Jason Momoa is known for his iconic look and is probably one of the most recognizable actors in the industry, no matter who he plays. Is it possible that he gets his distinctive appearance from a Samoan background?
Jason Momoa is not Samoan. He’s actually Hawaiian, and his ethnicity is Polynesian. Momoa strongly identifies with his Hawaiian roots, and his connections to Polynesian cultures deeply influence his portrayals of different characters.
Read on to find out more about Momoa’s heritage, and how it has played a strong part in the course of his life.
Jason Momoa’s Heritage
Hawaii is one of the Polynesian islands, which are located in the central and southern areas of the Pacific ocean. Though Momoa is Hawaiian, it’s not outlandish to wonder if he has Samoan heritage.
Samoa, or the Independent State of Samoa, is a country in Polynesia. While geographically, Hawaii marks the top of the Polynesian Triangle, Samoa falls near the middle.
Samoan culture is one of the oldest Polynesian cultures and is known for many things, such as their music, their dances, their national rugby team, and as with other Polynesian cultures–including Hawaiian–their distinctive tattoos.
While Momoa isn’t Samoan, he is Hawaiian, and the similarities between Hawaii and Samoa can be confusing. He frequently shows off his cultural roots on Instagram, like in this post about people who influenced him as he was growing up, or this post advocating for the protection of Mauna Kea, a volcano in Hawaii.
Momoa’s father is Native Hawaiian, and his mother has Irish, German, and Native American heritage. Momoa was born in Honolulu and was raised in Iowa before returning to Hawaii for college.
Momoa is known for playing iconic characters such as Aquaman, Khal Drogo in Game of Thrones, Declan Harp in Frontier, and more. He got his acting start in Hawaii when he was cast in the show Baywatch: Hawaii.
Watch Jason Momoa’s YouTube video advocating for the protection of Mauna Kea at the link below.
Hawaiian Influences
Momoa often cites his Hawaiian roots as influences for the many characters he portrays, especially in playing the role of Aquaman, when he became the first on-screen Hawaiian superhero. So how does Hawaiian culture influence his daily life?
Momoa has a half-sleeve tattoo inspired by his Hawaiian heritage, shown off in photos like this one. In a Q&A session that took place during New Zealand’s Hamilton Armageddon Festival, Momoa talked about how his family’s ‘aumakua, or guardian, is a shark, and the tattoo is meant to represent this in being modeled after shark teeth.
Both of his and Lisa Bonet’s kids have Hawaiian names, as a tribute to his culture. “Lola Lolani,” the name of his eldest daughter, means “royal hawk,” and “Nakoa” means “warrior,” so Nakoa-Wolf, the name of his youngest daughter, means “warrior wolf.”
His heritage was a huge help for him landing the role of Aquaman. Because Momoa is half white and half Polynesian, Zack Snyder, the director of Justice League, thought he would be perfect for Aquaman, who is biracial in his own way. Momoa reflected on Snyder’s opinion, saying, “I just think it’s kind of a neat perspective to go from two different worlds… he [Aquaman] is the bridge that can gap land and sea together.”
He’s also paid tribute to other Polynesian cultures. Momoa has performed haka, in both his audition tape for the role of Khal Drogo and then again at the LA premiere of Aquaman. A haka is a ceremonial dance of the Maori people, performed either as a battlefield war dance or in a celebration of peace.
Watch Jason Momoa talk about his family guardian-inspired tattoo in the YouTube video below.
And check out the YouTube video of the haka he performed at the LA premiere of Aquaman below.