Jason Momoa's Tragic True Life Story
Unforgettable for his bombastic energy, enigmatic style, and larger-than-the-moon smile, Jason Momoa has gradually become an entertainment icon. The actor got his start in a short-lived "Baywatch" spin-off before landing himself in major television shows like "Stargate Atlantis" and "Game of Thrones." Transitioning to the big screen, Momoa has solidified himself as an A-list performer, nabbing the role of Aquaman in the all-but dismantled DC Extended Universe and recently becoming one of the most verbose villains in the long-running "Fast and Furious" franchise.
Although he naturally displays a flamboyant and extroverted personality, Momoa hasn't always had it easy. From a turbulent childhood to being typecast in Hollywood, the actor has had to overcome multiple obstacles throughout his life and career. Continue reading to discover how Momoa went from a surfer island boy isolated in landlocked Iowa to becoming a tribal warlord, comic book superhero, fan favorite, and so much more.
His father lived a world away
It'll come as no surprise to Jason Momoa fans that he is extremely proud of his heritage. Often taking roles that link to his multiple cultures, Momoa has talked often and openly about his mixed background. Born in Hawaii, his father was a native of the islands. Meanwhile, Momoa's mother, of German and Irish descent, also has an Indigenous American connection in her bloodline. Sadly, the actor's parents separated when he was young, and he spent most of his childhood living in Norwalk, Iowa, alongside his maternal family.
Momoa's world expanded when he turned 12 and began visiting his father in Hawaii more frequently. "I would spend my summers there," the actor said in an interview with the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. However, his father saw the value of his son growing up on the mainland. "His mom is awesome. I'm so proud of her hanging strong and teaching him things you don't learn much about here in Hawaii," said Joseph Momoa. "I told him, you need to go and gain all this knowledge, and when you graduate you can come back here any time you want. Hawaii is always here." The young Momoa would later utilize his mixed upbringing when he portrayed a superhero from two different worlds. "I think it's almost the story of 'Aquaman,'" said his father. "When his mom has to leave him and jumps back in the water, that's me, I have to leave my son."
He was bullied growing up
Standing 6 feet 4 inches tall with a toned frame, Jason Momoa has an undeniable presence onscreen. It is hard to imagine the muscular superhero actor ever having to deal with bullying, yet he has admitted to receiving heavy harassment while growing up in both Iowa and Hawaii. "I spent my fair share of time stuffed in lockers," the self-described "hippie kid" told the Des Moines Register. A consequence of having a mixed background and never completely belonging to either culture made Momoa feel shunned wherever he went.
"I graduated with maybe 100 kids, all very much the same. I stood out," Momoa told Entertainment Weekly. "If you're a Hawaiian kid in Iowa, you're kind of a fish out of water. Then I went back to Hawaii, and I got ostracized there too." The "Aquaman" actor explained how his uncommon hobbies also helped make him an oddity amongst his peers. "I was a bit of a skateboarder, and I started rock climbing. I love Iowa, but I just didn't fit in," he said. "I definitely got bullied." And while the movie star would eventually sculpt his famous warrior-like body, he didn't always boast the same physique. "I was small. I graduated when I was 16. So, I was the youngest boy in my class."
How he got that gnarly facial scar
Again, it is difficult to understand how anybody would want to test their mettle against a staggeringly large hunk like Jason Momoa. Surprisingly, the actor received a noticeable scar across his eyebrow from a man he believed was taking part in a "gang initiation." "It was crazy," he recalled while talking with Access Hollywood in 2011. "A guy smashed a pint glass in my face. I got a little over 140 stitches in my face." Reportedly, he was struck by the glass after getting into a verbal altercation, resulting in Momoa needing reconstructive surgery on his face.
The harrowing incident occurred in 2008 while Momoa was still making a name for himself on "Stargate Atlantis." The 21-year-old man who perpetrated the offense received his fair share of stitches and a five-year prison sentence for assault with a deadly weapon. As for the familiar permanent marking balding the hair through Momoa's eyebrow, he said, "It just doesn't grow there anymore." Thankfully, the edgy scar has had a promising upside in his career. "I got called 'pretty boy' my whole life," Momoa told the New York Post. "If anything, it's like, 'Good.' It's not my thing now." Ironically, the scar, which inspired its own Facebook page, has only served to make the actor more attractive.
He struggled to find work after Game of Thrones
Interestingly, Jason Momoa never intended to become a professional actor. Unlike so many other movie stars, he didn't aspire to Hollywood fame; instead, the career path found him. "I did not want to be an actor. I was in the right place at the wrong time," Momoa remarked to WIRED. Surprisingly, it is by chance that he was hand-picked for a "Baywatch: Hawaii" role at 19. "And then I fell in love with acting and I fell in love with the idea that I could play characters like Flip, or Drogo, or Aquaman. So, it kind of found me."
