We don’t know what if feel likes to be a famous Hollywood star, but we know that when they become parents they’re exactly like the rest of us. Doing all the parental chores and taking care of their children, they all have the same struggles as we do.
TV and film star Jason Momoa has become one of the most popular Hollywood celebs to-date. From his ever so prominent role as Khal Drogo on Game of Thrones to landing the lead in DC Comics Aquaman, Momoa has risen to fame since his days of modeling to make ends meet and starring in minor roles on television.
In his personal life, Jason Momoa married actress Lisa Bonet and the couple has two children together. Life before having kids seemed quite different to Momoa, from working his way into the modeling world to landing roles on the hit TV show Baywatch Hawaii, Momoa has not only become a top Hollywood star but has also earned the title of Hollywood’s coolest dad. Check out these 20 photos of Jason Momoa before and after he became a father.
20. JASON MOMOA BEFORE HE BECAME HOLLYWOOD’S COOLEST DAD
Jason Momoa was born on August 1, 1979 to father Joseph Momoa and mother Coni Momoa in Honolulu, Hawaii. Momoa’s father is of Hawaiian descent and his mom has ancestry in Germany, Ireland, and a Native American background. However, when Momoa was a child, he moved to Norwalk, Iowa, where his mother raised him. When he got older, Momoa wanted to go back to his Hawaiian roots and ended up attending the University of Hawaii where he received his college degree. Momoa initially majored in marine biology before switching to wildlife biology when attending college, but we all know where his true path to success arose.
19. BEFORE HE WAS THINKING ABOUT HAVING KIDS, MOMOA WAS FOCUSING ON HIS MODELING AND ACTING GIGS
Before we knew him as the chieftain of the Dothraki khalasar, Khal Drogo, on the hit HBO show Game of Thrones, Jason Momoa gained small success as a model. With his good looks and 6-foot-4 physique, it was easy to see why Momoa would land modeling gigs.
In 1998, designer Eric Chandler and international designer Takeo Kobayashi—who both encouraged Momoa’s modeling profession—discovered Momoa. Momoa went on to win Hawaii’s Model of the Year 1999 and hosted the Miss Teen Hawaii contest. Momoa even got a chance to walk the runway for Louis Vuitton.
While the up-and-coming star was finding his best angles, he also worked part-time at a surf shop at the age of 19.
18. JASON ‘S SCAR WOULD BECOME SOMEWHAT OF A SIGNATURE
Have you ever noticed that Jason Momoa has a distinctive scar above his left eye? While getting a scar on your face may seem like it would hurt someone’s acting chances, Jason’s scar became somewhat of a signature. During the same time Momoa was starring on Stargate: Atlantis, he was involved in an altercation at a Los Angeles bar. A patron at the bar smashed a glass across the actor’s face, which resulted in 140 stitches and left a scar above his left eye. However, the scar didn’t hurt Jason’s acting chances at all. In fact, it played well into his next big role: Khal Drogo on Game of Thrones.
17. JASON HITS IT BIG IN SEVERAL ACTING GIGS, INCLUDING BAYWATCH HAWAII
Jason Momoa’s profession as a model wouldn’t last too long after he was cast in the action drama series Baywatch Hawaii, where he starred as Jason Ioane from 1999-2001. Jason beat out thousands of people who tried out for the show and would become the youngest lifeguard on Baywatch.
When the show was over, Momoa spent time traveling the world, most notably Tibet, where he discovered Buddhism. However, Momoa wanted to continue growing as an actor and would soon land the role of Ronan Dex on the popular sci-fi series, Stargate: Atlantis, where he appeared on several seasons of the show.
16. JASON ADMITS LISA WAS HIS CHILDHOOD CRUSH
Before he landed one of the biggest roles of his professional life for HBO, Jason Momoa met The Cosby Show star Lisa Bonet after mutual friends introduced them in 2004. According to Bonet, the pair did not instantly hit it off, but she offered Momoa—who is 13-years her junior—a ride home. After they stopped at a bar for drinks, they realized they were a perfect match and have been together ever since. “I can’t say it was full-on from the moment we saw each other, but we have been together from the day that we met,” she told Essence in an interview, adding, “In that moment, love came and it came big.”
15. JASON AND LISA BONET WELCOME DAUGHTER LOLA IN 2007
It was reported that the Hollywood couple got hitched in 2007, but that was just a rumor. However, Momoa and Bonet welcomed their first child together, a daughter named Lola Iolani in that year.
