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Joseph Jason Namakaeha Momoa (; born August 1, 1979) is an American actor. He made his acting debut as
Jason Ioane This is a list of the characters in the TV series ''Baywatch'' and ''Baywatch: Hawaii''. Cast timeline ;Cast notes ''Baywatch'' (1989–1990; 1991–1999) ; Mitchell "Mitch" Buchannon (David Hasselhoff, ''Baywatch: Panic at Malibu Pier'', se ...
on the syndicated action drama series '' Baywatch: Hawaii'' (1999–2001), which was followed by portrayals of
Ronon Dex Ronon Dex is a fictional character in the 2004 science fiction television series ''Stargate Atlantis''. Played by Jason Momoa, he is from Sateda, a civilization which was at a technological level comparable to Earth in the mid-20th century befor ...
on the
Syfy Syfy (formerly Sci-Fi Channel, later shortened to Sci Fi; stylized as SYFY) is an American basic cable channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. La ...
science fiction series '' Stargate Atlantis'' (2005–2009), Khal Drogo in the first two seasons of the HBO fantasy drama series ''
Game of Thrones ''Game of Thrones'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss for HBO. It is an adaptation of '' A Song of Ice and Fire'', a series of fantasy novels by George R. R. Martin, the fir ...
'' (2011–2012), Declan Harp on the
Discovery Channel Discovery Channel (known as The Discovery Channel from 1985 to 1995, and often referred to as simply Discovery) is an American cable channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav. , Discovery Chan ...
historical drama series ''
Frontier A frontier is the political and geographical area near or beyond a boundary. A frontier can also be referred to as a "front". The term came from French in the 15th century, with the meaning "borderland"—the region of a country that fronts ...
'' (2016–2018), and Baba Voss on the
Apple TV+ Apple TV+ is an American subscription streaming service owned and operated by Apple Inc. Launched on November 1, 2019, it offers a selection of original production film and television series called Apple Originals. The service was announced ...
science fiction series '' See'' (2019–2022). Momoa was featured as the lead of the two lattermost series. Since 2016, Momoa portrays Arthur Curry / Aquaman in the
DC Extended Universe The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films and television series produced by DC Studios and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is based on characters that ...
(DCEU), first appearing in a cameo in the film '' Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice'' (2016) and then in '' Justice League'' (2017) and its 2021 director's cut, headlining in
Aquaman Aquaman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in '' More Fun Comics'' #73 (November 1941). The character is a pastiche of Namor. Initially a ...
(2018) and its sequel Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom releasing in December 2023, as well as a cameo in the TV series ''Peacemaker'' (2022–present). Momoa also played Duncan Idaho in the 2021 film adaptation of the science fiction novel ''
Dune A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, f ...
''.


Early life

An only child, Momoa was born on August 1, 1979, in Honolulu, Hawaii, to Coni (Lemke), a photographer, and Joseph Momoa, a painter. His father is of
Native Hawaiian Native Hawaiians (also known as Indigenous Hawaiians, Kānaka Maoli, Aboriginal Hawaiians, First Hawaiians, or simply Hawaiians) ( haw, kānaka, , , and ), are the indigenous ethnic group of Polynesian people of the Hawaiian Islands. Hawa ...
ancestry and his mother is of
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...
, Irish and Pawnee heritage ancestry. Shortly after his birth, his parents divorced and he and his mother moved to Norwalk, Iowa where he was raised. He graduated from Norwalk High School where he was part of the soccer team alongside Brandon Routh. He attended the
University of Hawaii A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, th ...
.


