Aquaman is expected to be the top five highest grossing live-action superhero films of all times, and if it does cross Iron Man 3’s $1.24 billion collection, it will take the number two spot on the all-time list of record making superhero films. There is more…it will find a place in all film genres as one of the top 20 biggest films in history.
And Aquaman Jason Momoa is riding on the crest of his biggest success.
Aquaman has catapulted this towering superhero into the entertainment horizon with a blockbuster hit that is sure to stay in the psyche of his fans for a long time.
Born Joseph Jason Namakaeha Momoa, in Honolulu, Hawaii, the American actor, writer, film producer, director and model, found his top credentials in the film industry as Aquaman in the DC Extended Universe, beginning with ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’ in 2016, ‘Justice League’ in 2017 and his current solo film ‘Aquaman’. In 2011, he portrayed the title character in ‘Conan the Barbarian’. But it was ‘Road to Paloma’ that saw him debut as a director, writer and producer in 2014.
Having initiated his acting career with television, he has also earned mileage for his roles in television series such as ‘Stargate Atlantis’, ‘Game of Thrones’ and the ongoing Netflix series ‘Frontier’. It was his role as the popular character ‘Ronon Dex’ in ‘Stargate’, which had achieved a cult-like following that made him a household name. He reportedly performed Haka, a traditional war dance of the Maori in New Zealand, to demonstrate to the producers of the ‘Game of Thrones’ series that he was, indeed, Khal Drogo, the Dothraki king.
Jason, an only child of photographer Coni (Lemke) and painter Joseph Momoa of Hawaiian descent, was raised by his mother in Norwalk, Iowa, from where he moved to Hawaii after high school. In 1998 his modeling career took off, thanks to international designer Takeo Kikuchi, and the following year he won Hawaii’s Model of the Year. He then landed a lead role in the 10th season of TV series ‘Baywatch Hawaii’ – his good looks and towering personality caught the eyes of the selectors and he easily beat thousands of hopefuls who had come to audition for the series.
In 2001 he moved to Los Angeles and his passion for acting found a foothold. But it is directing that his heart is on. As he says, “When you are just an actor, you do your role, and then you are in your trailer. It’s not as hands on as when you are directing. You live and breathe it.”
Jason lives with his wife, actress Lisa Bonet and their two children, Lola and Nakoa-Wolf.