kevin Blatt, the man responsible for brokering the deal for Paris Hilton's sex tape in 2003, tried to sell the video. Troyer, through his long-time attorney, Ed McPherson, sued TMZ, Blatt, and online rental company SugarDVD, for invasion of privacy and copyright infringement. In May 2015, Verne, his girlfriend Brittney Powell, and her son Tyson appeared on Celebrity Wife Swap, where she switched places with Hines Ward's wife.
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1994 | Baby's Day Out | Baby Bink's stunt double | |
1996 | Dunston Checks In | ||
1996 | Jingle All the Way | Little Santa | |
1996 | Pinocchio's Revenge | Pinocchio's Miniature Double | |
1997 | Men in Black | Alien Son | |
1997 | Volcano | ||
1997 | RocketMan | ||
1997 | Wishmaster | Creature Stage #1 | |
1998 | My Giant | Wrestler | |
1998 | Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas | Wee Waiter | Billed as "Verne J. Troya" |
1998 | The Wacky Adventures of Ronald McDonald: Scared Silly | Sundae | |
1998 | Mighty Joe Young | Baby Joe | |
1999 | Here Lies Lonely | Virgil | |
1999 | Instinct | Gorilla Performer | |
1999 | Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me | Mini-Me | |
2000 | Mission Imp | Ethan Runt | |
2000 | Bit Players | Marty Rosenthal | |
2000 | How the Grinch Stole Christmas | Band Member | |
2001 | Bubble Boy | Dr Phreak | |
2001 | Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone | Griphook | Voice by Warwick Davis Credited as Vern Troyer |
2002 | Run for the Money | Attila | |
2002 | Austin Powers in Goldmember | Mini-Me | |
2003 | Pauly Shore is Dead | Himself | |
2007 | Postal | Himself | |
2008 | The Love Guru | Coach Punch Cherkov | |
2008 | College | Himself | |
2009 | The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus | Percy | |
2012 | Keith Lemon: The Film | Archimedes | |
2015 | Trailer Park Boys: Drunk, High, and Unemployed: Live in Austin | Himself | |
2015 | Gnome Alone | The Gnome |