He eventually returned to the world of acting and is currently busy with his upcoming projects. "We just kind of bulls***ted our way in and then I met some managers down there: they kind of made up some stuff for me like, 'Hawaii Model of the Year,'" he explained to square mile. I gotta share things with them. In acting, his title role in the film Conan the Barbarian opened doors for more film roles, making him a busy actor. Joseph Jason Namakaeha Momoa is an American actor, model, and producer, born on August 1, 1979, who rose to fame for his performances in the T.V. shows Baywatch Hawaii and Stargate: Atlantis. I have been working with him for six or seven years, and I keep waiting for the proverbial other shoe to drop. Nick Agro / AFP via Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series, Best Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role, "Interview with Norwalk's 'Conan' star Jason Momoa", "Hawaii-born actor Jason Momoa's 'Aquaman' role parallels own upbringing", "How Jason Momoa's Hawaiian and Polynesian Roots Have Impacted His Career", "Yes, Aquaman and Superman played high school soccer together in Iowa", "Game of Thrones: Jason Momoa is unrecognisable as young model before Khal Drogo role", "Exclusive: Jason Momoa Talks CONAN; Reveals He's Writing and Directing ROAD TO PALOMA", "Jason Momoa's 'Road to Paloma' to Premiere at Sarasota Film Festival", "Jason Momoa landed 'The Red Road' thanks to his directorial debut 'Road to Paloma', "Cary Elwes and Jason Momoa to Climb Sugar Mountain", "Cary Elwes, Jason Momoa Join Indie 'Sugar Mountain', "The Red Road Cancelled By SundanceTV After Two Seasons", "Jason Momoa Describes His Batman Audition for Zack Snyder", "Jason Momoa Is Aquaman in 'Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice', "Jason Momoa Will Play Aquaman in 'Dawn of Justice', and We Know how It Will Happen", "Jason Momoa to Play Aquaman in 'Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice', "It's Official: Jason Momoa is 'Aquaman'; Solo Movie Coming 2018", "DC Comics Movies Announced: 'Suicide Squad,' 'Wonder Woman,' 'Justice League,' 'The Flash,' 'Aquaman', "James Wan to Direct 'Aquaman' for Warner Bros", "Jason Momoa's Aquaman will splash around in, "UK Exclusive: Wolves Gag Reel Serves Up a Few Howlers", "Jason Momoa Eats a Bad Batch of Human Flesh", "Jason Momoa in Talks to Star in Cannibal Love Story 'The Bad Batch' for Annapurna, Vice (Exclusive)", "Jason Momoa lands Just Cause movie lead", "Jason Momoa to Star in Netflix Adventure Drama 'Frontier' from 'San Andreas' Director", "Netflix's Reported Cancellation of Jason Momoa Series 'Frontier' Has Fans Irked", "Jason Momoa to Star in Apple Drama 'See', "Jason Momoa to Star in Apple Sci-Fi Series 'See', "Jason Momoa Joins Timothee Chalamet, Javier Bardem in 'Dune' Reboot", "Jason Momoa to Star in 'Minecraft' Movie for Warner Bros", "Before marrying Lisa Bonet, Aquaman's Jason Momoa was engaged to a McLeod's Daughter star", "Jason Momoa of 'Conan the Barbarian' talks about his horse fears", "Jason Momoa and Lisa Bonet Just Got Officially Married: Details on Their Secret Wedding", "Jason Momoa's Kids: Facts About The 'Aquaman' Star's Kids Lola, Nakoa-Wolf, & Even Zo", "Lisa Bonet's New Baby's Name Is a Mouthful", "Jason Momoa and Lisa Bonet announce split", "Actor Jason Momoa Hung Out with Slayer and Anthrax", "Jason Momoa Drew Inspiration for Playing Aquaman from Metallica, Black Sabbath, and Tool", "Jason Momoa Recruits Archspire Members for New Apple TV+ Show", "Jason Momoa Trained with Archspire Vocalist to Learn War Cry for 'See', "Jason Momoa Performs Gutturals With Philip Anselmo on New Song", "Jason Momoa: "I always knew I wanted to play bass. . For months, rumors of Momoa potentially leaving the DC Universe, or even switching up roles and stepping down as Aquaman to play Lobo have been floating around. Ben Court is the Executive Editor of Men's Health. Indiana Jones! He has a creative eye and hes so visually focused, but also so story driven. Reactions to the interview and the video, Perezcious readers? Jason brings the humor, the panache, so much pink, purple, and fuchsia, beautiful silk, and hes not afraid to improvise and take risks, Letterier says. ", .css-188hsmf{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#fff;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;display:inline-block;background-color:#9a0500;font-family:Termina,Termina-bold-fallback,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:0.75rem;line-height:1;font-weight:bold;letter-spacing:0.02rem;padding:0.6rem 0.7rem;text-transform:uppercase;width:auto;}.css-188hsmf:hover{color:#fff;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;background-color:#030929;}.css-188hsmf:focus-visible{outline-color:body-cta-btn-link-focus;}Sign