Career

At 19 years old, while living and working in Honolulu, Momoa decided to audition for the television series ''
Baywatch Hawaii ''Baywatch'' is an American action drama television series about lifeguards who patrol the beaches of Los Angeles County, California, and Hawaii, starring David Hasselhoff. It was created by Michael Berk, Douglas Schwartz, and Gregory J. Bonann ...
'', in which he was cast as
Jason Ioane This is a list of the characters in the TV series ''Baywatch'' and ''Baywatch: Hawaii''. Cast timeline ;Cast notes ''Baywatch'' (1989–1990; 1991–1999) ; Mitchell "Mitch" Buchannon (David Hasselhoff, ''Baywatch: Panic at Malibu Pier'', se ...
(1999–2001). 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 Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...
television series '' The Game'' (2009). He portrayed the title protagonist in ''
Conan the Barbarian Conan the Barbarian (also known as Conan the Cimmerian) is a fictional sword and sorcery hero who originated in pulp magazines and has since been adapted to books, comics, films (including '' Conan the Barbarian'' and ''Conan the Destroyer''), ...
'' (2011), a
reimagining A remake is a film, television series, video game, song or similar form of entertainment that is based upon and retells the story of an earlier production in the same medium—e.g., a "new version of an existing film". A remake tells the same ...
of the 1982 film of the same name and a role made famous by
Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, film producer, businessman, retired professional bodybuilder and politician who served as the 38th governor of California between 2003 and 2011. ''Time'' ...
. Momoa gained his role of Khal Drogo on HBO's ''
Game of Thrones ''Game of Thrones'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss for HBO. It is an adaptation of '' A Song of Ice and Fire'', a series of fantasy novels by George R. R. Martin, the fir ...
'' through his audition, in which he performed a
Haka Haka (; plural ''haka'', in both Māori and English) are a variety of ceremonial performance art in Māori culture. It is often performed by a group, with vigorous movements and stamping of the feet with rhythmically shouted or chanted accompani ...
, one of many intimidating
Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...
dances traditionally used to convey a challenge to an opponent, or a welcome to a visitor. Momoa directed and co-wrote ''
Road to Paloma ''Road to Paloma'' is a 2014 American drama thriller film directed by (in his directorial debut), produced by, co-written by, and starring Jason Momoa. Robert Homer Mollohan co-stars and co-wrote the script. It also co-stars Sarah Shahi, Lisa Bonet ...
'' (2014), an American
drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has b ...
thriller film Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre. ...
, together with writers Jonathan Hirschbein and Robert Homer Mollohan. The film stars Momoa,
Sarah Shahi Aahoo Jahansouzshahi ( fa, آهو جهانسوز شاهی; born ), known professionally as Sarah Shahi (), is an American actress and former model. She played Carmen on ''The L Word'' in 2005, Kate Reed in the USA Network legal drama ''Fairly Le ...
,
Lisa Bonet Lilakoi Moon (born Lisa Michelle Bonet; November 16, 1967), known professionally as Lisa Bonet (), is an American actress. She is known for playing Denise Huxtable on the sitcom '' The Cosby Show'' (1984–1992), for which she earned widespread ...
,
Michael Raymond-James Michael Raymond-James (born Michael Weverstad; December 24, 1977) is an American actor. He is best known for playing René Lenier in the first season of the HBO series ''True Blood'', Britt Pollack on the FX series ''Terriers'', Neal Cassidy/Ba ...
, and Wes Studi. It premiered at the 2014 Sarasota Film Festival in April 2014. The film had a limited theatrical release on July 15, 2014, in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
and
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...
and a VOD release. 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. He also starred as Phillip Kopus, a Ramapough Mountain Indian, on the SundanceTV drama series '' The Red Road'' (2014–2015). In June 2014, Momoa was reported to have been cast in the role of Arthur Curry/Aquaman, after he auditioned for Bruce Wayne/Batman. He first played the role in a cameo in the superhero film '' Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice'', marking Aquaman's live action film debut. Momoa played the character in a leading role in the 2017 ensemble film '' Justice League'' and its director's cut; ''
Zack Snyder's Justice League ''Zack Snyder's Justice League'' (colloquially referred to as the Snyder Cut) is the 2021 director's cut of the 2017 American superhero film '' Justice League'', the fifth film set within the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) based on the team ...
