As a Samoan woman, I'm so proud and excited when Pacific Islanders make it big. And Jason Momoa is my all-time favorite Polynesian celeb!
Here are 15 reasons why he's a gift from the heavens:
1. Not only is he an awesome actor, but he has the BEST energy! He gives off great vibes and makes me smile whenever I watch one of his videos. I don't know the guy personally, but he seems like a genuinely good dude.
2. He — ahem — looks like this:
BRB, need a cold shower.
3. He isn't afraid to stand up for his beliefs. In 2019, he constantly flew back and forth to Hawai'i to join protesters fighting against the construction of a giant telescope atop Mauna Kea, the tallest mountain in the world (from its underwater base). Native Hawaiians were strongly opposed to drilling into Mauna Kea, which is considered sacred ground.
"It’s kind of the umbilical cord to earth," Jason told CNN. "You know, if you think about the Hawaiian islands, that’s the biggest mountain in the world, right? All the way up. So Mauna Kea is the most sacred. They call it the belly button, too. That’s like our birth place. You can imagine that in the middle of the ocean. That’s how our islands were formed. So how can that not be sacred?"
4. During a 2019 episode of Dax Shepard's podcast Armchair Expert, Emilia Clarke shared that Jason made sure she was comfortable and treated right while filming nude scenes on Game of Thrones.
"He took care of me, he really did, in an environment where I didn't know I needed to be taken care of," she said. "It's only now that I realize how fortunate I was with that, because that could have gone many, many, many different ways. Because Jason had experience, he had done a bunch of stuff before coming on to this. He was like, 'Sweetie, this is how it's meant to be, and this is how it's not meant to be, and I'm going to make sure that's the way it goes.' He was so kind and considerate and cared about me as a human being."
5. He's an awesome dad to the two kids he shares with Lisa Bonet: 14-year-old Lola Iolani and 13-year-old Nakoa-Wolf Manakauapo Namakaeha.
During a 2017 interview with Men's Health, he said, "My kids are my greatest piece of art. They’re already way smarter and just way better than me. God, I love it. It’s beautiful. I want it to be the greatest thing I ever do: make good humans."
6. He's got such a great sense of humor and isn't afraid to poke fun at himself. Remember that 2020 Super Bowl commercial when he "took off" his six-pack and hair at home? LOL.
You can watch the commercial here:
View this video on YouTube
7. Jason is an environmental warrior on a mission to end single-use plastic. He founded Mananalu, a company that bottles water in recyclable aluminum rather than plastic.
In 2019, he addressed the UN as a representative of all island nations, saying, "The oceans are in a state of emergency. Entire marine ecosystems are vanishing with the warming of the seas. And as the waste of the world empties into our waters, we face the devastating crisis of plastic pollution. ... Change cannot come in 2050, or 2030, or even 2025. The change must come today."
View this video on YouTube
8. And he even shaved off his GLORIOUS facial hair in 2019 to raise awareness around single-use plastics!
9. He doesn't take himself too seriously or let people keep him down. In 2019, he was fat-shamed by the internet for having a "dad bod." When a reporter asked him if he was offended by the trolls, he just joked, "Tell TMZ I'll show you my dad bod soon."
10. It's honestly pretty amazing that he's still such a happy-go-lucky dude. During a 2011 interview with Access Hollywood, he revealed the harrowing story behind his famous eyebrow. "It was crazy. A guy smashed a pint glass in my face. I got a little over 140 stitches in my face. It helped get those mean roles. It just doesn't grow there anymore."
11. Jason uses his fame for good. Last year, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson posted an Instagram pic of his daughter, Tia, with an Aquaman figurine on her third birthday. Apparently, she asked her dad to draw a pic of the superhero so it could be framed on her wall.
Well, Jason sent over a video wishing Tia a happy birthday! He promised her and her sister, Jasmine, some presents and invited the fam to a beach hangout. So wholesome!
12. He's a wildly talented dude. Not only can the guy act, but he's also a musician. He plays the guitar, bass, mandolin, and ukulele...
13. ...and he's an avid climber. "Rock climbing has always helped me and inspired me," he told Men's Health. "It's extremely hard to climb as a big guy. But I've had this passion my whole life. I love climbing. I love the way it makes me feel."
14. Despite the recent news that Jason and Lisa Bonet have split up after 16 years, he's still keeping it classy. When rumors started swirling that the couple might have gotten back together, he simply told Access Hollywood, "We're not back together. We're family. We have two beautiful children together."
15. And finally, his tattoos! Not only does his half-sleeve look awesome, but it's also deeply meaningful as it represents shark teeth, which is a tribute to his aumakua. For Native Hawaiians, the aumakua is an ancestor who comes back in a different form, oftentimes as an animal, to protect their descendants. Jason's family’s guardian spirit is a shark. His tattoo is "supposed to take the darkness out of your heart and bring the light in," he said at New Zealand's Armageddon Expo. "But we’re still working on that," he joked.
Why do you love Jason Momoa? LMK in the comments below!
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