up for AppleTV+. shows Baywatch While he may have died on GoT, his resurrection as Aquaman, the God of the Seas, in Justice League has given us hope that well be seeing more of him. Im riding in Rome on a Harley ripping through centuries-old cobbled streets, he says. Aquaman is probably the hardest character in comic-book history. He previously worked with Momoa on the Aquaman films. His shoulder-length hair was styled in thin dreadlocks and he appeared to be experimenting publicly with facial hair for the first time. WebJason Momoa Takes A Young Girl On The Adventure Of A Lifetime In Slumberland Teaser. He was discovered by international fashion designer Takeo, who encouraged him to pursue a modelling career. Im trying to figure out what I can and cant say, but my character, a chief called Kaiana, traveled to a foreign land to rescue a friend. In the movie, he plays Dante, a villain out for revenge following the death of his father at the hands of Dom & Co. in Fast Five (2011). Its just a moment in time. While the role led him to change the course of his life and pursue acting (he was studying to be a marine biologist before he landed the gig), he had trouble finding work after the show ended. He studied marine biology during his college days in Iowa. As the dreadlocks were giving him headaches and neck pain, he took permission from the producers to cut off the locks before season five began. You should only work with the people you wanna work with. In February 2015, it was announced that he would portray a cannibal[26] in the drama thriller film The Bad Batch. Theres nothing worth doing if its not gonna be hard and its not gonna be a struggle. He said: I had actually dreaded my hair for her. Thats the reason why I love directing and creating. Deadline also reported that Momoa will be starring in a reboot of the 1993 film "Cliffhanger," which originally starred Sylvester Stallone, though IMDb still has the project labeled as in "pre-production.". I gotta help the world. In a statement on Instagramthat has now been deleted (via Vanity Fair) Momoa wrote, "We have all felt the squeeze and changes of these transformational times A revolution is unfolding and our family is of no exception And so we share our family news That we are parting ways in marriage. Cmon, bro., Were nearing the end of our conversation, closer to the destination, when Momoa will get out of the car and return to his warehouse/artist commune. Whatever situation youre in, you gotta find your path, you know?. In the same year, he appeared as Kala in another television movie called Tempted. The only child of his parents, he was raised in Norwalk, Iowa, by his mother. He doesn't let it go to his head. Careerwise, hes conquered the blockbuster with the billion-dollar-grossing Aquaman, the brightest star in the DC Universe; held his own among an A-list ensemble in Dune; and carried three successful seasons of See on Apple TV+. On The Late Late Show with James Corden, Jason Momoa said he had his hair in dreadlocks to catch Lisa Bonets attention. "It was where I learned how to shoot, how to write, how to do it all. Then in Hawai'i, "locals dismissed him as a haole from the mainland," the publication explained. No. However, when it became a nine-hour task and too painful for Momoa, they decided to do away with the locks. Joseph Jason Namakaeha Momoa was born in Honolulu, Hawai'i in 1979, per theDes Moines Register. TheAquamanstar said he scheduled to make phone calls twice a day and have them send rock climbing videos. Momoa and Bonet share two children together Lola, 14, and Nakoa-Wolf, 13. When he first made his way into our hearts as Khal Drogo, we werent even sure that hed be someone who would stick around for long. The show is written by Hawaiians, and the majority of the cast members are Hawaiian and Polynesian. Welcome to the land of dreams. The eight-episode series will air on Apple TV+, though no premiere date has been set yet. "I fell in love with the art of acting," he explained in an interview with Esquire. Between working on his new series and an unnamed project, Jason clearly will be very busy! His fictional character Khal Drogo became a hit overnight. Its my kids generation, and theyre looking up to me, going like, Youre Aquaman, youre Aquaman. Im not fucking Batman or Superman. What you see is what you get with Jason, he says. The unification of Hawaii took place from 1782 to 1810 under King Kamehameha I, and Ka'iana (whom Momoa will portray) was called the "Prince of Kaua'i" and the "most famous Hawaiian in the world. [28][29], Between 2016 and 2018, Momoa portrayed Declan Harp in all three seasons