Despite proving himself a natural in front of the camera, Momoa's acting career has been unstable at times. Upon the cancellation of the "Baywatch" spin-off in 2001, the actor moved to Los Angeles in hopes of building his filmography. "I couldn't even get an agent for three or four years," he remembered while speaking with InStyle. Still, his hardest challenge came after his character Khal Drogo was killed off from one of television's most significant fantasy programs. "I mean, we were starving after 'Game of Thrones,'" he recalled. "I couldn't get work. It's very challenging when you have babies and you're completely in debt." Momoa revealed that he was typecast by his dominating role in the HBO series. "For a while afterward, a lot of people bagged on me. It hurt me a lot. People thought I didn't speak English."
He regrets comments he made about women
For audiences, Jason Momoa's portrayal of Khal Drogo in "Game of Thrones" remains unforgettable. The Dothraki warlord who betroths the Mother of Dragons made a significant impact in the series and became a fan-favorite character despite only appearing in 10 episodes. Apart from being one of the most dominating characters to ever appear in the show, Drogo's untamed nature resulted in some questionable moments that are hard to forget.
Unfortunately, Momoa took his love for his character a bit too far while talking with the press in 2011. Taking part in a Comic-Con panel to promote the series, the actor made some unsavory remarks about his performance. "As far as sci-fi and fantasy, I love that genre because there are so many things you can do, like rip someone's tongue out of their throat and get away with it and rape beautiful women," he said (per The Guardian). Like a dragon egg, the remarks remained dormant for many years before they were unearthed again in 2017 and fans created an uproar. "I am still severely disappointed in myself at the insensitivity of my remarks that day. I know my sincerest apology now won't take away those hurtful words," Momoa wrote in an Instagram post. "I made a truly tasteless comment. It is unacceptable and I sincerely apologize with a heavy heart for the words I said."
He split up with his dream girl
For a significant portion of his time as a celebrity, Jason Momoa was half of one of Hollywood's most beloved couples. In 2005, the actor met and began dating Lisa Bonet, an actress best known for her roles in "The Cosby Show" and "A Different World." The pair's quick attachment likely had something to do with Momoa having a boyhood crush on the much older actress. "The first time [we met] I was like, 'I want that one. I want her. I'm going to get her,'" he revealed to US Weekly. "I didn't tell her until after we had our two children. But I told her, 'I kind of stalked you. I was going to find you.'"
The power couple enjoyed a fruitful relationship that grew into marriage in 2017. Momoa even developed a close brotherly friendship with Bonet's previous partner, Lenny Kravitz, and their child, Zoe Kravitz. Meanwhile, it was no secret that the actor was head-over-heels for his wife, telling Esquire in 2019, "If someone says something isn't possible, I'm like, 'Listen here, I married Lisa Bonet. Anything is f***ing possible.'" Heartbreakingly, the pair announced their separation in 2022 in a shared statement in a now-deleted Instagram post, reading, "The love between us carries on, evolving in ways it wishes to be known and lived. We free each other to be who we are learning to become" (via Los Angeles Times).
The death of one fan nearly broke his heart
As big a fan as you might be of Jason Momoa's portrayal of Aquaman, nobody loved the comic book adaptation more than one superfan: Danny Sheehan. In 2020, the child went viral after a Facebook video was released featuring him receiving an action figure of his favorite aquatic superhero. "Oh my gosh, it's my favorite one," Sheehan exclaimed with unequivocal passion. "Aquaman! I love Aquaman!" Of course, the popular video prompted Momoa to make a direct Facetime call to his number one supporter, which the actor shared in a heartwarming Instagram post. "I've been hearing about you all over from all of my friends," Momoa said to his over-the-moon admirer. "You are so beautiful."
Tragically, young Sheehan suffered from a terminal illness and passed away in August 2021. Understandably, Momoa was nothing short of devastated by the loss of his favorite fan. "I just found out this heartbreaking news. All my Aloha to this beautiful Ohana," the actor shared on Instagram. "Love [you] baby boy. Rest in [peace]. You will live in my heart."
Momoa had one last gift to send out to the world's biggest fan of the underwater king, writing, "I dedicate 'Aquaman 2' to you lil angel."
Some locals are not happy with how he represents Hawaii
Despite not spending much time in Hawaii as a child, Jason Momoa has embraced the culture as part of his identity as an adult. The actor now considers the islands his home and continues to give back to the community. Many of his tattoos hold deeper meanings that connect him closer to his roots. Momoa's upcoming project "Chief of War," which the actor calls his Holy Grail, is a true story that retells the history of a legendary Hawaiian war chieftain. "This is my homage to my people," Momoa told Men's Health. "We have so many beautiful stories in Hawaii that no one knows about. All I care about is just doing right by my people."
