Jason Momoa: On being ‘boxed’, ‘Aquaman’ and women empowerment
Manila: The Khal Drogo of “Game of Thrones” has won hearts in his superhero avatar in “Aquaman”. Actor Jason Momoa says he doesn’t mind being “put in a box” with his on-screen portrayals — and is happy with the shape of his career.
“They may put me in a box, but I like the box,” Momoa told IANS in an exclusive interview here when asked about his previous characters casting a shadow on his future projects.
“I like all the characters that I am playing. If I don’t like them, then I don’t play them. Then I write something different and direct that. I like what I am doing right now,” the actor added.
Momoa walked into showbiz as a model, going on to clinch the title of Hawaii’s Model of the Year in 1999. He went on to host the Miss Teen Hawaii contest.
After his brief tryst with modelling, the actor embarked on a journey to find fame with his acting skills. He has credits starring in “Baywatch Hawaii”, “North Shore”, “Johnson Family Vacation”, “Conan the Barbarian” and “Stargate: Atlantis”.
But he found his ticket to popularity with his stint as warlord of the Dothraki people Khal Drogo in “Game of Thrones”. At present, he is dominating the box offices around the world as Aquaman.
Looking back at the making of “Aquaman”, the tall and brawny Momoa said: “The whole experience was amazing. I had probably one of the best crews I ever had. Australia was an amazing place to be in. They took care of me and I took care of them. It was beautiful. The only thing I could wish more was to have my family there a little bit more.”
Taking a character from the DC Extended Universe, “Aquaman” explores the origin story of half-human, half-Atlantean Arthur Curry (Momoa) and takes him on the journey of embracing his identity and tracing to his roots. Along with a heart-warming tale of family and love, the film also focuses on a relevant message — marine pollution.
The Warner Bros project released in India on December 14, a week ahead of the US release. It opened in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.
Momoa is glad the film doesn’t hinge on the masculinity of the superhero to drive forward the story.
“It is interesting how two strong women stand behind him (Mera, essayed by Amber Heard, and Atlanna essayed by Nicole Kidman) when he doesn’t believe in himself.”
After pointing out a larger theme revolving around family and loved ones, the 39-year-old said: “The environmental issue is great because it is not so preachy… It makes you question what we are doing. There is a lot of stuff that I love in the movie. It is very, I don’t want to say Shakespearean, but it has a lot of things even with the whole-brother and half-brother thing.”
Momoa, who is married to actress Lisa Bonet, also expressed his happiness about the ongoing dialogue around women empowerment, and is proud that his film reflects the current emotions.
“I was raised by a single mother and grandmother. I was raised by two strong women. I mean it is awesome that the movie is like that and I think the world is going to change. It has to. There is no doubt about it and it is for the best.”
Apart from the superhero movie, Momoa is also looking forward to sci-fi series “See”, which is described as an epic, world-building drama set in the future.