Hollywood star Jason Momoa has turned 45, and we can’t help but take a look back at his celebrated acting career. The Hawaiian actor made his debut in Baywatch: Hawaii, which ran from 1999 to 2001. He rose to fame after playing Khal Drogo in Game of Thrones, who married the lead Daenerys Targaryen.
On the occasion of his birthday on August 1, here are the top 10 movies starring Jason Momoa:
1. Justice League
Directed by Zack Snyder, 2017’s Justice League marked Jason Momoa’s first foray into the world of superheroes. He played Arthur Curry/Aquaman in the DCEU film, who grew up in the wild seas and was later taken in by a lighthouse keeper. He later changed his name from Orin to Arthur Curry.
The film featured a star cast including Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot and Momoa. The actor took on the role of Aquaman after his brief cameo in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
2. Slumberland
Momoa starred in the 2022 Netflix fantasy Slumberland, directed by Francis Lawrence. Abandoning his superhero duties, the actor took on a light-hearted role as Flip, who will help a little girl, Nemo, reunite with her father.
However, he doesn’t fall too far from the tree, as Momoa’s Flip embarks on a journey with Nemo to the Sea of Nightmares to find the magical pearl to complete his mission. According to Movieweb, Slumberland became the fifth most streamed Netflix movie with 1 billion minutes in its first week.
3. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
The latest Aquaman sequel couldn’t match the excellence of the original installment in 2018. 2023’s Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is a tale of Black Manta taking revenge on Aquaman for playing a role in his father’s death.
Black Manta wields the power of the Black Trident, while Aquaman forms a team including his imprisoned brother to protect his kingdom of Atlantis. The film was released only a year after the infamous Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard trials, so the latter’s involvement could have had a negative impact on the show in addition to a poor storyline.
4. Bullet in the head
Action legend Sylvester Stallone starred opposite Momoa as assassin Keegan in 2012’s Bullet to the Head. Keegan works for a corrupt businessman who orders a series of murders that attract the attention of Stallone’s Jimmy Bobo.
Bobo is also a former hitman who teams up with Detective Taylor Kwon, played by Sung Kang, to take down Keegan along with his evil boss. The action film leads to an epic confrontation between Keegan and Bobo that remains a treasured action scene in Hollywood.
5. Bad Batch
Momoa has been a dystopian veteran, as he starred in the 2016 thriller The Bad Batch several years before playing Dune’s character Duncan Idaho. The film revolves around a young woman, Arlene, who is exiled to the barren land of Texas and must find a way to escape a desert ruled by cannibals and a cult leader.
Momoa’s Miami man is involved with cannibals, but teams up with Arlene and embarks on a mission to find his lost daughter. The Bad Batch stars Keanu Reeves, Suki Waterhouse, Jim Carrey and Jason Momoa.
6. Fast X
The Hawaiian star became part of another blockbuster franchise with Fast X, the latest installment of the Fast and Furious film series. Jason Momoa plays villain Dante Reyes, who faces off against lead Dom Toretto, played by franchise veteran Vin Diesel, to avenge the death of his drug lord father.
Reyes’ story forms the core of the sequel’s plot, as he intends to eliminate all of Dom’s family and loved ones. But this is where Dom’s car-loving family steps in and begins working to defeat Reyes’ agenda.
7. Brave
In this 2018 action thriller, Momoa plays Joe Braven, a family man who does everything he can to protect his loved ones. He moves to a secluded mountain with his father to reconnect, but his well-intentioned effort takes a bad turn after a group of drug dealers harass Braven and his family.
8. Aquaman
Jason Momoa built his DC legacy with 2018’s Aquaman, which proved to be a blockbuster hit and remains his best film to date. In the original installment, Aquaman faces challenges posed by his brother’s thirst for power.
According to the comics, Aquaman went into the depths of the ocean to find Atlan’s Trident and step forward as the protector of the seas, which received high praise from fans. 2018’s Aquaman became the highest-grossing DCEU film to date, but the sequel could not match its momentum.
9. The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part
Adapting the Lego version of his DC character, Momoa played Aquaman in animated form for 2019’s The Lego Move 2: The Second Part. Franchise star Chris Pratt reprised his role from the original film and played common man Emmett Brickowski as he tackles a new threat to his civilization.
But this time he can’t do it alone and seeks help from Justice League LEGO members, Superman, Aquaman, Batman and Green Lantern, to keep his LEGO city safe. The LEGO Movie 2 was a blockbuster hit and successfully maintained the spirit of the original.
10. Dunes
Jason Momoa joins a star-studded cast including Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Josh Brolin, Oscar Isaac and Dave Bautista for the sci-fi epic franchise Dune created by filmmaker Denis Villeneuve.
Based on Frank Herbet’s novel series of the same name, Dune follows protagonist Paul Atreides, who embarks on an interplanetary mission to protect his family and loved ones and survive in a dystopian world.
So, Atreides turns to Jason Momoa’s swordsman Duncan Idaho, who prepares him for battle to ensure he wins.
Also read: ‘They relate to each other’: Jason Momoa and new GF Adria Argiona are the ‘real deal’; insider reveals more details on couple’s love life
