Peter Dinklage reads a very funny letter in defence of beavers

In December 1997, as a result of an official complaint from a neighbour, a Michigan resident named Stephen Tvedten received, indirectly, a stern warning from the region’s Department of Environmental Quality in the form of a letter - a letter in which he was given six weeks to remove two “unauthorized” and “hazardous” dams from the stream on his property or else face prosecution. Tvedten’s amusing response soon made the local news. The case was quickly dropped.
Peter Dinklage joined us at Letters Live at The Town Hall, NYC to read this hilarious letter.
© Stephen Tvedten, Stephen Tvedten to David Price.

[@alexnelson7258]

That "CC PETA" at the end is just the cherry on top!

[@panda4247]

oh, thanks for writing that - I thought it was CC; Peter (meaning, he sent it to Dinklage himself). but CC: PETA makes more sense :)

[@wardeni9603]

Ah, yes, this letter is from a time before it was common knowledge that PETA kills the vast majority of all the animals they "rescue"

[@Gunther-mt2bk]

I thought he was referring to the man who supposedly is at the pearly gates 😂

[@joaopauloadlergomesdacosta282]

It's a good dam letter.

[@dizit.]

It’s a dam good letter

[@My-Pal-Hal]

HEY, WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE 😡 ... dam animal 😏

[@LeftCoastStephen]

@@dizit.Damn good dam letter?

[@r0landleaf370]

dam straight! 👍

[@fredricktalbot1945]

I think ya missed an N there.😂

[@kmw4359]

“I would like to bring to your attention a REAL environmental quality problem: bears are actually defecating in our woods.” Passive aggressive sass: level 10. 😂😂😂

[@benu_bird]

So they do shit in the woods?😝

[@justinpenn9250]

One has to ask - what would the Pope do? 😂

[@eligebrown8998]

😂😂

[@Onora619]

Man, I hope he does voice acting in the future. He’s amazing!

[@kevinbarnard355]

@@Onora619 He's done a bunch already. Angry Birds, Ice Age, Croods, and more than a dozen more VA credits.

[@linabasilisk1955]

Having grown up next to a beaver swamp, this is not only funny, but brings back many happy memories. Beavers are dam fine animals.

[@patmanchester8045]

I could listen to him read a laundry detergent label. His voice is so beautiful.

[@JBaxter-pi8oj]

Love Beavers and their dam work ethic! They've actually helped to prevent flooding in areas where they've been allowed to build their dams so they are, effectively, extremely good, unpaid, workers in sustainable construction. We should consider ourselves lucky to have their help. Great letter, great performance and wonderful subject. Thank you for sharing!

[@veramae4098]

In many states, beavers are legally protected because of their importance to the environment.

[@benzaiten933]

a few years ago there was flooding in a zoo build near a river and some beavers escaped. when they were later found they had adapted to freedom well (it was a native species) so they decided to not recapture them. ever since they've been very successful and you sometimes see gnawed on/felled trees on certain parts lining the river.

[@OriginalCreatorSama]

Beavers are cheap damming services. They work for food and *lodge* [Ba-Dump Tiss]

[@mom.left.me.at.michaels9951]

Need to add they are VERY important for areas with wildfires. The flood plains they create are wet enough to not burn and create a safe haven for the other wildlife in the area. Areas like California are working to bring more beavers in to help combat fire season and reduce the spead of wildfires to create natural barriers that the fires cannot spread over. ❤ True keystone creatures who's absences are felt in ways we never understood until now!

[@zyxw2000]

@@OriginalCreatorSama Now they want unemployment and health insurance.

[@zoekane4012]

I love Peter Dinklage! And not only does he have a beautiful voice, but he's handsome too.

[@LifesPeachy321]

He IS handsome! And he does have a beautiful voice! And he's off the charts talented too!

[@DancingFox6]

Damn right 😊!

[@AbsurdlyGeeky]

My mom has a thing for Peter Dinklage. She also has a thing for Bulldog. Make of that what you will.

[@elisabeth8798]

This man is definitely sexy, excuse me for being so blunt! The combination of talent, intelligence, sense for humor and irony and this incredible face is simply erotic; at least in my humble opinion, that is.

