Jason Momoa

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Jason Momoa
Jason Momoa (43055621224) (cropped).jpg
Momoa in 2018
Born (1979-08-01) August 1, 1979 (age 42)
Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.
Occupation
  • Actor
  • producer
Years active1999–present
Spouse(s)
​
(m. 2017)​
Children2
RelativesZoë Kravitz (stepdaughter)
Signature
Jason Momoa autograph.png

Joseph Jason Namakaeha Momoa (born August 1, 1979)[1] is an American actor and producer. He made his acting debut as Jason Ioane on the syndicated action drama series Baywatch: Hawaii (1999–2001), which was followed by him portraying Ronon Dex on the Syfy science fiction series Stargate Atlantis (2005–2009), Khal Drogo in the first two seasons of the HBO fantasy drama series Game of Thrones (2011–2012), Declan Harp on the Discovery Channel historical drama series Frontier (2016–2018), and Baba Voss on the Apple TV+ science fiction series See (2019–present). Momoa was featured as the lead of the two lattermost series.

Outside of television, Momoa has portrayed Arthur Curry / Aquaman in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) since 2016. He headlined an eponymous 2018 film, and will reprise his role in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2022). Momoa will also play Duncan Idaho in the 2021 film adaptation of the science fiction novel Dune.

Early life[]

An only child, Momoa was born in 1979 in Nānākuli, Honolulu, Hawaii[2] to Coni (Lemke), a photographer and Joseph Momoa, a painter.[1] His father is of partial Native Hawaiian ancestry[3][2][4][5] and his mother is of German, Irish, and Native American descent.[3][2] He was raised in Norwalk, Iowa, by his mother.[2]

Career[]

Momoa during the filming of Stargate Atlantis in 2006

In 1998, Momoa was discovered by designer Eric Chandler and Takeo Kobayashi,[6] who encouraged his modeling career. At 19 years old, he also worked part-time in a surf shop before being cast in the action drama series Baywatch Hawaii,[7] where he appeared as Jason Ioane (1999–2001).[8]

In addition to his appearances in Johnson Family Vacation (2004), and Stargate: Atlantis (2005–2009), Momoa was cast as Roman in four episodes of the comedy-drama television series The Game (2009). He portrayed the title protagonist in Conan the Barbarian (2011), a reimagining of the 1982 film of the same name and a role made famous by Arnold Schwarzenegger. Momoa gained his role of Khal Drogo on HBO's Game of Thrones through his audition, in which he performed a Haka,[9] one of many intimidating Māori dances traditionally used to convey a challenge to an opponent, or a welcome to a visitor.[10]

Momoa directed and co-wrote Road to Paloma (2014), an American drama thriller film, together with writers Jonathan Hirschbein and Robert Homer Mollohan. The film stars Momoa, Sarah Shahi, Lisa Bonet, Michael Raymond-James, and Wes Studi.[11] It premiered at the 2014 Sarasota Film Festival in April 2014.[12] The film had a limited theatrical release on July 15, 2014 in New York City and Los Angeles and a VOD release.[13]

Momoa in 2014

In March 2014, Momoa joined the dark comedy/thriller indie Sugar Mountain alongside Cary Elwes and Haley Webb; its principal photography was done in Alaska.[14][15] He also starred as Phillip Kopus, a Ramapough Mountain Indian, on the SundanceTV drama series The Red Road (2014–2015).[16]

In June 2014, Momoa was reported to have been cast in the role of Aquaman. He first played the role in a cameo in the superhero film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,[17][18][19] marking Aquaman's live action theatrical debut. Momoa played the character in a leading role in the 2017 ensemble film Justice League. He then starred in the Aquaman solo film, which released in late 2018.[20][21][22] He also reprised this role in The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part.[23]

In 2014, Momoa portrayed Connor in the Canadian horror action film Wolves,[24] and starred in the Sci-fi horror movie Debug; it was written and directed by Momoa's former Stargate Atlantis co-star, British-born Canadian actor David Hewlett. In February 2015, it was announced that he would portray a cannibal[25] in the drama thriller film The Bad Batch.[26] In 2015, Momoa was cast in the Canadian action film Braven, which was released on February 2, 2018.