''. He then starred in the ''
Aquaman Aquaman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in '' More Fun Comics'' #73 (November 1941). The character is a pastiche of Namor. Initially a ...
'' solo film, which released in late 2018. He also reprised this role in '' The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part''. In August 2014, Momoa portrayed Connor in the Canadian horror action film ''
Wolves The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, and gray wolves, as popularly un ...
'', and starred in the Sci-fi horror movie ''
Debug In computer programming and software development, debugging is the process of finding and resolving '' bugs'' (defects or problems that prevent correct operation) within computer programs, software, or systems. Debugging tactics can involve i ...
''; it was written and directed by Momoa's former ''Stargate Atlantis'' co-star, British-born Canadian actor
David Hewlett David Ian Hewlett (born 18 April 1968) is a British-born Canadian actor, writer, and director known for his role as Dr. Rodney McKay in the ''Stargate'' science-fiction franchise. He first gained fame for his roles as Grant Jansky in the Canad ...
. In February 2015, it was announced that he would portray a cannibal in the drama thriller film ''The Bad Batch''. In 2015, Momoa was cast in the Canadian action film '' Braven'', which was released on February 2, 2018. In early 2017, he signed on to play Rico Rodriguez in the official '' Just Cause'' film series. Between 2016 and 2018, Momoa portrayed Declan Harp in all three seasons of the Canadian historical drama television series ''
Frontier A frontier is the political and geographical area near or beyond a boundary. A frontier can also be referred to as a "front". The term came from French in the 15th century, with the meaning "borderland"—the region of a country that fronts ...
'' 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. In July 2018, Momoa was cast for Apple's
post-apocalyptic Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction is a subgenre of speculative fiction in which the Earth's (or another planet's) civilization is collapsing or has collapsed. The apocalypse event may be climatic, such as runaway climate change; ast ...
drama series ''See''. In February 2019, Momoa was cast as Duncan Idaho in the
Denis Villeneuve Denis Villeneuve (; born October 3, 1967) is a Canadian filmmaker. He is a four-time recipient of the Canadian Screen Award (formerly Genie Award) for Best Direction, winning for '' Maelström'' in 2001, '' Polytechnique'' in 2009, ''Incendies ...
film ''
Dune A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, f ...
''. In February 2020, Momoa appeared in a halftime commercial for
Rocket Mortgage Rocket Mortgage, LLC (formerly known as Quicken Loans LLC) is a mortgage loan provider. It is headquartered in the One Campus Martius building in the financial district of Downtown Detroit, Michigan. In January 2018, the company became the l ...
for Super Bowl LIV. He also appeared in the teaser for "Scary Little Green Men" by
Ozzy Osbourne John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born 3 December 1948) is an English singer, songwriter, and television personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which period he adop ...
from his album '' Ordinary Man''. In January 2022, it was announced that Momoa would join the cast of the tenth ''
Fast & Furious ''Fast & Furious'' (also known as ''The Fast and the Furious'') is a media franchise centered on a series of action films that are largely concerned with street racing, heists, spies, and family. The franchise also includes short films, ...
'' film titled ''
Fast X ''Fast X'' (also known as ''Fast & Furious 10'') is an upcoming American action film directed by Louis Leterrier and written by Justin Lin, Zach Dean, and Dan Mazeau. It is the sequel to '' F9'' (2021), serving as the tenth main installment, ...
'' as the villain, which is produced by and starring Vin Diesel. In April 2022, it was announced that Momoa will star in the film adaptation of ''
Minecraft ''Minecraft'' is a sandbox game developed by Mojang Studios. The game was created by Markus "Notch" Persson in the Java programming language. Following several early private testing versions, it was first made public in May 2009 before b ...
'', with
Jared Hess Jared Lawrence Hess (born July 18, 1979) and Jerusha Elizabeth Hess ( Demke; born May 12, 1980) are husband-and-wife American filmmakers best known for their work on '' Napoleon Dynamite'' (2004), '' Nacho Libre'' (2006) and '' Gentlemen Bronc ...
directing.


