Remember two years ago when Jason Momoa was speaking to People Mag about his love of wearing loincloths? I mean, as if we could forget. Well, he was specifically referring to malo, the traditional Hawaiian dress for men. And he was donning them quite a bit two years ago for filming Chief of War, a nine-episode series that he developed, produced, and starred in that is finally debuting today on AppleTV+. Chief of War is undeniably Momoa’s passion project; it’s the piece he wanted to create as soon as hits like Game of Thrones and Aquaman gave him enough success in the industry to choose his projects. The series is a historical drama about Ka’iana (Momoa’s character), the warrior who fought to unify the Hawaiian islands in the 18th century. Momoa has a truly lovely new interview with Yahoo! Entertainment to promote the series. A few highlights:
The story he always wanted to tell: Momoa’s heritage is a blend of his Hawaiian father’s roots from Nanakuli and his mother’s Midwestern upbringing in Norwalk, Iowa. But it’s his connection to Hawaii, where he was born, in Honolulu, that shapes much of his identity and drives his passion for telling stories that honor his cultural background. … Chief of War is his soul laid bare. The series is more than just a career milestone; it’s the culmination of 27 years of hard work and passion and a deep commitment to sharing his culture’s history with the world.
Comfortable in the malo aesthetic: Onscreen, Momoa is mostly pantsless. Making a show true to its cultural origins means male characters wear a malo, a traditional Hawaiian garment that consists of a simple wrap-around cloth. “It’s really comfortable,” Momoa says. “I’m not trying to attract any more attention to myself, but I actually don’t mind wearing a malo. It gives you a lot of strength, a lot of power and makes you feel like a man. It’s a really beautiful thing.” When I ask Momoa if he had to mentally prepare for being shirtless for nine episodes, he chuckles. “I am not a big fan of wearing clothes,” he says. “I’m fine walking around with a malo; it’s just everybody else makes it awkward.”
He got traditional tattoos for the part before the show was even greenlit: “I had the aumakua put on my head for this role,” he says. Momoa’s aumakua, a kind of ancestral guardian in Hawaiian tradition, is shark teeth. He has the pattern tattooed on his arm as well. “We weren’t even greenlit yet [by AppleTV+], but I put that on, willing it.” For Momoa, getting the tattoo on his head — a permanent mark that connects him to his roots — was a powerful act of commitment.
His ‘Minecraft Movie’ role had special significance: “I get ‘Garbage Man’ now, and it’s the f***ing greatest thing in the world,” he says. There’s a reason why it holds extra meaning. “You’re the only person I’ve ever told this to, but my father was a garbage man,” he says. Momoa then describes how his dad, Joseph, would begin his route at 4 a.m. After finishing, Joseph would go home to sleep for a few hours, then spend the rest of the day painting. “When I was little, he would paint all night, then he’d do his garbage routine,” Momoa says, reflecting on his father’s unwavering passion for both his craft as an artist and his job. From a young age, Momoa absorbed the dedication required to pursue one’s dreams, no matter the sacrifices. “I’m like, f*** yeah! I am the garbage man,” he says. “My dad was a garbage man. … So many of these people are doing the job they have to do, to do what they love to do.”
Aw, that story about his father got me choked up. Momoa’s dad even makes a cameo in Chief of War. Momoa talks a lot throughout the interview about the value he feels in how hard and how long he had to work his way up in Hollywood. It’s something he seems very mindful of instilling in his teenage kids (daughter Lola and son Nakoa-Wolf, though 16-year-old Nakoa-Wolf just landed a part in Dune 3), and clearly Momoa respects the work his own father did in order to support his artistic dreams. I also think it’s just plain great the way Momoa is enthusiastically embracing little kids recognizing him as “Garbage Man!” I still don’t understand how Momoa films epic blockbusters and TV series on only six hours of sleep a night, though!
Chief of War is available to stream on AppleTV+ today — which also happens to be Momoa’s birthday, so Happy Bday, chief! I will definitely be watching the sh-t out of this series. Momoa looks fantastic, but I gotta say lead actress Luciane Buchanan was FIRE in the trailer. She’s of Tongan ancestry and plays the future Queen Ka’ahumanu.
Photos credit: Olivier Huitel/Avalon, MHD/Avalon, Justin Ng/Avalon, Getty
I sure misread that headline!
Me too! HAHA. I thought he was saying his dad was garbage at being a man, LOL. My cue to step away from the internet for the rest of the day and engage in something positive IRL!
Sorry it was confusing! I changed it to fix this
If you like Jason Mamoa period drama he also did a show called Frontier for Discovery Canada where he plays a Cree fur trader just absolutely beating the crap out of the Hudson’s Bay Company that was pretty fun. He might have been a bit miscast (Canadian First Nations actors did get supporting roles) but he looks real good in bear fur too.
His dad is also very attractive!