[@afrog2666]

"And I have a tender spot in my heart for cripples and bastards and broken things"

[@honestg]

Brilliant. The back story is priceless. The context of this letter: The Authorities, believing he had re-routed the water, were giving the guy a hard time and set a time scale to remedy it or legal action would ensue.

[@ktwashere5637]

this letter did the rounds on the internet more than two decades ago. It never fails to make me laugh. The guy that wrote this is a comedy genius.

[@suryia6706]

It was funny back then and it's still funny now 😂

[@williambryant6175]

Agree wholeheartedly

[@deedeskin2439]

Life is like a beaver colony, if it's not one dam thing, it's another!

[@linedanzer4302]

*His voice! It's everything!! And so is his delivery of that letter! I'm damn impressed!*

[@denisepurcell4031]

Could listen to that voice all day 😂

[@silviac221]

Yep, I loved his voice too.

[@brucefreadrich1188]

He sang in the Cyrano play he did a couple of years ago. Sounded like Leonard Cohen meshed with the lead singer of the Crash Test Dummies. Quite the baritone.

[@linedanzer4302]

@@brucefreadrich1188 Thank you. I will go out and find it. I'm very interested in hearing it.

[@99fruitbat94]

Beavers have been reintroduced to selected areas of the UK to help cope with flooding . Scotland has an ongoing rewilding programme . Beavers are amazing

[@Thulgore]

What they can do to change and maintain an environment is amazing.

[@rescues_greyhounds]

Forgive my ignorance, but are beavers native to Scotland? Too many times I feel like government has the right idea but then fail to realize that the animals they bring in become invasive species. Beavers are great environmental control agents, but I would hate to see this plan backfire. Also, are there enough predators that can eat beavers?

[@99fruitbat94]

@@rescues_greyhounds I don't know if they are native but they certainly existed for hundreds of years in Scotland . As for natural predators , only us humans . The biggest land predator in the UK is the fox and I doubt a fox would be a match for a beaver . Best regards to you 👍

[@helenjohnston3178]

The UK had eurasian beavers, wolves, brown bear & lynx after the last ice age. Humans hunted them to extinction. Rabbits and several deer species are actually non-native. NA beaver is a different species to eurasian.

[@ferretyluv]

I actually only learned as an adult that beavers also are native to Europe. They just went extinct.

[@LindaB651]

Born in Southern New England in the early 60's, beavers were a fact of distant history, and I never thought I'd ever see one. But then, in my late teens, I happily discovered a lodge in the river, by my backyard, which grew over time, and many twig/food caches. The beaver have not dammed the river behind my home, but have managed to reconfigure the many small streams that feed into it, so much so that, after a hard rain, I can now hear the roar of the water flowing over their constructions in the nearby swamp. I'm SO damned glad that they've made a comeback!

[@MrArthoz]

Say hi to them from me if you ever meet one. Love beavers...

[@dan7163]

I'd love to hear him read audiobooks. Incredible actor in every way

[@lonnyyoung4285]

Damn right. Also, I don’t know if he does any VO work, but he definitely should.

[@slightlyevolved]

@@lonnyyoung4285 I wish he'd been able to keep doing the voice of the Ghost in Destiny. After the first game, they changed VAs and overdubbed Dinklage's original voicing. I know he'd done some other VA work, and did a quick lookup: Game of Thrones (Telltale games); Ice Age: Destiny; Ice Age: Continental Drift; Transformers: Rise of the Beasts; Angry Birds Movies; The Croods

[@naomiskilling1093]

I'm very impressed at how many times this guy was able to get "dam" and "damn" into one letter. Excellent work, sir.

[@devonvergiels5185]

I have a version of this letter that I take out every so often because it's always wonderful. BUT, Peter's voice, oh my . . .

[@celiashen5490]

God: Dam It! Beaver: Say no more.

[@fanmrsmartdonkey]

Say less fam

[@DonnaDavis-l1u]

This is hilarious. And his voice is great, I could listen to him for dam long time.❤❤❤❤😂😂😂😂😂

[@badbiker666]

My goodness that man has a dam fine voice. I could listen to him recite any dam thing he pleases and enjoy it regardless of the dam topic.

[@MargoB]

😂

[@janepowers6711]

I have admired Peter Drinkage since I first saw him in a film entitled the station agent and have followed his film career ever since.

