What Is Jason Momoa's Net Worth and Salary?
Jason Momoa is an American actor, model, director, writer, and producer who has a net worth of $40 million. Jason Momoa has carved a distinctive niche in the entertainment industry. His career, marked by a mix of mainstream success and unique choices, began with modeling and led to his first acting role on "Baywatch Hawaii." His rugged charisma and physicality caught the attention of audiences and filmmakers alike.
Momoa's breakthrough came with his role as Ronon Dex on the sci-fi series "Stargate Atlantis," on which he showcased his ability to blend action with a brooding intensity. However, it was his portrayal of Khal Drogo in the critically acclaimed series "Game of Thrones" that catapulted him into global stardom. His performance, although brief, left a lasting impact and demonstrated his skill in embodying complex characters.
Transitioning to the big screen, Momoa took on the iconic role of Aquaman in the DC Extended Universe. His portrayal brought a fresh and dynamic energy to the character, contributing significantly to the film's commercial success and earning him a solo film in the franchise. This role established him as a leading man in Hollywood.
He voiced a character in "The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part" (2019), explored dramatic depth in "Sweet Girl" (2021), and showcased his action skills in "Dune" (2021) as Duncan Idaho. His versatility was further evident in "Slumberland" (2022), and he joined the high-octane "Fast X" (2023), expanding his repertoire in action and fantasy genres.
Early Life
Joseph Jason Namakaeha Momoa was born on August 1, 1979, in Honolulu, Hawaii. He was raised as an only child by his father, a painter, and his mother, a photographer. His father has Hawaiian ancestry, and his mother has European heritage.
Career
Jason Momoa began his career as a model, and he was discovered at the age of 19 by fashion designer Takeo Kobayashi. In 1999, he began his acting career and took the role of Jason Ioane on the series "Baywatch Hawaii." Before he took the role, he was working part-time in a surf shop. He followed up with numerous throughout the early 2000s in the series "North Shore" and the film "Johnson Family Vacation."
In 2005, Momoa booked one of his most memorable early roles as Ronon Dex in the series "Stargate Atlantis." He appeared on this show until 2009. That same year, he appeared in four episodes of "The Game." In 2011, he played the main antagonist in the reboot of the classic '80s film "Conan the Barbarian." After showing off his ability to play a warrior in this film, Momoa had the chance to audition for the role of Khal Drogo in HBO's "Game of Thrones." When filming his audition tape, he performed the Haka, a war dance made famous by the Maori. He booked the role and gained widespread recognition in the hit series. His character was killed off in 2012.
Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images
In 2014, Jason co-wrote and directed "Road to Paloma," a film that premiered at the Sarasota Film Festival. It also had a limited theatrical release. Continuing with his film career, Momoa appeared in the dark comedy "Sugar Mountain" later that year. He then returned to television with a yearlong role as Phillip Kopus on the show "The Red Road." In 2014, Jason had a busy and successful year, as he finished off by landing the role of Aquaman in the DC Extended Universe. However, it wasn't until the release of "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" in 2016 that he first appeared as Aquaman on the big screen – and that was only a cameo. He finished 2014 with roles in movies such as "Wolves" and "Debug."
In 2015, it was announced that Momoa had joined the casts of two films: "The Bad Batch" and "Braven." He played a much more substantial role as Aquaman in 2017's follow-up film "Justice League." He was also able to reprise his role through voice acting in 2019's "The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part." In 2017, it was announced that Jason would play a leading role in the upcoming film franchise "Just Cause," which is based on the video game series of the same name. In 2018, Momoa joined the cast of Apple's new series "See." In 2019, it was announced that Jason had booked the role of Duncan Idaho in Denis Villeneuve's sci-fi epic "Dune."
"Aquaman" Salary and Earnings
For the first Aquaman movie, Jason Momoa earned $3 million. With back-end points, his final payday on the first movie may have eventually topped $7 million. Due to the massive box office success of the first film, Jason was able to negotiate a massive raise for the sequel. He ultimately received $15 million for the second installment.
(Jeff Spicer/Getty Images for Warner Bros )
Brand Endorsements
In 2020, Momoa appeared in a Super Bowl advertisement for Rocket Mortgage. That year, he also helped promote Ozzy Osbourne's new album, "Ordinary Man," appearing in a teaser for the song "Scary Little Green Men."
Mananalu Pure Water
Jason Momoa's Mananalu Pure Water is a testament to his commitment to environmental sustainability and his Hawaiian heritage. Launched in April 2019, Mananalu represents Momoa's effort to create a significant positive impact on the environment. The name 'Mananalu' combines two Hawaiian words – 'mana,' meaning the sacred spirit of life, and 'nalu,' signifying a powerful wave, symbolizing the company's mission to create a wave of change in fighting plastic pollution with aluminum-canned water.
Momoa's inspiration for Mananalu came from his environmental consciousness and a desire to address the issue of ocean plastic pollution. The alarming statistic that only 9% of plastic is actually recycled, leading to over 18 billion pounds of ocean plastic pollution each year, propelled him to choose aluminum as an alternative. Aluminum gets recycled more effectively and can become a new can in just 60 days. This environmentally friendly approach is why he partnered with industry leader Ball Corp. to produce aluminum cans for Mananalu.
Momoa has actively promoted the brand and its mission through various initiatives. He made a notable appearance on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," where he raised over $30,000 for Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii, a nonprofit focused on coastal conservation. Furthermore, Mananalu has partnered with Earth Angel, a sustainable production service provider, to replace plastic water bottles on film and TV production sets with Mananalu's aluminum cans. This partnership has helped avoid the use of over 2.5 million single-use plastic water bottles.
Mananalu Pure Water, with its headquarters in Boone, North Carolina, sources its water from various locations, including Bozeman, Montana, Montebello, California, and Norfolk, Nebraska.
Relationships
Jason first started dating Lisa Bonet in 2005. Bonet is famous for her role on the legendary sitcom "The Cosby Show," on which she played the role of Denise Huxtable. Some media sources falsely reported that the couple had been married as far back as 2007, but this wasn't the case. In truth, Momoa and Bonet did not legally wed until 2017. After becoming the legal husband of Lisa Bonet, Jason became the stepfather of Zoë Kravitz, Bonet's daughter with singer Lenny Kravitz. In 2007, Bonet and Momoa welcomed their first child, Lola Iolani, into the world together. The next year, they had a second child, Nakoa-Wolf Manakauapo Namakaeha, together. Unfortunately, in January 2022, Jason and Lisa announced that they were divorcing.
Special Skills
Jason Momoa began martial arts training as early as 2005 when he booked the role of Ronon Dex in "Stargate Atlantis." Later, Jason took up Brazilian jiu-jitsu in 2017. In order to nail a war cry in the series "See," he also received special training from Oli Peters, the lead singer of a death metal band named Archspire.
Personal Interests
Momoa is an avid fan of all types of heavy metal music. He once revealed that he uses certain heavy metal songs as inspiration when creating his characters. One of his favorite bands is Archspire, and members of this band have made cameos in the series "See" with Momoa's invitation. Jason is also a tattoo enthusiast, and he has a tattoo dedicated to his "aumakua," which is a deified ancestor in Hawaiian tradition. This tattoo takes up much of his left arm.
Assault in 2008
In 2008, Momoa was the victim of an assault in Los Angeles. The incident took place at a tavern called the Birds Cafe, and Jason was slashed across the face with a broken beer mug. The attack left him with a visible scar, and he required 140 stitches. Momoa also underwent facial reconstruction surgery, and his face is visibly different on screen because of the assault. The man who attacked him was sentenced to five years in prison as a result of the crime.