Personal life

Momoa met his first fiancee, actress
Simmone Jade Mackinnon Simone Jade Mackinnon (born 19 March 1973) is an Australian actress. She is best known for role as Allie Reese on ''Baywatch'' (1999–2000) and Stevie Hall on ''McLeod's Daughters'' (2003–2009). Early life Mackinnon was born in Mount Isa, Q ...
, on the set of '' Baywatch'' in 1999. They were together for 6 years and became engaged in 2004. Mackinnon and Momoa called off their engagement after Momoa began a relationship with actress
Lisa Bonet Lilakoi Moon (born Lisa Michelle Bonet; November 16, 1967), known professionally as Lisa Bonet (), is an American actress. She is known for playing Denise Huxtable on the sitcom '' The Cosby Show'' (1984–1992), for which she earned widespread ...
in 2005. Although it was previously believed that Momoa and Bonet had married on November 15, 2007, the couple did not marry until October 2017. In July 2007, Bonet gave birth to their first child, a daughter. Their second child, a son, was born in December 2008. In January 2022, Momoa and Bonet announced their split. Momoa learned martial arts for his role as Ronon in ''Stargate Atlantis''. In 2017, Momoa started practicing
Brazilian jiu-jitsu Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ; pt, jiu-jitsu brasileiro ) is a self-defence martial art and combat sport based on grappling, ground fighting (ne-waza) and submission holds. BJJ focuses on the skill of taking an opponent to the ground, control ...
. He is a fan of
heavy metal music Heavy metal (or simply metal) is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the United Kingdom and United States. With roots in blues rock, psychedelic rock and acid rock, heavy metal bands develope ...
and has noted that he "build ischaracters off of metal songs". He invited members of
Archspire Archspire is a Canadian technical death metal band from Vancouver. They have released four studio albums and are currently signed to Season of Mist. History The band was formed in 2007 as Defenestrated, but changed their name to Archspire in ...
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. On October 30, 2020, Momoa was featured in the song "Doom" by
black metal Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, a shrieking vocal style, heavily distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, raw (lo-fi) recording, unconventional song structures, and an em ...
band
Scour Scour may refer to: Hydrodynamic processes * Hydrodynamic scour, the removal of sediment such as sand and silt from around an object * Bridge scour, erosion of soil around at the base of a bridge pier or abutments via the flow of air, ice, or ...
. Momoa is a hobby musician and plays
bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...
,
mandolin A mandolin ( it, mandolino ; literally "small mandola") is a stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally plucked with a pick. It most commonly has four courses of doubled strings tuned in unison, thus giving a total of ...
,
ukulele The ukulele ( ; from haw, ukulele , approximately ), also called Uke, is a member of the lute family of instruments of Portuguese origin and popularized in Hawaii. It generally employs four nylon strings. The tone and volume of the instrumen ...
and
guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected string ...
in his spare time, the first of which he took up after listening to
Tool A tool is an object that can extend an individual's ability to modify features of the surrounding environment or help them accomplish a particular task. Although many animals use simple tools, only human beings, whose use of stone tools dates b ...
's song " Sober". Momoa has numerous tattoos, including a halfsleeve on his left forearm, a tribute to his family god, or "
aumakua In Hawaiian mythology, an ʻaumakua (; often spelled aumakua, plural, aumākua) is a personal or family god that originated as a deified ancestor, and which takes on physical forms such as spirit vehicles. An 'aumakua may manifest as a shark, ow ...
". He participated in protests against the building of the Thirty Meter Telescope on
Mauna Kea Mauna Kea ( or ; ; abbreviation for ''Mauna a Wākea''); is a dormant volcano on the island of Hawaii. Its peak is above sea level, making it the highest point in the state of Hawaii and second-highest peak of an island on Earth. The peak ...
, a holy spiritual site for native Hawaiians.


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 Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywoo ...
, California. He received approximately 140 stitches during
reconstructive surgery Reconstructive surgery is surgery performed to restore normal appearance and function to body parts malformed by a disease or medical condition. Description Reconstructive surgery is a term with training, clinical, and reimbursement implicat ...
and the scar through his left eyebrow is apparent in his later work. The assailant was sentenced to five years in prison for the attack.


Filmography


Film


Television


Awards and nominations


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Momoa, Jason 1979 births Living people 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors American male film actors American male television actors American male voice actors American people of German descent American people of Irish descent American people who self-identify as being of Native American descent American people of Native Hawaiian descent Male actors from Hawaii Male actors from Honolulu Male actors from Iowa People from Polk County, Iowa Native Hawaiian male actors