[@rogerauger7766]

Thanks for the heads up on the the Station Agent. Going top look it up. :)

[@susanr5546]

Dinklage and Beavers, not to be missed. Delightful! I burst out laughing, the bears are defecating in our woods!

[@tessiepinkman]

This is just *fantastic* and I am incredibly glad that I got to hear this letter read out loud by such an awesome person as Mr. Dinklage. You guys continue to make my days so much better! I am beyond happy that Letters Live exists. Much love to anyone who happens to read this comment!

[@kobeykitty1311]

A hilarious reading from the amazing Peter Dinklage. Well done!

[@lisaboban]

Who is the genius who finds these letters and pairs them with the perfect performer? I would like to personally thank them for bringing me so much joy.

[@nimarosepiper6759]

Hear! Hear!

[@1jimmarch]

Beavers have brought me much joy as well.

[@104thDIVTimberwolf]

I've always been a Peter Dinklage fan, but the fact that he could read this with a straight face really was impressive.

[@jeannedd.2709]

Peter D. Has such a great voice, I could listen to him forever

[@saltyroe3179]

For me this is very funny because when I was born my dad was building hydroelectric dams. The 1st time I observed beavers dad was driving us to Yosemite. I asked dad what he thought if beavers. He said beavers were better at building dams than he was. Dad also admirred their hard work which he could not natch. All the dams that dad built are still there, but dad said beavers modify their dams on a continuous basis, something he can no longer do at 99.

[@WilliamYoung-j7v]

When Mr. Dinklage was on Game of Thrones I thought he was the best actor in the series. I ‘ve seen him in one or two movies and his acting was great. Doing a comedic speech as he did here is hard to go and he is to commended for it.

[@glynprice3815]

He was so funny in Elf

[@pywackit11]

Randomly found this channel, didn't realize I needed this in my life.

[@susemcx]

Beavers are also dam cute and their babies and the noises their babies make, just damn cute.❤

[@EleanorofAquitaine42]

You would enjoy the Urban Rescue Ranch KZbin channel. He’s currently carrying for baby beavers. It’s absolutely adorable.

[@theoztreecrasher2647]

@@EleanorofAquitaine42 "He’s currently carrying for baby beavers"??? Why does he need to go armed to protect them? 🤔😱🙄

[@ferretyluv]

@@EleanorofAquitaine42*caring

[@sharonkaczorowski8690]

Wonderful letter! We live on the Christiania River and 15 or so years ago beavers showed up…I was afraid they’d be killed but they were accepted with open arms and there are now several generations along. They’ve been very helpful taking dead trees out from along the banks. Love seeing the dam big male as he patrols the river.

[@antrazitaj5209]

Good Letter, perfect voice for reading it

[@kellywilliam3708]

.... Peter would be an incredible Bruce Wayne/Batman in an animated film.

[@iffracem]

I would prefer a actual live performance of Peter as Batman than just his voice over an animation

[@grantschiff7544]

How about as a hobbit.

[@jamesportrais3946]

@@grantschiff7544 Look out for the film "Willow". I'm pretty _dam_ certain Dinklage is one of the least popular actors around panto-time. Less to do with dams, more concerned with ladders - the kind that certain individuals pull up behind themselves.

[@mst3kharris]

Ooh, I want that now.

[@kevingarver9752]

@@grantschiff7544 Hobbit Batman !

[@christopherlewis1847]

The man has such an incredible voice and delivery. Would love to see him work in movies. Could be the next Bond villian.

[@Ailorn]

I want more voice acting from Mr Dinklage. His voice is so smooth

[@RainAngel111]

I'm so glad Peter Dinklage became an actor. I always enjoy his work, live action or voice work

[@anitawebster9450]

Peter Dinklage could read the phone book & I have to listen! 😍

[@KittyLynnDarko]

Well, that certainly illustrates the diversity of the word.

[@dirkvannieuwenhove]

Peter is dam funny! Great letter reading!