In early 2017, he signed onto the official Just Cause movie series.[27][28]

Between 2016 and 2018 Momoa portrayed Declan Harp in all three series of the Canadian historical drama television series Frontier (2016 TV series) and was an executive producer on the show. The series chronicles the North American fur trade in late 1700s Canada, and follows Declan Harp, a part-Irish, part-Cree outlaw who is campaigning to breach the Hudson's Bay Company's monopoly on the fur trade in Canada, which has become corrupt and engages in illegal activities to enrich itself.[29]

In July 2018, Momoa was cast for Apple's upcoming future-based drama series See.[30][31]

In February 2019, Momoa was cast as Duncan Idaho in the upcoming Denis Villeneuve film Dune.[32][33]

In February 2020, Momoa appeared in a halftime commercial for Rocket Mortgage for Super Bowl LIV. He also appeared in the teaser for "Scary Little Green Men" by Ozzy Osbourne from his album Ordinary Man.

Personal life[]

Momoa in July 2017

Momoa began a relationship with actress Lisa Bonet in 2005.[34] Although it was previously believed that Momoa and Bonet married on November 15, 2007, the couple did not marry until October 2017.[35] Through his marriage to Bonet, Momoa is the stepfather to Zoë Kravitz, Bonet's daughter with ex-husband, musician Lenny Kravitz. In July 2007, Bonet gave birth to their first child, a daughter.[34] Their second child, a son, was born in December 2008.[36]

Momoa learned martial arts for his role as Ronon in Stargate Atlantis.[37] In 2017, Momoa started practicing Brazilian jiu-jitsu.[38][39]

He is a fan of heavy metal music[40] and has noted that he "build[s] [his] characters off of metal songs".[41] He has invited members of Archspire for cameo appearances in the first episode of the TV series See, and he also practiced proper screaming technique with the vocalist of Archspire, Oli Peters, for a significant scene in the series.[42][43] On 30 October 2020, Momoa was featured in the song "Doom" by black metal band Scour.[44]

Momoa has numerous tattoos, including a halfsleeve on his left forearm, a tribute to his family god, or “aumakua”.[45]

He was a prominent figure involved in protests against the building of the Thirty Meter Telescope on Mauna Kea, a holy spiritual site for native Hawaiians.[46][47]

Facial scar[]

On November 15, 2008, Momoa was slashed across the face with a broken beer glass during an altercation at the Birds Cafe, a tavern in Hollywood, California.[48][49] He received approximately 140 stitches during reconstructive surgery and the scar through his left eyebrow is apparent in his later work.[48] The assailant was sentenced to five years in prison for the attack.[49]

Filmography[]

Film[]

Key
Denotes productions that have not yet been released Denotes productions that have not yet been released
Year Title Role Director Notes Ref(s)
2004 Johnson Family Vacation Navarro Christopher Erskin
2007 Pipeline Kai Jordan Alan
2010 Brown Bag Diaries: Ridin' the Blinds in B Minor Mikey Himself Short film
Also director and screenwriter
2011 Conan the Barbarian Conan Marcus Nispel
2012 Bullet to the Head Keegan Walter Hill
2014 Road to Paloma Robert Wolf Himself Also director, producer and co-writer [11]
Debug Iam David Hewlett
Wolves Connor David Hayter
2016 Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Arthur Curry / Aquaman Zack Snyder Cameo [20]
Sugar Mountain Joe Bright Richard Gray [14]
2017 Once Upon a Time in Venice Spyder Mark and Robb Cullen [50]
The Bad Batch Miami Man Ana Lily Amirpour [26]
Justice League Arthur Curry / Aquaman Zack Snyder
2018 Braven Joe Braven Lin Oeding Also producer
Aquaman Arthur Curry / Aquaman James Wan
2019 The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part Mike Mitchell Voice
2021 Zack Snyder's Justice League Zack Snyder
Sweet Girl Ray Cooper Brian Andrew Mendoza Also producer
Dune dagger Duncan Idaho Denis Villeneuve Completed
2022 Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom dagger Arthur Curry / Aquaman James Wan Filming
Also co-story writer
2022 Slumberland dagger Flip Francis Lawrence Post-production [51]

Television[]

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1999–2001 Baywatch: Hawaii Jason Ioane 38 episodes [52]
2003 Baywatch: Hawaiian Wedding Television film
Tempted Kala
2004–2005 North Shore Frankie Seau 21 episodes
2005–2009 Stargate Atlantis Ronon Dex 73 episodes
2009 The Game Roman 4 episodes
2011–2012 Game of Thrones Khal Drogo 11 episodes [53]
2014–2015 The Red Road Phillip Kopus 12 episodes [16]
Drunk History Various roles 2 episodes
2016–2018 Frontier Declan Harp 18 episodes; also executive producer [54]
2018 Saturday Night Live Himself (host) Episode: "Jason Momoa/Mumford & Sons"
2019 The Simpsons Himself (voice) Episode: “The Fat Blue Line”
2019–present See Baba Voss 8 episodes [55]

