By Mariel Turner
4:16am PDT, Jul 28, 2020
Jason Momoa turns 41 on Aug. 1, 2020! To celebrate, Wonderwall.com is taking a look at all the reasons we love the "Aquaman" star, starting with his versatility. Not only is Jason a 6-foot-4 chiseled and absolutely gorgeous movie star — he's super-smart too. In fact, the "Game of Thrones" alum has made it his mission to show off his intelligence as well as his good looks. "People are like, 'Momoa's got his shirt off again!' It's not funny," he told the New York Post. "I grew up in the Midwest. I'm raised to actually think, to use my brain." Beauty and brains! Keep reading for more…
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No. 2: He's head over heels for his wife
Jason Momoa has been in love with his wife, actress Lisa Bonet, since childhood! As a boy, Jason saw Lisa on "The Cosby Show" and fell for her instantly. "I saw her on the TV and I was like, 'Mommy, I want that one,'" he told late night host James Crush of his boyhood celebrity crush. "I was like, 'I'm going to stalk you for the rest of my life, and I'm going to get you.'" Clearly, he was right! The lovebirds have been together since 2005.
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No. 3: He was discovered as a teen
Jason Momoa was working part-time at a surf shop when he was discovered by designer Eric Chandler and Takeo Kobayashi in 1998. The 19-year-old soon booked his first gig on "Baywatch: Hawaii." "I love being out here," he told "Access Hollywood" in 1999. "Right when I got on the set it was just: This is what my future's going to be. I love it." Jason later shared that it took him a long time to "get out from underneath that show."
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No. 4: He loves rock climbing
Jason Momoa is an avid rock climber. In fact, the "Aquaman" set even included a custom-built rock-climbing gym for him. "For 'Aquaman,' we incorporated things I love. I love rock climbing," he told Men's Health. "When you're training for a rock-climbing problem, you want to diet right and get in your best shape because it's something you're passionate about. It was something I could set a goal for. Not just, 'Oh, let's get a six pack.' We built a rock climbing gym on the 'Aquaman' set in Australia. It kept my mind in a beautiful place."
No. 5: He's a martial arts student
Jason Momoa is a master at martial arts. He picked up the skill set for his role as Ronon on "Stargate Atlantis" and for 2011's "Conan the Barbarian" and has been practicing ever since. In 2017, Jason added Brazilian jiu-jitsu to his repertoire. "Just started bjj," he wrote in an Instagram post. "Inspired by my OHANA. @kala_dacaptain @barcalive and my kids."
No. 6: He's an amazing dad
It's no surprise Jason Momoa picked up jiu-jitsu because of his kids. The "Frontier" star is devoted to his children — daughter Lola and son Nakoa-Wolf. "My kids are the greatest piece of art," he told Men's Health in 2017. "If I can pump them full of amazing stuff and surround them with beautiful art and music, then I'm going to live out my life watching them. They're already way smarter and just way better than me. God, I love it. It's beautiful. I want it to be the greatest thing I ever do: Make good humans."
No. 7: He's an equally amazing stepdad
Jason Momoa's love for his kids doesn't stop at his biological children. The "Justice League" actor is also super-close to his stepdaughter, "Big Little Lies" actress Zoe Kravitz. The duo affectionately call each other "Papabear" and "Zozobear." "Zoe is a beautiful human being," Jason gushed to People magazine.
No. 8: His kids inspired him to do "Aquaman"
Given that his filmography doesn't exactly consist of the most child-friendly projects (ahem, "Game of Thrones"), the actor was happy to take on a role that his kids would be able to watch and take pride in. Jason's children are no strangers to the DC Universe. "It's awesome as an actor to know what your future is going to be because I have children and I've busted my [behind] to put food on the table," he told The Daily Beast. "It's awesome knowing that I'm going to be in 'Justice League' because my son is the biggest Batman fan and my daughter loves Wonder Woman. It'll be cool for them to see me in something because they're not going to be watching 'Game of Thrones' or 'Red Road' anytime soon, but now they can see Daddy kicking [behind] in IMAX." How sweet!
No. 9: He's got a special dance talent
Jason Momoa might be a butt-kicking action hero, but he's also a pretty great dancer. The native Hawaiian practices Haka, a traditional Māori dance used to convey a challenge to an opponent, or a welcome to a visitor. He's performed the dance in film roles and at events, such as the Los Angeles premiere of "Aquaman," seen here.
No. 10: He originally wanted to be a marine biologist
Jason Momoa isn't just an "aquaman" on screen — he's one in real life too. The "Baywatch: Hawaii" star studied marine biology in college before he hit it big. "I was actually going to school for marine biology and then I switched over to wildlife biology. I went to school out in Colorado," he told the Chicago Tribune in 2014.
No. 11: He took home a peculiar prop from the "Game of Thrones" set
It's totally normal for celebs to take home a prop from a set to commemorate a gig, but we're pretty sure Jason Momoa's chosen prop is one of the most unique ones out there. For all the "Game of Thrones" fans out there — remember when Khal Drogo (Jason's character) ripped out a dude's tongue? Well, it turns out the actor took the prop tongue home after filming wrapped! "I'm a big fan of taking things that I worked with," he told Entertainment Weekly. "So I have the souvenir of the tongue and the throat. That's just on my desk." Casual, Jason!