[@Terri_MacKay]

Damn funny letter. And a damn great reading by Peter Dinklage. ❤️❤️

[@shantishanti1949]

Loved this. A lost art. Nobody writes a letter or even a card anymore. “Bears are defecating in our woods” got me - hilarious. 😢😢

[@cynthiabotsko2449]

I enjoyed that as much as when i read "Click, clack, Moo! Cows that Type" to my kids when they were toddlers! ❤️♾️❤️😂😂😂

[@lanternlite75]

I loved those books, and the kids always laughed and laughed when I read them. I really need more grandchildren to read them to. "It's for you, Bob."

[@davidshirkey1272]

This cracked me up! Thanks Peter! Dam fine reading!

[@alexsmith7313]

I watched this in a shop called ‘Dam Good Cafe’ owned by a family literally called the Dams. I didn’t know what this was when I clicked on it but I’m happy it lined up so cleanly.

[@kaboom-zf2bl]

LOVE the CC ... just to make sure it gets read and they come up with some dam lie to cover their tails

[@franknoge]

I had no idea I needed this until I heard it. Brilliant!

[@The4No]

I will never not be a little shocked at how deep his voice is.

[@pretzel2272]

Yes, he has an amazing voice ❤

[@abysscallstoabyss55]

So what did you expect him to sound like?

[@pretzel2272]

@@abysscallstoabyss55 Less deep, obviously.

[@The4No]

@@abysscallstoabyss55 please go virtue signal elsewhere. It's not that deep.

[@crow-jane]

@@abysscallstoabyss55Lots of folks expect us little people to sound like the lollypop guild. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@jrkorman]

I've heard this several times in the past - Peter nails it!

[@betqpublic9901]

Awesome read too Thanks It's been one of those damn days.🥺

[@ninthislandrc]

First, Peter is among the greatest. Waiting to see more of him in film. Second, as a tour/charter bus driver based in Las Vegas, I've driven a number of dam tours to the Hoover Dam, where I'm constantly telling the passengers to have a dam good time, wishing them a good dam morning, to be careful on the dam steps (especially going down), and to make sure they are on dam time getting back to the bus.

[@texasbluebonnet4303]

What a strong, expressive voice Peter has. I can see why he was chosen to act in the Throne Of Kings.

[@garyleegomez8670]

Dam well said, sir! Dam well said!

[@Alexis84DE]

Beavers? Dinklage? Sounds like a perfect combination, I could not have clicked faster

[@abysscallstoabyss55]

But Dinklage and other dwarf actors don’t seem to mix together so well.

[@morganarutsatz6736]

His role in GOT has given him much Beaver XP. Perfect representative to voice the defense of Beavers.

[@mmerriman4995]

Me too!

[@aileen694]

​@@abysscallstoabyss55 Awww, not you again. Grumpy

[@suzymatwetwe]

Love it 👏. And he has a good point too.

[@marieroberts5664]

So damned good I had to see it twice.

[@LisaSwanger-k6f]

I liked the way he read the letter emphasis on dam just right

[@bjdefilippo447]

I've heard this before, but it's even better in his voice!

[@ddlang2514]

Dam great delivery by the one and only Dinklage!😂

[@jasonprivately1764]

A damn fine bit of work

[@davismw2000]

Steven was actually a friend of my dad who helped fix some of his farm equipment. The truth about this letter is somebody called the DNR to complain about the daming of the water way as it flooded the neighboring property, So agent was sent he or she investigate and promptly wrote up a citation stuck to his door. So when Steven got home that evening surprise when he finished read the citation he laughed and wrote his response as he was ordered to do and sent that letter to the local DNR needless to say there was one agent with egg on their face for that one. Steven got an apology and was told to leave said dam alone and Michigan got some new wetlands

[@maralisil]

He's great! Love his voice and delivery!

[@reachandler3655]

That was damn hilarious! Can't help but wonder what the dam regulatory officer's reaction...

[@chipworrell6025]

Peter Dinklage is the Goat...

[@aliciabell6688]

Most actors with drawfism would disagree...😬😒

[@asahmosskmf4639]

​@@aliciabell6688 i just cant take the youtube vids and get into it after the " little people shouldnt be cast as dwarves in movies " comment by him..

[@Eagle-eye-pie]

Dinklage ensures this by working to deny actors, who also have dwarfism, job opportunities in the industry.

[@Michelle-f2d5u]

I always watch movies with Peter in them. He is a tremendously talented actor, and that voice.

