Meet Martin Klebba, the voice of Snow White's Grumpy: he's a Disney veteran with credits including Pirates of the Caribbean and The Haunted Mansion – he's also an advocate for people with dwarfism
Disney's
live-action Snow White recently premiered in Los Angeles to mostly positive reviews, per The Hollywood Reporter, but not everyone had a good time. Actor Martin Klebba, the voice of Grumpy, was expressly disappointed about the reduced scale of the event.
According to Variety, the studio decided to make it low key because the Marc Webb-directed movie has been embroiled in controversy for 'going woke'. The film was also criticised for how it handled the story's seven dwarves, which
Game of Thrones actor Peter Dinklage called 'f****** backwards' on comedian Marc Maron's WTF podcast. The use of CGI for the characters instead of real performers also sparked discontent among actors with dwarfism, who plan to protest outside Disney Studios, per The Standard.
Martin Klebba attends the recent premiere of the film Snow White, in Los Angeles. Photo: Reuters
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'I'm not disappointed in Disney. I'm disappointed in the world,' Klebba told the New York Post at the less-than-grand premiere, while telling The Hollywood Reporter that Disney was 'afraid of the blowback from different people in society'. TMZ also reported that the actor was frustrated that the lead actresses' political opinions –
Gal Gadot 's support for Israel in the war on Gaza and Rachel Zegler's pro-Palestine sentiments and anti-Trump rhetoric – diverted attention from the cast and crew's hard work.
So who is Martin Klebba, the happily married husband of Michelle Dilgard and father of two, per Famous Birthdays?
How Martin Klebba get into acting?
Martin Klebba arrives at the premiere of Disney's Snow White, in Hollywood. Photo: EPA-EFE
According to his IMDb profile, Klebba caught the acting bug while attending Troy Athens High School in Troy, Michigan, where his drama teacher noticed his talent. The actor, who has Polish heritage on his father's side, broke into the industry with the help of fellow actor Michael Gilden, who had dwarfism. Klebba is also a successful stunt performer, with credits in works including Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) and has co-produced films, such as In the Gray (2012) and Monsters on Main Street (2014).
He has worked with Disney before
Martin Klebba is best known for his work in the Pirates of the Caribbean films. Photo: @thestuntrunt/Instagram
Klebba played buccaneer Marty in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise and also had a role in Disney's 2003 film The Haunted Mansion, starring Eddie Murphy. Speaking to the New York Post, he recalled dreaming of working for Disney when he was younger. 'Never did I think I was gonna become an actor and work on some of the biggest franchises of all time,' he mused.
He is an advocate for people with dwarfism
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