of the Canadian historical drama television series Frontier and was an executive producer on the show. He also proceeded to host the Miss Teen Hawaii contest. Its the last big dream I have left. Im going to be a bad man, and youre going to want to take me out! It felt really good to go there without some ego competition, like, Whos this? and Whos that? Im like, No, dude, you got ten movies under your belt. He's not going in a rom-com. ", From his mother's side,he is of German and Irish descent, and from his father's side, he is of Polynesian heritage and can trace his roots not only to Hawai'i but to Aotearoa, or New Zealand, as well. We have so many beautiful stories in Hawaii that no one knows about. He leans forward and starts talking about the days shoot, his green eyes blazing and his new head tattoo giving texture to his dome. Day in, day out. He lived the dirtbag life, climbing in remote spots around the world, living off sardines and crackers; those experiences still inform his outlook. All I care about is just doing right by my people., Momoa adds that the series is also for Indigenous kids growing up, understanding that we were warriors and what we come from and understanding there was a language that was stripped from us. In 2017, he was seen in two filmsOnce Upon a Time in Venice and Justice League, where he once again portrayed the role of Aquaman. Falling is great 'cause you're gonna succeed if you keep doing it.'". While it's been reported that Jason Momoa started out as a model, he later admitted those credentials were something he made up in order to get his first acting job. You can also read what he had to say to Mens Health HERE. His parents were artistically inclined; his mother was a photographer and his father was a painter in addition to being a marine biologist. [51] Momoa is a hobby musician and plays bass guitar, mandolin, ukulele[52] and guitar[53] in his spare time, the first of which he took up after listening to Tool's song "Sober". Momoas strong performance in the fantasy drama series Game of Thrones was critically acclaimed. Due to his good looks and attractive physique, he was soon at the peak of his modeling career and was also named Hawaii's Model of the Year. "There's nothing worth doing if it's not gonna be hard and it's not gonna be a struggle. Along with the hawt video, he spoke with Mens Health in an accompanying interview and opened up about his upcoming projects, including Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, Fast X, and an Apple TV+ show called Chief of War. Jason Momoa is mourning the death of an 8-year-old fan from Massachusetts who died last week of complications with cancer. But its in a lot of other peoples hands.. ", He's been open previously about his Hawaiian identity. [59][60] He received approximately 140stitches during reconstructive surgery and the scar through his left eyebrow is apparent in his later work. Tinseltown/Shutterstock. We have so many beautiful stories in Hawaii that no one knows about. Im watching my heart climb up the wall. The first two episodes are reportedly entirely in Hawaiian. While it's been reported that Jason Momoa started out as a model, he later admittedthose credentials were something he made up in order to get his first acting job. Hes also a fantastic action actorhe will perform all his stunts, he will ride his bikes, he will drive his cars, he will sing his own songs. "Sometimes you have to be dynamic, sometimes static and smooth, and you just get to explore. I had huge dreadlocks, she had dreadlocks.. He uses a wipe to clean his sweaty face; dabs different members of the crew; and after lots of Love you, bros and Love you, dudes is ushered into a car that will whiz him back to his base camp in Auckland while we talk. In his predominantly white Iowa town, he said he was bullied for being mixed-race. You should create with the people you wanna create with. As the show became an instant hit, Momoa gained even more fame for his portrayal of the violent tribal leader. People like myself or Dwayne Johnson, Bruno Mars, [are] trying to spread the awareness all around the world. Between working on his new series and an unnamed project, Jason clearly will be very busy! For a good 20 years, no one knew who I was. The two first coupled up when Momoa was just 26 and Bonet was 38, and they had their first child together, Lola Iolani Momoa, later that year.Just over a year later, the couple had their second child, son Nakoa Wolf Manakauapo Namakaeha Momoa.However, it wasn't until 12 years into their relationship that the couple made Kaiana is helping free people who have been enslaved, and hes witnessing for the first time poverty, drugs, and its the first time