Little People, Big World

An Interview with Discovery Channel's Matt Roloff

Matt Roloff is a farmer, inventor, and businessman, but he is perhaps best known for starring with his family in the reality TV show Little People, Big World on TLC. Throughout their lives, Matt and his family have been educating people about dwarfism while building Roloff Farms to include a complete a Western town, a pirate ship on a lake, a three-story tree house and a full-size medieval castle. Check out Little People, Big World on TLCor MattRoloff.com

My wife and I and one of our four children are little people, meaning that we have various forms of dwarfism. We have been sharing our lives in a reality/docu-drama format in order to help educate our viewers and change societal misconceptions about little people. Amy and I met in 1986 at an annual national little people’s conference in Michigan, Amy’s hometown. We have four kids. Jeremy, Molly and Jacob are average size, and Jeremy’s twin, Zachary, is a little person.

Diastrophic Dwarfism and Its Physical Complications

I have one of the more physically limiting types of dwarfism, called diastrophic dwarfism. Some forms have very few physical complications, but with diastrophic dwarfism, the joints don’t go straight and the ball and sockets are deformed. There are cartilage issues, which limits range of motion dramatically. Most diastrophics have to walk with the use of aids or use a scooter, like I do.

I grew a thick skin many years ago. There was a time when somebody would say “Why are you so short?” and I would come back with ”Why are you so ugly?” I did that for a while, but then I became interested in educating people, even if they asked a relatively stupid question. With the show, we’re able to get the word out to millions of people. We’re doing things people don’t typically think little people might do – raising families and running a farm.

Media's Portrayal of Little People and Changing Attitudes

Sometimes I want to punch out of my body and have a regular life, but many people feel that way. Two friends who are little people were on a cruise recently and got to know people aboard. One night they went to the comedy show with 1,000 people in the room and the comedian joked about little people, tossing around the “m” word (“midget”). The room went silent. It was so awkward he said, “Wow, that’s different.”

DJs who make fun of little people – I’m talking about owning “midgets” and that every “midget” should be in a cage – those are the people we really have to get to. Literally, it’s hate-speak. We’re teaching our community of little people to hold their heads high. There are still some who hire themselves out to bachelor parties, because there's so much discrimination in the workforce where they face constant rejection, but hopefully that will stop.

The Roloff Farm and the Price of Celebrity

I think our family dynamics have reinforced that in many ways the physical is immaterial though our children have grown up amid diversity and adversity. The farm is 18 years old and open to the public weekends in October to pick pumpkins and get a tour. I also have a stool business that sells in hotels and the show has helped raise the awareness of both of those endeavors.

I also do a considerable amount of motivational speaking and some software consulting, which is the profession I had for many years. Discovery and TLC treat us well and take us on vacation and sometimes companies give us product placement to balance the compensation, but for the most part, you’re left to your own income. Besides, we don’t want to be celebrities - we have a different mission.

When we went to Disneyland, we couldn’t enjoy it at all because we were constantly stopping for photos with fans. The show is really a mixed blessing because the family has had to make sacrifices in ways we never could have predicted. We’re very thankful for our fans, but I've always wanted three things: learning, building and serving, giving back.

When things don’t go well, or the way you want them to, be resilient. Don’t shy away from your challenges and struggles; find a way to face them and you’ll become a stronger person.