DEN OF GEEK: Jason Momoa interview: Game Of Thrones, playing Conan and more
In the run-up to the release of epic fantasy series, Game Of Thrones, we met actor Jason Momoa to talk about his character, and what we can expect from the forthcoming Conan movie...
by Ryan Lambie
April 4, 2011
Game Of Thrones may be a sprawling fantasy drama filled with an entire planet full of characters to try to remember, but one figure stands out above all others, such is his imposing, shadowy aura. We're referring to Jason Momoa's turn as the hulking warrior, Khal Drogo, a barbaric warlord who, despite the fact that he speaks in an unintelligible language, quickly becomes one of the show's most memorable characters.
Momoa's also bringing his elemental presence to the role of Conan the Barbarian, which is set to arrive this summer, and we were excited to be given the opportunity to sit down for a round table interview with the actor to discuss his roles as both Drogo and the similarly macho Conan...
... Were you approached for Game Of Thrones, or did you audition?
JM: "I auditioned. It took, like, seven months. I did an audition, and I thought I did it pretty well, but I didn't hear anything for six or seven months, I think. It went on forever. I think what booked the job, apart from being absolutely fantastic and a great actor (I'm just joking) is that I went in and did the Haka. Do you know what that is? It's a war chant.
I just thought, in the scenes I was doing, you don't get a sense of what this warrior's like. What it would be like if he was commanding his officers, or what he'd be like in battle? I wanted to represent that, and channel a little bit of my ancestry and heritage. I'm half Hawaiian.
I went into HBO and I said, "Don't be scared or anything, but when you're in front of a large man doing the Haka, you're going to feel it. You're going to feel some energy coming at you."
These two little white women were like, "Holy shit." People were coming out of their doors and wondering what was going on. It really sealed the deal. And it got me Conan. It's a great way to start an audition. My heart was racing, and I'm sure theirs were too..."
... How did working on Game Of Thrones compare to Stargate?
JM: "Well, there were no horses and I got to wear clothes, for one thing. [laughs] I loved Stargate. I had such a great time and it was such a great training ground. It set me up to play the lead of a movie, you know, so it's really a phenomenon for four years to be with a family and experiment.
You do a movie, you meet everyone, you go from place to place. It's like joining a circus. Being on a show for four years, you know everyone. You know the grips. You feel safe and comfortable. You can play with your character a lot. It evolves over a long period of time. It was a great training ground that set me up for Drogo and Conan.
And also, being in that sci-fi fantasy genre, there's no limitations to what you can do. If I'm sick or drugged out, I can play it like heroin times ten, or crack times 20. You can go to places that aren't realistic, and that's fun.
It's worked out that I'm in these genres and I don't mind it. It's fun..."
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