"Jason Momoa"
Episode
60 min
Read time
2 min
Topics
Career Growth, Relationships, Leadership
AI-Generated Summary
Key Takeaways
- ✓Career transition strategy: Momoa shifted from pure acting to writing, directing, and producing over twelve years to gain creative control and be judged on his complete choices rather than just performance, building Pride of Gypsies production company with actor friends who all learned to shoot, edit, and produce collaboratively.
- ✓Language preservation through media: Chief of War presents seventeen-nineties Hawaiian unification entirely in Olelo Hawaii with subtitles, representing the first major production showcasing Hawaiian ancestors and culture at this scale, uniting Polynesian communities including Tongan, Samoan, Fijian, Tahitian, and Maori contributors to tell authentic indigenous stories.
- ✓Multi-unit directing technique: During the Chief of War finale battle sequence on lava fields, Momoa simultaneously directed four to five units, shooting the entire fight in reverse chronological order starting at 4AM to capture consistent lighting across sunset into blue hour, coordinating 300-plus extras on treacherous terrain.
- ✓Addiction breaking through trauma: After nearly drowning while paddle-boarding seven miles offshore in ten-foot waves at a spot called Shitfucks, Momoa immediately quit his two-to-three pack daily cigarette habit without ability to stop previously for family, using the life-death experience as permanent motivation.
- ✓Building production infrastructure: Momoa establishes studio facilities between New Zealand and Hawaii to control shooting locations, prioritize quality of life, and leverage tax incentives while keeping productions in places he wants to live, shooting Minecraft, Chief of War, and Wrecking Crew in these locations with plans for continued franchise work.
What It Covers
Jason Momoa discusses creating Chief of War, a Hawaiian historical drama in native language, his near-drowning experience that ended his smoking addiction, directing multi-unit productions, and his son landing a role in Dune alongside him.
Key Questions Answered
- •Career transition strategy: Momoa shifted from pure acting to writing, directing, and producing over twelve years to gain creative control and be judged on his complete choices rather than just performance, building Pride of Gypsies production company with actor friends who all learned to shoot, edit, and produce collaboratively.
- •Language preservation through media: Chief of War presents seventeen-nineties Hawaiian unification entirely in Olelo Hawaii with subtitles, representing the first major production showcasing Hawaiian ancestors and culture at this scale, uniting Polynesian communities including Tongan, Samoan, Fijian, Tahitian, and Maori contributors to tell authentic indigenous stories.
- •Multi-unit directing technique: During the Chief of War finale battle sequence on lava fields, Momoa simultaneously directed four to five units, shooting the entire fight in reverse chronological order starting at 4AM to capture consistent lighting across sunset into blue hour, coordinating 300-plus extras on treacherous terrain.
- •Addiction breaking through trauma: After nearly drowning while paddle-boarding seven miles offshore in ten-foot waves at a spot called Shitfucks, Momoa immediately quit his two-to-three pack daily cigarette habit without ability to stop previously for family, using the life-death experience as permanent motivation.
- •Building production infrastructure: Momoa establishes studio facilities between New Zealand and Hawaii to control shooting locations, prioritize quality of life, and leverage tax incentives while keeping productions in places he wants to live, shooting Minecraft, Chief of War, and Wrecking Crew in these locations with plans for continued franchise work.
Notable Moment
Momoa reveals that during Chief of War production, he predicted Mauna Loa volcano would erupt on the exact scheduled filming date. Both Mauna Loa and Kilauea erupted for the first time together in recorded human history, perfectly timing his eight-day battle sequence shoot before both stopped.
Episode Transcript
I'm Jason Momoa, and Smartless is popping my cherry. Smart. Less. Smart. Less. Jason, you look why do you look so, clean-cut today? Yeah. You look really good. Because I washed. I'm I'm fresh from the shower. I'm glad we were a little delayed today because I was running a little behind. And it occurred to me as I was racing through my, my my rituals there of pre, during, and post shower Sure. That that my my loop has gotten, quicker. Your loop? I'm I'm you know, the the sort of how long does it take you guys from start to finish? Like, oh, shit. I gotta get out the door. I gotta shower. I gotta get dressed. I gotta get out the door. Are you, like, a ten minute, five minute, fifteen, or a half hour? About five. Yeah. It takes me a long, long time. Does it? Yeah. Yeah. Because my What you're enjoying right now doesn't just happen? What you're enjoying right now? Yeah. It takes some work? No. Because my hair, it gets super, super, super poofy and big, and it takes forever to just do it so I can walk out the door. And then so so how do you get it down? How do you depoove? I have to product in a Ideally, I have to let it air dry because if I blow dry it, it's, like, it would get massive. Yeah. And then Right. Right. Humid over The UK. It's Oh, yeah. It's super humid, and I put water in it with the product, and then I spray it. It takes a long time. Oh my god. We should post on the website, just your ritual just for people who are looking to, you know And, Willie, you just you're just a a five minute, I'm a five and go. Truly, just five minutes. I think so. Get your clothes off, get wet, get dry, get dressed. Yeah. I'm a quick I'm a quick shower person. I'm a really quick shower person. Always have been. I obviously had those moments when you have a longer shower, but I'm a really quick I'm kinda end now. Stop there for a second. Where where are those moments where you're taking a longer shower? Is that when you're putting your hands on yourself? No. No. No. I'm not my my shower is not my jack shack. It's not? Uh-huh. No. That's a separate I told you. That's a separate building out back. Are we seeing you? Are we seeing you in your Jack shack right now? I mean, you might be. You might be. It's a whisper booth slash Jack shack? No. It's, shower time is long showers is usually, like, winter time, and you're kinda chilled to the bone. But what about you, Jay? How fast can you do it? I'm a I'm a fifteen minute all in. I can be in the car. Oh, really? Well, yeah. Yeah. That's from getting undressed, …
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Products
“shooting Minecraft, Chief of War, and Wrecking Crew in these locations with plans for continued franchise work”
- Chief of WarBy guest
“Jason Momoa discusses creating Chief of War, a Hawaiian historical drama in native language... Chief of War presents seventeen-nineties Hawaiian unification entirely in Olelo Hawaii with subtitles”
company
- Pride of GypsiesBy guest
“building Pride of Gypsies production company with actor friends who all learned to shoot, edit, and produce collaboratively”
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