Lisa Bonet has a daughter of her own, named Zoë Kravitz, with her former husband Lenny Kravitz. Momoa’s daughter, who is now 11 years old, appears to enjoy a ton of outdoor activities with her dad, including rock climbing and skateboarding.
Momoa was raised by a solo mom who taught him to love the arts and sports and he instilled that in his children in an effort to develop their self-expression and creativity.
14. A YEAR LATER, THE COUPLE HAVE SON NAKOA-WOLF
In 2008, Jason and Lisa welcomed a son named Nakoa-Wolf, who also seems to love the outdoors just as much as his father. Momoa constantly shares touching photos of his kids on his IG, participating in sports and enjoying nature.
In an interview with Outside, Momoa stated that he believes climbing is one of the best ways for his two kids to face their fears and let go of their doubts, just as climbing has taught him. “If I teach them to climb then they can push themselves to the limits; gracefully move through fear and doubt,” Momoa said in a video.
13. THE COUPLE SOLIDIFIED THEIR RELATIONSHIP BY GETTING SECRETLY MARRIED IN 2017
It wasn’t until October 2017 that Jason and Lisa made their relationship official by getting secretly married after being with one another for 13 years. Last year, in an interview with People magazine, Jason had nothing but fantastic things to say about 51-year-old Bonet. “My wife is amazing. Her ultimate art form is being a phenomenal mother,” Jason stated, adding, “Not a lot of people know how absolutely hysterical she is. She makes me laugh and is just really quirky. We are a perfect fit.” If there’s anyone in Hollywood that is so perfectly meant to be with one another — it’s these two.
12. JASON’S STARDOM WITH ‘GAME OF THRONES’ AND ‘AQUAMAN’ JUST MAKES HIM EVEN COOLER ON THE PLAYGROUND
Jason Momoa is hands down one of the coolest dads in Hollywood. Not only does he play some super awesome characters on screen, he loves taking his two kids out with him wherever he goes. Whether it’s to one of his movie premieres or a rock concert, Momoa truly embodies a great father who wants to show his kids that they should enjoy the little things in life. What other Hollywood father takes their kid’s rock climbing, skateboarding and shows them to love nature like Momoa? Most Hollywood dads spoil their kids with materialistic things, but it looks like Momoa is the total opposite, even teaching his kids his Hawaiian traditions.
11. A MAN WHO KEEPS TO HIS ROOTS AND TRADITIONS
One of the most epic red carpet events took place during Jason Momoa’s Aquaman movie premiere where he performed the ceremonial Haka with his pals and even his two kids!
During the performance, fans could spot both Momoa’s son and daughter dancing with their father and his pals. If fans didn’t know, Haka is a ceremonial dance (or challenge) in Maori culture. This dance is a posture dance performed by a group, with vigorous movements and stamping of the feet that is accompanying by shouting.
Jason Momoa isn’t the only Hollywood star who showed off his Haka dance, actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson also knows how to perform the Haka.
10. A TRADITIONAL FAMILY MAN DESPITE WHAT VIEWERS SEE ON SCREEN
In a video clip created by Carhartt, Jason shows off another side to him off screen and how he spends time with his two kids. Momoa mentioned that he has wanted to be a father ever since he was a little boy, even before he wanted to be an actor. Being raised by a strong mother, Momoa was taught to love art and sports and to challenge himself every day. The actor takes what he’s learned from his mom and teaches his kids the same, where we can see them enjoying the outdoors, sports and the arts. Even though we see Momoa, a large 6-foot-4 man playing roles like Aquaman and Khal Drogo, he shows his fans a different side to him that some people would find hard to believe.
9. LISA BONET DESCRIBES JASON AS A ‘LEADER’ AND ‘REALLY INCREDIBLE’
Lisa and Jason are always showing each other love and affection, whether it’s during interviews or showing off their family on social media.
In an interview for Essence, Bonet described her hubby as an “alpha male” and a “leader.” She stated, “What’s cool about Jason is that he’s an alpha male who stands for love and family. And to circle back to my own wounds, having an absent father, then to be fully met by a man of that stature, is really incredible. Jason embodies a rare form of masculinity in this day and age – he’s a leader; he’s generous. Just in terms of charisma, physique, the right use of power, responsibility, worth ethic, you can go down the line.”
