Joseph Jason Namakaeha Momoa (; born August 1, 1979) is an American actor and film producer. He made his acting debut as Jason Ioane on the syndicated action drama series Baywatch: Hawaii (1999–2001), which was followed by portrayals of Ronon Dex on the Syfy science fiction series Stargate Atlantis (2005–2009), and Khal Drogo in the first two seasons of the HBO fantasy drama series Game of Thrones (2011–2012). He went on to play the lead roles in the Discovery Channel historical drama series Frontier (2016–2018), and the Apple TV shows See (2019–2022) and Chief of War (2025).
Since 2016, Momoa has appeared in various DC Comics media, first portraying Aquaman in the DC Extended Universe (2016–2023). He has also played Duncan Idaho in the science fiction film Dune (2021), and has starred in the action film Fast X (2023) and the adventure comedy film A Minecraft Movie (2025).
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Early life
Momoa was born on August 1, 1979, in Honolulu, Hawaii, to Coni (née Lemke), a photographer, and Joseph Momoa, a painter. He is an only child. His father is Native Hawaiian, while his mother is of German, Irish, and Pawnee ancestry. Shortly after his birth, his parents divorced and he and his mother moved to Norwalk, Iowa, where he was raised. He graduated from Norwalk High School and was a member of the school's soccer team alongside Brandon Routh. Momoa attended the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.
In his early teen years, Momoa became a rock climber and boulderer when his mother took him to Custer State Park where Sylvan Lake and the Needles of South Dakota lie.
Career
At 19 years old, while living and working in Honolulu, Momoa decided to audition for the television series Baywatch Hawaii, in which he was cast as Jason Ioane (1999–2001). He was in the main cast on the 2004–2005 Fox drama North Shore as Frankie.
In 2004, Momoa appeared in the road comedy film Johnson Family Vacation. From 2005 to 2009, Momoa appeared as Ronon in Stargate Atlantis, for which he learned martial arts.
In 2009, he was cast as Roman in four episodes of the comedy-drama television series The Game (2009). He portrayed the title protagonist in Conan the Barbarian (2011), a reimagining of the 1982 film of the same name and a role made famous by Arnold Schwarzenegger. Momoa gained fame for his role of Khal Drogo on HBO's Game of Thrones. In his audition for the role, he performed a Haka, one of many intimidating Māori dances traditionally used to convey a challenge to an opponent, or a welcome to a visitor.
Momoa directed and co-wrote Road to Paloma (2014), an American drama thriller film, together with writers Jonathan Hirschbein and Robert Homer Mollohan. The film stars Momoa, Sarah Shahi, Lisa Bonet, Michael Raymond-James and Wes Studi. It premiered at the Sarasota Film Festival. The film had a limited theatrical release and a VOD release.
Momoa joined the dark comedy/thriller indie Sugar Mountain (2016) alongside Cary Elwes and Haley Webb; its principal photography was done in Alaska. He also starred as Phillip Kopus, a Ramapough Mountain Indian, on the SundanceTV drama series The Red Road (2014–2015).
Momoa was reported to have been cast in the role of Arthur Curry / Aquaman, after he auditioned for Bruce Wayne / Batman. He first played the role in a cameo in the superhero film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), marking Aquaman's live action film debut. Momoa played the character in a leading role in the 2017 ensemble film Justice League and its director's cut, Zack Snyder's Justice League. He then starred in Aquaman (2018). He also reprised this role in The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part.
Momoa portrayed Connor in the Canadian horror action film Wolves (2014), and starred in the Sci-fi horror movie Debug; it was written and directed by Momoa's former Stargate Atlantis co-star, British-born Canadian actor David Hewlett. He portrayed a cannibal in the drama thriller film The Bad Batch (2017). Momoa appeared in the Canadian action film Braven (2018).
Music
Momoa is a fan of heavy metal music and has noted that he "build[s] [his] characters off of metal songs". He invited members of Archspire for cameo appearances in the first episode of the TV series See, and he also practiced proper screaming technique with the vocalist of Archspire, Oli Peters, for a significant scene in the series. In 2020, Momoa was featured in the song "Doom" by black metal band Scour. Momoa is a hobby musician and plays bass guitar, mandolin, ukulele and guitar in his spare time, the first of which he took up after listening to Tool's song "Sober". In 2024, Momoa formed the power trio ÖOF TATATÁ alongside longtime friends Kenny Dale Borill and Mike Hayes, performing at Nashville's Cannery Hall in May. The band performed a one-off show in Auckland, New Zealand in August.
In July 2025 he hosted Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne's farewell concert, "Back to the Beginning" in Birmingham, England.
Personal life
Momoa met his first fiancée, actress Simmone Jade Mackinnon, on the set of Baywatch in 1999. They were together for six years and became engaged in 2004. Mackinnon and Momoa called off their engagement after Momoa began a relationship with actress Lisa Bonet in 2005.
Although it was previously believed that Momoa and Bonet had married on November 15, 2007, the couple did not marry until October 2017. Daughter Lola Iolani was born in July 2007, and son Nakoa-Wolf Manakauapo Namakaeha was born in December 2008. In January 2022, Momoa and Bonet announced their split. In January 2024, Bonet filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences and listing their date of separation as October 7, 2020. On July 9, 2024, the divorce was finalized. As of 2024, Momoa is in a relationship with actress Adria Arjona.
In 2017, Momoa began practicing Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
In 2019, he participated in protests against the building of the Thirty Meter Telescope on Mauna Kea, a holy spiritual site for native Hawaiians.
Momoa has numerous tattoos, including a half sleeve on his left forearm, a tribute to his family god, or ʻaumakua.
Facial scar
On November 15, 2008, Momoa was slashed across the face with a broken beer glass during an altercation at the Birds Cafe, a tavern in Los Angeles, California. He received approximately 140 stitches during reconstructive surgery and the scar through his left eyebrow is apparent in his later work. The assailant was sentenced to five years in prison for the attack.
Advocacy
Momoa is an UNEP advocate who is dedicated to protecting the global oceans and coral reefs.