The Gypsy King: Here's How Jason Momoa Made It Big In Hollywood
It's always heart-warming to hear of redemptive come-up stories for those who seem irredeemable, especially in the unforgiving world of Hollywood. Jason Momoa, a name that has become familiar in almost every household television screen where the Aquaman movie has been displayed, may look like a million bucks if you saw him today. And he is! $10 million is his net worth to be exact. Born Joseph Jason Namakaeha Momoa on the island of Honolulu, Hawaii, he didn't catapult himself to his current level overnight. On the contrary, his was a long, steady, and consistent climb up the ladder of success. Here's how Jason Momoa went from an empty pocket to multi-millionaire status.
The name Jason Momoa has only been given recognition as one of Hollywood's elite actors in the past decade or so. However, some may be surprised to know that Momoa's acting resume dates back way more than a measly ten years. In fact, according to Cinema Blend, Momoa has been an actor in the film and TV industries for some 20 years now. And even before his breakout role in television series like Game of Thrones, his first career was as a model.
According to Celebrity Net Worth, he was discovered at the age of 19 by a few famous designers looking to capitalize on his boyish looks. He would then land the role of Jason Ioane on the Baywatch Hawaii series in 1999. By 2004, he was cast as one of the main characters in a spicy Fox soap opera named North Shore, co-starring with celebrities like Brooke Burns and James Remar. The very same year, he landed a role in his first debut film, The Johnson's Family Vacation, alongside big names such as Cedric the Entertainer, Vanessa Williams, Solange Knowles, Steve Harvey, and rapper Bow Wow. However, he was still largely unknown after this.
What may be remembered as one of the most memorable parts of his early career was his role as Ronon Dex in Stargate Atlantis from 2005-2009. 2011 can be classified as Momoa's official breakout year where he starred as the main character in the re-installment of the 1980s film, Conan The Barbarian, whose original star lead was Arnold Schwarzenegger. The movie's cast was also impressive, featuring Rachel Nichols, Rose McGowan, and Ron Perlman. While the film wasn't a complete flop, it didn't exceed the budget price of $90 million. But that didn't daunt Jason's attempt at becoming a successful actor.
He would go on to star in the obsessively watched HBO series, Game of Thrones, as Khal Drogo. Momoa's role as Khal began in the first episode, which aired in 2011, and as soon as it started it was over. In addition to his character's role being one which sexually assaults Daenerys, Emilia Clarke's character, Khal Drogo is killed in the very first season before Game of Thrones even had a chance to become the explosive fantasy drama it has grown into today.
Momoa even mentions the hardship that followed him, his wife Lisa Bonet, and their children after his role expired from Game of Thrones, saying "...we were starving after Game of Thrones. I couldn't get work. It's very challenging when you have babies and you're completely in debt." For some, it's hard to believe that a Hollywood celebrity who has been the star lead of a movie with 20 years of experience in the film industry could be facing an average man's financial stresses.
Things finally began looking up for Conan The Barbarian in 2014 when he was selected to play the part of Aquaman. It would be another four years before taking center stage as the official king of the ocean in the Aquaman movie in 2018. To build suspense, Momoa debuted as Arthur Curry in Justice League in 2017, which grossed a whopping $657.9 million at the global box office. However, this financial feat was minor compared to the banger that Aquaman produced at the box office, $1.148 billion to be exact! Aquaman even shattered records as the highest-grossing DCEU film ever, a title which it still holds to this day. All those years of hard work and patience finally paid off for Momoa, making him a legitimate Hollywood star.
There's no denying, even from Jason Momoa himself, that Aquaman was the highlight of his acting career. But don't be deceived, he is no one-hit-wonder. At 42, Momoa has plenty of gas in the tank and has since been working on a number of projects. Aquaman 2 (Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom) is already underway and is scheduled to hit theatres in December 2022. A few of the character cast fas can expect to see include Amber Heard, Patrick Wilson, Nicole Kidman, and Dolph Lundgren. His other projects include the Netflix series Frontier where he stars as Declan Harp, as well as his role as Duncan Idaho in Denis Villeneuve’s Dune.
From a struggling actor in debt to DCEU's biggest cash cow, Jason Momoa seems to be just getting started in Hollywood.
Sources: US Magazine, Celebrity Net Worth, Cinema Blend
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