No. 12: He survived a face slashing
Jason Momoa's huge eyebrow scar might seem like makeup in films but it's 100 percent real. The Hollywood actor was slashed in the face with a broken beer glass during a fight in 2008 and had to undergo reconstructive surgery to fix the gash. "It was crazy," he told "Access Hollywood." "A guy smashed a pint glass in my face. I got a little over 140 stitches in my face." He later shared that he learned to like the scar because it helped him land better acting roles. "I got called 'pretty boy' my whole life," he told the New York Post. "If anything, it's like, 'Good.' It's not my thing now."
No. 13: He owns a production company
In addition to being a successful actor, Jason Momoa has also taken his talents behind the scenes. He founded the production company Pride of Gypsies (which is also his Instagram handle) in 2010. According to its website, it's "a tribe of artists and filmmakers with an enthusiastic thirst for creating unique and inventive content, harnessing an atypical approach to production." Pride of Gypsies has since produced the indie film "Road to Paloma," which Jason directed, starred in and co-wrote. The company has also collaborated with Carhartt to create several advertising campaigns.
No. 14: He loves rugby
Jason Momoa is a major rugby fan! The "Stargate" alum is often spotted watching games and is a big supporter of the New Zealand All Blacks team. "I bleed All Blacks. I'm just super-happy that the guys pulled it off," he told CNN after New Zealand's win against England in March 2019. "It's the ultimate sport to me. There are no pads. Growing up in America, we didn't have it as much, I played more hockey. But then when I went down and lived in Australia and New Zealand, it [became] my favorite [sport]."
No. 15: He could've been part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe
Yup, it's true — he's part of the DC Extended Universe now but there could've been a world in which Jason Momoa was a member of the Marvel Cinematic Universe! According to the "Aquaman" star, he had a meeting with filmmakers Joe and Anthony Russo to play a villain. "I met the Russo brothers, who are amazing," Jason told Entertainment Weekly. "It was one of the best meetings I've ever had. I was going to do something with them, which unfortunately didn't work out." That wasn't the only time either. Jason has also revealed that he auditioned for an undisclosed role in "Guardians of the Galaxy," which was super cool. I got to audition with [Chris Pratt], who's just a legend and a gentleman. That didn't work out." While he remained mum on which character he was up for, fans have speculated it was Drax the Destroyer (who was played by Dave Bautista). "It was going to be a villain, I think," Jason said. "People always want to hire me to play a villain, you know?"
No. 16: He's an environmentalist and activist
Jason Momoa is a devoted environmentalist who often posts on Instagram about ocean preservation, animal cruelty and sustainable living. Jason shaved off his famous beard in April 2019 — the first time he'd gotten rid of it in seven years — to draw attention to a new line of canned water and encourage people to "make a switch to INFINITELY RECYCLABLE aluminum." Jason also advocates for the causes of his fellow Hawaiians which includes supporting the Mauna Kea protestors opposed to construction of a massive telescope on sacred ground. "ALOHA ALWAYS WINS. I encourage all my OHANA friends and fans to show the world that we are not backing down from TMT — we are and will always be Non-violent and Aloha," he wrote on Instagram. "so if they come at us we will stay in Peace but we will stand!"
No. 17: His career suffered after "Game of Thrones"
"Game of Thrones" is one of the biggest TV shows of all time, but the series surprisingly didn't do much for Jason Momoa's career. The "Conan the Barbarian" star told late-night host Jimmy Fallon that he struggled to get jobs after playing Dothraki leader Khal Drogo because casting directors thought he couldn't speak English. He realized it when stepdaughter Zoe Kravitz's co-star Fred Armisen marveled at his English-speaking abilities. "It was heartbreaking," Jason joked. "I was like, that's why I'm not getting any jobs!"
No. 18: He moonlights as motorcycle mechanic
Jason Momoa is all about the Harleys! The actor has owned Harley-Davidson motorcycles since his early 20s and often shares snaps of himself working on his multiple bikes. Jason is such a big fan of Harleys that he and his children built a motorcycle together in honor of Father's Day 2019 then shared a stunning video of their experience to his YouTube channel.
No. 19: He's super-proud of his Hawaiian heritage
Jason Momoa couldn't be more passionate about his Hawaiian roots. The A-lister — who was born in Honolulu to a native Hawaiian father and a white mother from the Midwest, who later raised him in Iowa — visits Hawaii as often as possible and often shares his insights on the culture with fans and the media. Jason was also thrilled to bring his heritage to the role of Aquaman. "A lot of things are very black and white. Aquaman is especially cool because being a Kanaka Maoli — being Hawaiian — our Gods are Kanaloa and Maui, and the Earth is 71 percent water, so I get to represent that," he told ScreenRant. "I'm someone who gets to represent all the islanders, not some blond-haired superhero. It's cool that there's a brown-skinned superhero."
No. 20: He's a musician
Honestly, is there anything Jason Momoa can't do? The strapping star is also a musician who plays multiple instruments. "I play the guitar and drums and I'm learning the piano with my daughter," he told the New York Daily News.