hes seen a dog, a rabbit, a peacock. I want my children to know that and do that., I worked for a very long time when they were young doing shit I didnt want to do to put food on the table. You should only work with the people you wanna work with. Its not that I dont care about Aquaman; its a wonderful character, he says. Temuera Morrison will play King Kahekili, the King of Maui. One thing that gives the actor a "massive bond" with his kids is climbing, so much so that he has the teens send him videos of them doing it while he's away working. He says, "I never thought it would be this big. But the other half of the time, Im riding at top speed through Romethats me. Momoa, whose full name is Joseph Jason Namakaeha Momoa, was born in Nnkuli, Honolulu, Hawaii, to a Native Hawaiian father and a white mom from Iowa. Momoa has been an active defender of the environment in Hawai'i, fighting to save a sacred mountain from developers. While "Conan" wasn't the massive success he might've hoped for, Momoa did become a part of one the biggest shows in TV history when he slipped into the role of Khal Drogo on HBO's "Game of Thrones" that same year. Despite missing his kids a lot, he also recognized he ultimately chose this life: I dont get to see my kids right now for a very long time. Soon, with his role inStargate: Atlantis, the dreadlocks followed. Like drink a can of Coke, beer, or sparkling water. Momoa is quick to add that you should get a purifier or Brita in your home and carry a reusable bottle. I look forward to working with Jason for many years to come, said Safran. How to Watch King Charles' Coronation Live in the U.S. In 1999, he landed the role of beach dude Jason Ioane in the action drama television series Baywatch Hawaii. I wish I could tell you who it was. Sure, Momoa has captivated audiences as a hunky, muscly, hyper-masculine fantasy, but in recent years he's been working on making his more vulnerable side visible, as he explained in an interview with InStyle. Met Gala Drama: The 14 Most Jaw-Dropping Moments to Ever Happen at Fashion's Biggest Night, Anna Wintour Reveals She Could Not Afford Dinner at the Met Gala in Her Early New York City Days, Met Gala 2023: Dua Lipa, Michaela Coel, Penlope Cruz and More to Co-Chair, How to Watch 'Peter Pan & Wendy' Online Now Streaming, Halle Bailey's The Little Mermaid Doll Is Already a Bestseller, 10 Oprah-Approved Mother's Day Gifts That Mom Will Love. We shot it all at dusk and at night with four units. View this post on Instagram. In early 2021, they announced they were splittingafter a 16-year relationship. [1], At 19 years old, while living and working in Honolulu, Momoa decided to audition for the television series Baywatch Hawaii,[1][7] in which he was cast as Jason Ioane (19992001). There's a lot of things that have happened in our history, a lot of injustice, and so we're shining a light on it. In January 2022, he separated from Lisa Bonet, his partner of 16 years (and wife of nearly five years), as well as the mother of their two children, Lola, 15, and Nakoa-Wolf, 14. Momoa was born in Hawaii but moved to Iowa after his parents divorced when he was six months old, and he grew up with that sense of otherness that led him Kobayashi encouraged the young man to take up modeling. Im pretty high off that. Despite his towering height and muscles, he's proven himself to be more than just a stuntman. Hes nesting in a duplex warehouse surrounded by the things and people helping him be creative: his own kettlebells and boxing gear, his vinyl, his guitars, his mountain bikes, his vintage Land Rover, and a fridgeful of packs of poi (a Polynesian snack made from taro root, bananas, or pineapple mixed with coconut cream) and cans of Guinness, plus a chef, a trainer, a Hawaiian-language teacher, and a squad of artistic collaborators hes worked with for years at his production company, Pride of Gypsies. We paid our respects and we did it right, he says. He strongly identifies with the character's connection to the water and his outsider status, making it easy to take part in the storytelling. "I want my children to know that and do that. You fall, you get back up and do it again," Momoa says of what he tells his kids. He shared with the outlet that he even has to stay in New Zealand to Sometimes you have to be dynamic, sometimes static and smooth, and you just get to explore. The famous cut on the eyebrow hadnt made its appearance yet, but he still looked charming. You can ch-ch-check it out (below): DAMN! Once again, the 43-year-old actor has taken off his clothes on camera this time to go fully nude during the latest episode of the popular Mens Health YouTube video series Gym & Fridge. Prepare to drool, yall!