8. THE COUPLE ISN’T VERY FOND OF HAVING TVS IN THEIR HOME
It isn’t quite surprising that a man who loves the outdoors doesn’t especially like having televisions in his home. In an interview back in 2011, the Conan the Barbarian star surprised fans when he mentioned that not only does he not own a television, he doesn’t have his own cell phone or computer. “A lot of people ask that question, ‘Do you like TV?’ and we don’t actually own a TV. People normally have a cell phone, they have email, they have computers, and they have a TV. And I don’t have any of them. In these times that’s considered barbaric to a civilized world.” However, it does appear that Momoa bought himself a cell phone, posting on his IG account regularly.
7. JASON IS A TOTAL FAN OF IG, THOUGH
Jason Momoa’s IG handle is @PrideOfGypsies and he posts photos quite often. From showing tons of love to his wife to red carpet events with the cast of Game of Thrones, Momoa loves to let his fans see a little of his personal life.
Jason currently has over 11 million followers, sharing photos and videos of his family, like his daughter doing the ceremonial Haka and photos of him on the set of some of his most popular films and TV shows. Some of the most common photos and videos Jason appears to love sharing with his millions of followers is his love for climbing!
6. THE PROUD FATHER ENJOYS SHARING HIS LOVE FOR THE OUTDOORS WITH HIS CHILDREN
From looking on his IG account to watching his interviews, one of the most fulfilling things Jason seems to enjoy doing with his two kids is taking them outdoors and teaching them how to climb. As we mentioned before, Momoa stated that having the ability to climb takes away the fear and doubt his kids—and even he himself—might have. Momoa doesn’t appear to be a father who just gives his children material things, instead, he teaches them about the little things in life like enjoying the surroundings and sticking to tradition. This all makes Jason one of the coolest and most real dads in Hollywood.
5. THEIR BIG BLENDED FAMILY IS FULL OF NOTHING BUT HAPPINESS
Lisa Bonet was married to rock Lenny Kravitz before she and Jason got together and tied the knot. The former pair even had a daughter named Zoë, who is now 30 years old. Surprisingly, Lenny and his daughter Zoë Kravitz seem to get along fantastically with Jason and his two kids with Bonet! The Cosby Show star even stated that she and her ex have a great friendship and her big blended family is full of nothing but happiness. “It’s fantastic. It’s full-on family love,” Lisa said. With Hollywood stars always in some sort of drama, it’s actually nice to see one A-list family actually all find a way to get along.
4. JASON AND BONET’S EX LENNY KRAVITZ ARE ACTUALLY GOOD FRIENDS!
As we mentioned above, Jason and Lenny Kravitz have no issues with blending their family. Even though Kravitz was married to Jason’s wife, the Game of Thrones star made it clear that he and Kravitz are actually close friends.
In an IG post, Jason shared a sweet photo of him and Kravitz with matching skull rings. Kravitz and Lisa Bonet met in 1985 before eloping in 1987 and welcoming their daughter Zoë in 1988. The two stars later divorced in 1993 amicably.
Bonet then started dating Momoa in 2005 and they officially got secretly married in October 2017.
3. AFTER 15 YEARS TOGETHER, JASON AND LISA BONET ARE GOING STRONG
Jason and Lisa truly have an epic love story and that’s rare in Hollywood where we see celebs constantly getting divorced or in some sort of drama. We could easily see that Momoa fell hard for Bonet, even stating that he even had a major crush on her after watching her on The Cosby Show. He shared on The Late Late Show, “I’m like, ‘I’m going to stalk you for the rest of your life and I’m going to get you.’ I am a full-fledged stalker. I didn’t tell her until we had two babies – otherwise, I’d be creepy and weird. I’ve always wanted to meet her. She was a queen, always.'”
2. WE WON’T BE SURPRISED IF THE COUPLE HAS MORE KIDS
It won’t be surprising if Jason and Lisa announce that they are expecting again. The couple truly shows how much they mean to one another and Jason did mention that he always wanted to be a father even before wanting to be an A-list actor. From what we see on his social media, to the sweet things he says about his wife and family in interviews, it’s easy to see that Jason could want more children in the future. He appears to be a devoted husband and a loving father who can manage working tough roles on the big screen all while teaching his kids good morals and keeping traditions strong.
1. THEY ARE BY FAR THE COOLEST FAMILY IN HOLLYWOOD
Okay, can we all agree that Jason and Lisa are couple goals? The way the pair constantly show one another affection is heartwarming and something we like to see more of in Hollywood. Momoa’s rise to fame did not change him into becoming a self-absorbed celeb who only cares about success, so it’s great to see him as a family man and someone who wants to continue showing his kids that there is so much more to life than material things. We’d love to see this couple have more kids and show us more of their adventures together!