- If you’re wondering
whether these United
States can still produce
real men, get a load of
Jason Momoa. It’s as
if his body were carved
out of an oak tree, then
given a blood transfusion
from a wild coyote
before being crowned
with feathers from
the proudest bald eagle.
Yes, this past decade’s
cultural awakening of the
sensitive male has only
increased our appetite for
an Iowa-raised, motorcycle-
riding, axe-throwing
frontiersman who did
the haka dance during his
audition for the role of
Khal Drogo—the broad-
chested, dark-eyed,
long-haired fornicator
on Game of Thrones.
Following his frustratingly
short reign on GoT, he
co-wrote, directed, and
acted in Road to Paloma
and portrayed the blood-
drenched fur trapper
Declan Harp in Netflix’s
Frontier. Next year (after
introducing the character
in Justice League this
fall) he’ll star as his own
superhero: Aquaman.
“The guy was never
really accepted on land,
and he was never really
accepted in Atlantis,”
Momoa says. “He’s a
half-breed. But he’s the
best of both worlds—
he just doesn’t know how
to handle his powers.
So it’s a coming-of-age
for a young man to a
man, or a man to a king.”
In the meantime,
Momoa is burnishing his
credentials as a soulful
family man. (His two
offspring with eternally
beautiful Lisa Bonet look
like cherubs who just got
back from Burning Man.)
After this photo shoot,
he told us he was about to
take those kids camping
in the Northern California
Buttermilks. His plan for
the trip? Go rock climbing,
make a fire, break out
the instruments, and jam.
—BENJY HANSEN-BUNDY
American
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