Who is Jason Momoa?
Jason Momoa is an American actor and filmmaker of Native Hawaiian heritage. Born in Hawaii, he spent much of his childhood in Iowa. In a National Geographic interview, he recalled taking marine biology classes during high school before returning to Hawaii, where his father’s family taught him to surf. [5]
Early roles and directing
His television career began with Baywatch in 1999. He later played Ronon Dex in Stargate: Atlantis and starred in Conan the Barbarian (2011). His Game of Thrones character, Khal Drogo, further established his association with action and fantasy. [6]
As Phillip Kopus in SundanceTV’s The Red Road, he explored a more emotionally vulnerable character. [6]
His feature directing debut was Road to Paloma (2014), in which he also played Wolf, a Native American motorcyclist crossing the American West after avenging his mother’s death. Robert Homer Mollohan and Lisa Bonet joined him in the principal cast of this story of flight and redemption. [7]
Aquaman, Dune and major films
James Wan’s Aquaman (2018) placed Momoa at the center of Arthur Curry’s origin story as the son of a human and Atlantis’s queen. The struggle over the underwater kingdom featured Amber Heard as Mera, Patrick Wilson as Orm and Nicole Kidman as Atlanna. [8]
He returned for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023), in which Arthur joins forces with Orm against Black Manta. He also shared story credit with James Wan, David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick and Thomas Pa’a Sibbett. Johnson-McGoldrick wrote the screenplay and Wan returned as director. [9]
In Denis Villeneuve’s Dune (2021), he played Duncan Idaho, a warrior serving House Atreides. Warner’s production materials document his physical preparation and fight choreography. The character brought his action experience to an adaptation of Frank Herbert’s science-fiction world. [10]
Fast X (2023) introduced him as Dante, Dominic Toretto’s adversary. Seeking revenge for his father’s death, Dante threatens the family of Vin Diesel’s character. The role placed Momoa on the antagonist’s side of a franchise built around chases, loyalties and ensemble action. [11]
In A Minecraft Movie (2025), he played Garrett Garrison and served as a producer. Jared Hess directed the game adaptation, with Jack Black as Steve. Its journey into the Overworld combines live action, comedy and a block-based visual universe, extending Momoa’s work in family entertainment. [12]
In 2026, he played Lobo in Supergirl, a different DC character from Aquaman. The bounty hunter appears during the journey of Milly Alcock’s Kara Zor-El. Directed by Craig Gillespie, the film gave him a combination of humor and violence associated with Lobo’s irreverent personality. [13]
He is also in the announced cast of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Three. Warner and Legendary have scheduled its international release from 16 December 2026, followed by North America on 18 December. [14]
Television, producing and Chief of War
Frontier placed him at the center of a historical drama about the North American fur trade. The series began in 2016 and reached its third season in 2018. Its commercial rivalries, contested territories and alliances unfold in the eighteenth century, with Alun Armstrong and Jessica Matten among the cast. [15]
In See, he played Baba Voss in a future where humanity has lost its sight. Its third and final season arrived in 2022. Apple documents the participation of blind and low-vision cast and crew, and the Ruderman Foundation’s recognition of the series for authentic representation. [16]
Chief of War premiered in August 2025. Momoa co-created it with Thomas Pa’a Sibbett, contributed to writing and executive production, and directed the season finale. He played Ka’iana across nine episodes about the Hawaiian islands’ unification, told from an Indigenous perspective, with Doug Jung serving as showrunner. [17]
His streaming work also includes Francis Lawrence’s Slumberland (2022), in which his character Flip accompanies Marlow Barkley’s Nemo through the world of dreams. [18]
He starred in and produced Sweet Girl, alongside Isabela Merced and directed by Brian Andrew Mendoza. Its story of revenge and family protection continued Momoa and Mendoza’s professional collaboration. [19]
In The Wrecking Crew (2026), he played Jonny, half-brother to Dave Bautista’s character. Ángel Manuel Soto directed the Hawaii-set action comedy, in which the brothers investigate their father’s death. [20]
Advocate for Life Below Water
UNEP appointed him Advocate for Life Below Water on 27 June 2022 at the UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon. Its announcement records his collaborations with Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii and rePurpose Global, and advocacy against single-use plastics and for coral reef protection. [1]
Documentaries and narration
He narrated and executive-produced Deep Rising (2023). Matthieu Rytz’s documentary explores seabed mining and the relationship between mineral demand, the energy transition and ocean ecosystems. Momoa contributes to a work of cinematic investigation and public communication directed by Rytz. [21]
He narrated Waterman: Duke, Ambassador of Aloha, presented by American Masters in 2022. It follows Olympic swimmer and surfer Duke Kahanamoku’s life and the racial barriers he encountered. [22]
As creator and executive producer of On the Roam, he travels across the United States to meet craftspeople and other makers. Its six-episode second season ran from May to June 2026. Brian Mendoza also executive-produces the series, which combines travel, manufacturing processes and personal encounters. [23]
He voices the wave in Conservation International’s Nature Is Speaking. The film forms part of an ensemble campaign in which artists personify elements of nature to communicate humanity’s dependence on ecosystems. [2]
He also contributed narration to Josh and Rebecca Tickell’s Common Ground (2023), a documentary about farmers and regenerative practices. [24]
In 2023, he hosted Discovery’s 35th Shark Week, introducing audiences to its shark programming alongside the work of participating researchers and production teams. [27]
Businesses and joint projects
He founded Mananalu, which developed its bottled-water offering into a reuse system with Boomerang Water. Its current information describes local bottling and aluminum or glass containers returned for reuse. Momoa is identified as founder and Chief Disruptor, while the technical operation belongs to the business partnership. [25]
With Blaine Halvorson, he co-founded Meili Vodka, introduced for launch at the 2023 Access LIVE industry event. The venture expanded his business activities into spirits and shared brand development, with Halvorson serving as creative partner and co-founder. [26]
Coral reefs and island communities
In an April 2026 opinion piece shared by UNEP, he connected coral protection with Hawaiian culture, food and coastal protection. His intervention places island communities at the center of environmental debate and expresses his personal perspective as a filmmaker and Advocate for Life Below Water. [3]