[@joels7605]

Dude single handedly carried Game of Thrones. He has incredible on screen presence.

[@owatahfuhlaiyem4776]

I have to admit...the dragons occasionally grabbed my attention.

[@JenSell1626]

@@owatahfuhlaiyem4776even then, Tyrion's relationship with the dragons is my favorite part

[@alex_blue5802]

For real... it would be half as entertaining without him. Casting choice 10/10.

[@JeannetteReed]

I'm dam happy I saw Peter D's name!

[@ShishouDzukiZaManako]

"short people shouldn't play short people" "unless its me" -Dinklage

[@howlinhobbit]

Mr Dinklage being his usual awesome self. glad I clicked.

[@nakitabutcher6691]

I laughed out loud! 😂 This was wonderful!

[@juliegoddard3914]

God damn it! That was amazing ,

[@butchbinion1560]

Thanks, that was great. ✌🏻👊🏼

[@HWCism]

Peter is truly great. Nice reading, thanks

[@carmenslee6234]

I’ve heard this story many times, but love hearing it again!

[@CarolineLuvsUx]

I love how having celebs read letters can be so entertaining XD

[@lobstermash]

Any old celebrity or actors?

[@carthienesdevilsadvocatenr2806]

That was actually dam funny. Thank you.

[@Anne--Marie]

Mr. Dinklage was the reason that I watched Hame of Thrones. He made that show!

[@Lynniescorner]

This is hilarious to us. I am a native Michigander. 22 years ago, a few miles out of town, there was a train derailment. That was our excitement for the year. We use to say that the most exciting thing was watching paint drying. We'll, what happened was flooding had undermined the tracks. Within a day or two, the news interviewed a resident. He was not a happy camper. He was so mad. It was those beavers. I kept telling them. They were building a dam by the tracks. This happened in the country. A few miles further, there was a mobile home park with homes no more than 20 or 30 ft off the tracks.

[@beeggym666]

Mr. D is a Dam legend!

[@karenkalweit6018]

I enjoyed the contents of the letter and I enjoy the performance even more. I think it must’ve been an awful lot of fun writing that letter as well!

[@lisageorgette8254]

Entertaining response read by a great actor. Thank you.

[@DouglasJohnson.]

Another amazing video. If you haven't seen "The Station Agent" it's a must.

[@jo-annbastings]

I love this man! I love his talent! I love how awesome he looks! And I LOVE his voice…oh man!! His voice🤪🤪🤪!!!

[@lindawilson4625]

Stumbled on to this. Very funny. Must see more!

[@HappyLife693]

Exquisite reading of a sublime letter.

[@JackClayton123]

Love his reading voice.

[@DavidsMusic-hs2qu]

This man has one of the best voices of all actors, of all time

[@marianlincoln9008]

I ADORE PETER DINKLEDGE.... He's extremely talented... thos is a GREAT Story...

[@neilforbes416]

"Leave It To Beaver(s)! Dammit!"

[@johnadams2313]

I Love It! "DAM Funny"

[@Heart-Core]

😄 beautiful voice♥️

[@Henley958]

This really cracked me up! 😂 Love it.

[@CataLinaMurariu]

😂😂👏👏 Dam’, what a brilliant letter and such a dam’ awesome reading! ❤

[@FullMoonHowl]

🤣🤣🤣🤣 Also, my goodness, I love this man's voice.

[@CJ-gn8qm]

This man has the most wonderful voice tone I have ever heard!

[@basketballjones6782]

I remember this creative writing exercise from back in the day. It's always humorous how people think that something is really as presented when they read it on the internet. Glad you all liked it. It was certainly fun writing it.

[@stream_gene]

Well, damn...

[@NuLiForm]

Masterfully Articulated!...i was holding my Dam sides virtually from the Start.Thank You! Desperately Needed this Dam belly laugh 💖 Then when you brought up those Dam bears..defecating in our woods ...you Slayed me

[@denisedey588]

I remember when this first came out...as funny now as it was then...thank you Mr Dinklage 😅

[@Jay-ql4gp]

I loved this, thank you!

[@lechatbotte.]

I love his voice it’s perfect for this letter. Dam it leave the beavers alone bear shyte in the woods who NU?

[@nancyhatcher3320]

OMG! You nailed it Peter! Thank You