Awards and nominations[]

Year Award Category Work Result Ref.
2011 CinemaCon Awards Male Rising Star Conan the Barbarian & Game of Thrones Won
Scream Awards Best Ensemble Game of Thrones Nominated
Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Nominated
2017 Canadian Screen Awards Best Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role Frontier Nominated
2019 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards Favorite Movie Actor Aquaman Nominated
Favorite Superhero Nominated
MTV Movie & TV Awards Best Kiss (shared with Amber Heard) Nominated
Teen Choice Awards Choice Sci-Fi/Fantasy Movie Actor Nominated

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b Ahmad, Sophia (February 19, 2010). "Interview with Norwalk's 'Conan' star Jason Momoa". Des Moines Register. Iowa. Archived from the original on April 8, 2013. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c d "Hawaii-born actor Jason Momoa's 'Aquaman' role parallels own upbringing". Star Advertiser. December 16, 2018. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b Lalor, Cadeem (August 9, 2018). "42 Imposing Facts About Jason Momoa". Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  4. ^ Rampell, Ed (January 3, 2019). "'Aquaman': The life aquatic with Hawaiian Polynesian Power superhero Jason Momoa". Peoples World. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  5. ^ "How Jason Momoa's Hawaiian and Polynesian Roots Have Impacted His Career". Oprah Daily. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  6. ^ Fleck, Chris (December 19, 2012). "Takeo Kobayashi". Midweek.com. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  7. ^ ""Game of Thrones" Star Jason Momoa". KatieCouric.com. Archived from the original on September 4, 2014. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  8. ^ Kelly, Helen (May 5, 2016). "Game of Thrones: Jason Momoa is unrecognisable as young model before Khal Drogo role". Daily Express. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  9. ^ "Game of Thrones' Jason Momoa Tells the Origin Story Behind His Viral Audition". Time.com. January 20, 2017. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  10. ^ "Kapa Haka". maori.org.nz/. 1996. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  11. ^ Jump up to: a b "Exclusive: Jason Momoa Talks CONAN; Reveals He's Writing and Directing ROAD TO PALOMA". Collider. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  12. ^ "Jason Momoa's 'Road to Paloma' to Premiere at Sarasota Film Festival". Variety. March 12, 2014. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  13. ^ Schwartz, Terri (February 26, 2014). "Jason Momoa landed 'The Red Road' thanks to his directorial debut 'Road to Paloma'". Blog.zap2it.com. Archived from the original on March 2, 2014. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  14. ^ Jump up to: a b Lesnick, Silas (March 12, 2014). "Cary Elwes and Jason Momoa to Climb Sugar Mountain". ComingSoon.net. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  15. ^ Ford, Rebecca (March 12, 2014). "Cary Elwes, Jason Momoa Join Indie 'Sugar Mountain'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  16. ^ Jump up to: a b "The Red Road Cancelled By SundanceTV After Two Seasons". Seriable.com. May 23, 2015. Archived from the original on August 26, 2016. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  17. ^ Sciretta, Peter (June 14, 2014). "Jason Momoa Is Aquaman in 'Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice'". /Film. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  18. ^ McWeeny, Drew (June 14, 2014). "Jason Momoa Will Play Aquaman in 'Dawn of Justice', and We Know how It Will Happen". Hitfix. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  19. ^ Ford, Rebecca; Kit, Borys (June 16, 2014). "Jason Momoa to Play Aquaman in 'Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  20. ^ Jump up to: a b Dice, Andrew (October 15, 2014). "It's Official: Jason Momoa is 'Aquaman'; Solo Movie Coming 2018". Screen Rant. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  21. ^ "DC Comics Movies Announced: 'Suicide Squad,' 'Wonder Woman,' 'Justice League,' 'The Flash,' 'Aquaman'". Slashfilm. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  22. ^ Kroll, Justin (June 3, 2015). "James Wan to Direct 'Aquaman' for Warner Bros". Variety. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  23. ^ Hughes, William. "Jason Momoa's Aquaman will splash around in The Lego Movie 2". Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  24. ^ Jones, Gareth (February 28, 2015). "UK Exclusive: Wolves Gag Reel Serves Up a Few Howlers". DreadCentral.com. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  25. ^ Barton, Steve (February 6, 2015). "Jason Momoa Eats a Bad Batch of Human Flesh". DreadCentral.com. