Jason Momoa is an actor, well-known for his role as Aquaman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), Justice League (2017), and Aquaman (2018). As his popularity grows, many people have been wondering what Jason Momoa’s background is.
Though Jason Momoa lives in America now, he is of Hawaiian descent. His father, Joseph Momoa is of Samoan and Hawaiian ancestry. His mother, Coni Lemke, is of German, Irish and Native American descent.
Continue reading to find out more about Jason Momoa’s background and life in America and Hawaii.
Jason Momoa’s Background
Jason Momoa was born in Nānākuli, Honolulu, Hawaii in 1979, but moved to Norwalk, Iowa with his mother when he was six months old. After high school, he moved back to Hawaii and enrolled at the University of Hawaii.
Despite growing up in the United States, Jason Momoa identifies as Native Hawaiian and Polynesian. He says of the island: “it’s my home. I’m Hawaiian. It’s my nationality.”
He identifies as Polynesian as natives of Hawaii descend from the Polynesian Triangle, an area in the Pacific Ocean made up of Hawaii, Easter Island and New Zealand.
His particular family line goes back only nine generations in Hawaii because at one point, the Momoas moved to New Zealand and then came back to Hawaii.Due to his familial history with New Zealand, Momoa said when he went there, he felt connected to it.
Momoa’s most prominent tattoo on his left forearm is also a representation of his culture. It represents his family’s ‘aumakuea. An ‘aumakuea in Hawaiian mythology is: “a family spirit or guardian who dies and comes back to life in a different form to protect its ancestors.” The Momoa family ‘aumakuea is a shark.
Momoa’s love for his country goes deeper than just a tattoo, he is also a big advocate for the preservation of a volcano in Hawaii, Mauna Kea. It is facing the risk of destruction to build a telescope.
The volcano is not only sacred, drilling into it would disrupt one of the island’s water sources. Momoa says he is protesting against the telescope actively because, “For my soul I need to be there. If I’m not working, I’m trying to get over there.”
Jason Momoa’s Race in Roles
Momoa’s first big acting gig was for the television show Baywatch. It is an international show, but for two seasons it filmed in Hawaii in 1999 when Momoa was on it.
Another television show that he was on in Hawaii is called North Shore. Which took place at a Hawaiian resort called the Grand Waimea.
He later got a role on the television show, Game of Thrones, as the intimidating character Khal Drogo. To audition, Momoa performed a traditional Haka, a Māori dance typically used to challenge an opponent or welcome a visitor.
Jason Momoa recently starred in three films as the character Aquaman: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), Justice League (2017), and Aquaman (2018).
The director of the film, James Wan, said Jason Momoa was a good fit as Aquaman is technically also biracial as the character is half ‘Atlantean’ and half ‘surface dweller’. He goes on to say that Momoa’s biracial background could help him better understand the character.
There has also been a second Aquaman announced for 2022. Momoa will again play the starring role.
He also plays a biracial character on the television series, Frontier. Though he does not play his own background. His character, Declan Harp, is part-Irish and part-Cree native Canadian.
He again plays a native character in the television series See. Where his character is the chieftain of a Native tribe, set in the future.
So, not only is Jason Momoa Hawaiian, but he proudly advertises that and advocates for his people and island.