Charismatic, fun, goofy, and heavily-built are all adjectives that may be used to describe the King of Atlantis (at least, mythically), Jason Momoa. Most people identify Jason as the King of the vast waters of Atlantis, as he recently starred as Arthur Curry in Aquaman. Others remember him as the ravaging Khal Drogo in Game of Thrones. As far as his private life goes, most people think of him as a married man who is very passionate about his family and heritage.

But is that all there is to this great actor?

Well, no. There are a lot of things about Jason Momoa that few people know. Anyone who reads this article will get to know every juicy secret. So, dig in!

20 A Baywatch Gig Almost Ended His Career

Jason’s first stint in acting was on Baywatch, where he played lifeguard, Jason Loane. This 1999 – 2001 acting job ignited his passion for acting, but Momoa claims that this gig was the one that almost tanked his career. According to Movieline, Jason had to fight a huge stigma in Hollywood, which was the widespread belief that Baywatch actors could not act. This made him miss out on a lot of opportunities.

19 He Has Not Been a Gym Rat

Despite the built-up muscles and excellent physique, Jason Momoa has never been a gym rat. It took him up until 2010 to step into a gym! However, since then, according to Men’s Health, Jason has never stopped training hard.

18 He Shaved His Beard as a Campaign to Save the Planet

That famous beard is gone? Yes. He shaved it off this year, in April of 2019. To raise awareness about recycling and the use of aluminum versus plastic, Jason posted a video where he shaved off his signature beard, with a message to his fans to be a bit more environmentally-conscious.

17 His Wife Was His Childhood Crush

Lisa Bonet is Jason Momoa’s wife and she was his childhood crush. According to People, Jason saw the actress on TV when he was 8 and fell in love with her. Fast forward to 2005, when his mutual friend (wingman) introduced him to her. They had a date later that night. They have 2 kids, so you get where they ended up.

16 He Did Not Get Leading Roles at MCU

Hello, DC fans. Your ocean superhero was a reject from Marvel. According to Indie Wire, Jason had auditioned to play Drax the Destroyer in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy. However, Jason claims he was aiming for a villain role...something he didn’t get. Instead, he ended up being the hero of Atlantis, thanks to a company on the other side of the Hollywood pond.

15 He Auditioned to Play Batman in DC Extended Universe

Speaking of the other side of Hollywood, Jason had a short stint as Batman. According to Factinate, the Hawaiian initially chose a deep voice and bat suit for the superhero stint. He, however, felt unfit for the role, given his Hawaiian heritage. Thankfully, Zack Synder was getting ideas about another, more fitting role for the ripped man.

14 He Cut off His Heavy Dreadlocks After Seven Years

His beard was not the only thing he ever shaved. Believe it or not, Jason got rid of his dreadlocks after seven years. According to Celebrity Diagnostics, this happened when he was still shooting for Stargate: Atlantis, after his dreadlocks grew “out of hand” and weighed an incredible 5 pounds.

13 He Was Very Nervous to Share a Set with His Wife

Yes, being on-screen with your crush, whom you fell in love after seeing her on TV, can be quite nerve-racking. To make matters worse, Lisa had to act as Momoa’s love interest in the movie, Road to Paloma. According to Factinate, Momoa felt nervous the whole time he was on the set.

12 His Role as the Crow Was Cut Short Because of Conflict of Interest

Momoa described his role in The Crow as one of his dream roles. However, his dream was cut short when the director and studio parted ways due to conflict of interest. According to Hollywood Reporter, Alex Proyas, the director of the original film, might have thought of the remake as disrespectful, given that Brandon Lee died on set, while shooting a gun scene.

11 He Hated the Game of Thrones "Sexually Tense" Scene

Game of Thrones was one of those shows that gave Jason Momoa a huge breakthrough. However, the actor, who played Khal Drogo in the highly-famed series, claimed that he was uncomfortable doing a sexually tense scene with Emilia Clarke. He claims to have had to comfort Emilia Clarke afterward, with lots of kisses and an "I’m sorry".

10 He Was Assaulted in 2008 in a Suspected Gang Initiation

Have you seen the signature white mark on Momoa’s left eyebrow? That’s the scar that was left after a 2008 attack by an unknown assailant, which left the actor with 140 stitches.

Jason suspects that the attack was part of a gang initiation being done on the assailant. On the bright side, he thinks that scar makes him the best choice for tougher roles on set.

9 He Broke His Nose to Fit His Role as Conan the Barbarian

What did it cost Jason to get cast as Conan the Barbarian? His nose. According to Factinate, Jason felt that he didn’t look manly enough for the role, blaming his soft-looking nose for it. So, he asked a friend to work some magic on it, and his buddy quickly obliged... with a punch.

8 He Previously Had a Cult Following

Ever since Aquaman, almost the whole world is in love with Jason Momoa. However, his big rise to fame started when he played Ronon Dex in Stargate: Atlantis. According to Cleveland.com, Jason’s following shot up exponentially and became almost cult-like.

7 He Made a Bad Sexual Joke About Beautiful Women

Jason is known by his coworkers as being goofy and all-around comical. However, he took it too far with this joke. According to Pressreader, during the 2011 Comic-Con event, Jason made a terrible joke about sexually abusing beautiful women. That statement almost tanked his career, after he's already survived the Baywatch stigma.

6 He Felt Cheated in Game of Thrones

Well, Jason Momoa wasn’t quite at home with his Game of Thrones character. According to Men’s Health, Jason felt like playing Khal Drogo made him the victim of Hollywood stereotypes. For instance, most people wondered whether he even spoke English.

5 He Blurted Out a Spoiler for Aqua Man Fans

It’s quite absurd when the starring actor blurts out a spoiler for his own big show, but Jason Momoa managed to pull it off. According to Games Radar, Jason blurted out the ending of Aquaman – confirming his character, Arthur Curry, would eventually go back to Atlantis and be King.

4 He Was Once Too Broke to Take a Flight Home

Jason has had humble beginnings. According to Daily Mail, Jason could hardly afford a plane ticket home after the first shooting of Game of Thrones. He then decided to turn being broke into an epic adventure, by going on a road trip across Ireland. After the show’s success, the man amassed $14 million in net worth.

3 He Had a Hectic Time Playing Conan the Barbarian

Conan the Barbarian didn’t go the right way for Jason. According to Den of Geek, the passing on of Frank Frazetta, the man behind the character (and a couple of other scripting issues) meant that Conan the Barbarian failed to impress the box office. According to Jason, he tried his best, though the experience was grueling.

2 He Was Criticized for Displaying Nudity on Instagram

In his most recent social media escapades, Jason Momoa posted a rather revealing photo of himself on his Instagram account...but why get the heat from Amber Heard? Well, according to Independent, the actress had also posted something steamy, only for her photo to be deleted by Instagram, while Jason’s remained.

1 He Constantly Had His Shaved Dreadlocks Sown Back on His Head

While shooting for Stargate: Atlantis, Jason had his seven-year-old dreadlocks shaved, after they become too much for him to bear. However, according to Factinate, the production crew had to sew the dreads back on his head, in preparation for the remaining shoot. This painful process took nine hours.

Sources: Independent, Factinate, Daily Mail, Cleveland, Den of Geek