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  26. ^ Jump up to: a b Sneider, Jeff (February 6, 2015). "Jason Momoa in Talks to Star in Cannibal Love Story 'The Bad Batch' for Annapurna, Vice (Exclusive)". Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  27. ^ McNary, Dave (March 7, 2017). "'Aquaman's' Jason Momoa to Star in 'Just Cause' Film Adaptation". Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  28. ^ "Jason Momoa lands Just Cause movie lead". newshub.co.nz. August 3, 2017. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  29. ^ "Jason Momoa to Star in Netflix Adventure Drama Frontier from San Andreas Director". Variety. Archived from the original on 17 January 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  30. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (July 10, 2018). "Jason Momoa to Star in Apple Drama 'See'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  31. ^ Otterson, Joe (July 10, 2018). "Jason Momoa to Star in Apple Sci-Fi Series 'See'". Variety. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  32. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (February 14, 2019). "'Aquaman's Jason Momoa Joins Killer Cast Of Denis Villenueve's 'Dune'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  33. ^ Kroll, Justin (February 14, 2019). "Jason Momoa Joins Timothee Chalamet, Javier Bardem in 'Dune' Reboot". Variety. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  34. ^ Jump up to: a b Allin, Olivia (August 20, 2011). "Jason Momoa of 'Conan the Barbarian' talks about his horse fears". OnTheRedCarpet.com. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  35. ^ "Jason Momoa and Lisa Bonet Just Got Officially Married: Details on Their Secret Wedding". Us Weekly. November 2, 2017. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  36. ^ "Lisa Bonet's New Baby's Name Is a Mouthful". Access Hollywood. January 9, 2009. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  37. ^ "Jason Momoa on Martial Arts". August 14, 2009. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  38. ^ "Jason Momoa Trains Jiu-Jitsu". BJJEE.com. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  39. ^ "Jason Momoa's Instagram post". Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  40. ^ "Actor Jason Momoa Hung Out with Slayer and Anthrax". MetalSucks. June 13, 2019.
  41. ^ "Jason Momoa Drew Inspiration for Playing Aquaman from Metallica, Black Sabbath, and Tool". metalsucks.net. December 11, 2018.
  42. ^ "Jason Momoa Recruits Archspire Members for New Apple TV+ Show". metalsucks.net. November 2, 2019.
  43. ^ "Jason Momoa Trained with Archspire Vocalist to Learn War Cry for 'See'". Revolver. November 19, 2019.
  44. ^ Hartmann, Graham. "Jason Momoa Performs Gutturals With Philip Anselmo on New Song". Loudwire. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
  45. ^ Friedman, Megan (July 23, 2018). "Are Jason Momoa's 'Aquaman' Tattoos Actually Real?". Men's Health. Retrieved August 24, 2019.
  46. ^ Criss, Doug. "Jason Momoa joins protesters trying to keep a telescope off Hawaii's tallest mountain". CNN. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
  47. ^ "15 Celebrities sending supportive messages to Mauna Kea Hawaii 2019". Farmers Market Hawaii. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
  48. ^ Jump up to: a b "Man Pleads Not Guilty To Assaulting "Stargate Atlantis" Actor". KNBC. July 17, 2009. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  49. ^ Jump up to: a b Winton, Richard (October 7, 2009). "Five-year sentence for man who attacked 'Stargate Atlantis' actor Jason Momoa". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  50. ^ Kit, Borys (June 16, 2015). "Jason Momoa, Thomas Middleditch and Famke Janssen Join Bruce Willis in Action Comedy (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  51. ^ Grossberg, Josh (April 5, 2021). "Slumberland first look finds Jason Momoa sporting a full set of not-so-sleepy horns". Syfy Wire. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  52. ^ "Jason Momoa Reveals Which of His Past Roles He'll Never Let His Kids See". Informone. August 17, 2021. Retrieved August 17, 2021.
  53. ^ "Game of Thrones: Cast". HBO. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  54. ^ Wagmeister, Elizabeth (November 16, 2015). "Jason Momoa to Star in Netflix Adventure Drama 'Frontier' from 'San Andreas' Director". Variety. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  55. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (July 10, 2018). "Jason Momoa To Star In Apple Series 'See' From Steven Knight & Francis Lawrence". Deadline. Retrieved February 23, 2019.

External links[]

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