Sadly, not all locals in Hawaii appreciate how the actor has represented the islands. The problems first started when he shared images of a fishing trip on Instagram Stories (via People) wearing a traditional Hawaiian malo and exposing his butt. "The hysteria over the Jason Momoa fishing pics is laced with racism," one local shared on X (formerly known as Twitter). "The hyper and over-sexualization of Native Hawaiians, including Hawaiian men, are for real and harmful." The actor did not make many friends when he revealed the same outfit on "Jimmy Kimmel Live." "Not all representation is good representation," said one disappointed Hawaiian on X (formerly known as Twitter). "Great way to represent the culture, big guy," responded another local.
His biggest franchise is riddled with controversy
For the majority of Jason Momoa's acting career, he has been limited to supporting player status. That changed in 2018 when Warner Bros. transitioned his role as a backup superhero in "Justice League" to giving Aquaman his first full-length feature film. Shockingly, Momoa's first outing as the titular superhero became the highest-grossing film based on a DC Comics character of all time. Breaking the $1 billion mark at the international box office was an impressive milestone for one of the comic book realm's most-mocked characters.
Unfortunately, since then, the "Aquaman" franchise has become muddied by controversy. First, an anticipated horror-themed spin-off, "The Trench," was abruptly canceled by the studio. Then, the newly appointed head of DC's cinematic universe, James Gunn, stabbed a trident into the upcoming sequel "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" when he confirmed it would not link to future projects. "Nothing is canon until 'Creature Commandos' next year," he said on Threads (via MovieWeb).
Finally, Momoa's co-star Amber Heard created a storm of rumors regarding the behind-the-scenes turmoil of "Aquaman 2." As part of the actress's highly publicized court hearings with ex-husband Johnny Depp, documents of her therapy sessions were released pointing a finger at Momoa's on-set behavior. Heard alleges that the actor wanted her fired, worked while inebriated, and once dressed as Depp to get under her skin. However, DC denied the claims, with a spokesperson saying, "Momoa conducted himself in a professional manner at all times" (via Variety).
He has sustained a lot of injuries for his movies
Jason Momoa's filmography is loaded with projects that almost exclusively feature heavy action. So, it is no surprise that the actor has sustained some bumps and bruises throughout his career. However, Momoa may be more accident-prone than you realize. As far back as his time in 2011's "Conan the Barbarian," he has been taking hits. "We're doing so much action, it's just one after the other," Momoa said to the Associated Press. "Just constantly bleeding somewhere. Staying in good health was the hardest thing."
Injuries continue to plague the actor, as he had a fair share occur while filming his upcoming project "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom." "I'm getting old," Momoa said when he appeared on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show." "I messed up my eyes. I just got something in it that kinda cut it up, and then I've gotta get surgery, I have a hernia, I've got ribs out. I'm just getting beat up." The hernia reportedly required surgery that put the star in a wheelchair while attending rehearsals for the Oscars in 2022. Additionally, Momoa shared images of him in an MRI machine on Instagram, although sources later revealed the test was precautionary. On his nature of getting hurt at work, Momoa told DeGeneres, "I just kinda give it, yeah. I love my job and I get a little too excited."
He is not happy about all of his roles
It is easy to see how much Jason Momoa enjoys making movies, thanks to his constant positive energy in almost every public appearance. Still, the actor regrets at least one project he took part in: "Conan the Barbarian." Ahead of landing his breakout role in "Game of Thrones," the 2011 rebrand of the classic sword and sorcery hero served as Momoa's highest-profile project.
Although grateful for the opportunity to play a character once brought to life by action star Arnold Schwarzenegger, Momoa disliked the final product. "I've been a part of a lot of things that really sucked, and movies where it's out of your hands," he said in an interview with GQ. "'Conan' was one of them. It's one of the best experiences I had and it [was] taken over and turned into a big pile of s***." Momoa was not the only one displeased with the adaptation of the Robert E. Howard book series. The $90 million project failed to make its money back at the box office, scraping up just $63.5 million worldwide. Meanwhile, the film sits at a forgettable 24 percent critic score on Rotten Tomatoes.
He was devastated by the Hawaii wildfires
One detail about Jason Momoa that cannot be ignored is his advocacy for the environment. The "Aquaman" star has championed multiple sustainability projects, including the creation of recyclable aluminum water bottles to help eliminate plastic ocean waste. He has even been designated as an official UN Advocate for Life Below Water. "My passion since I was a little boy has been saving the planet," the actor told Global Heroes. "The time for change when it comes to our environment is now. We have a lot of work to do, and I want to help inspire others to make positive changes for our planet and future generations."
Understandably, with his affection for the planet mixed with his documented appreciation for the islands of Hawaii, Momoa was significantly impacted during the state's wildfires in 2023. "We are devastated and heartbroken for our friends and 'ohana on Maui who been impacted by the recent wildfires," read a post on his Instagram at the height of the catastrophe. "Strong winds from Hurricane Dora caused wildfires which spread excessively swift basically leveling the town of Lāhaina. It looks like a bomb was dropped right on the town," Momoa explained in another Instagram post. Thankfully, the movie star pledged to help his ancestral home. "As we honor the memories of Lāhaina's past, let us rebuild and restore this historic town."