Transcript

Jason Momoa | SmartLess

From SmartLess · Episode page · Watch on YouTube

· 1 h · 13,671 words · 309 timestamped sections

This is the full, timestamped transcript of "Jason Momoa | SmartLess", an episode of SmartLess published August 11, 2025 (1 h, about 13,671 words). It mentions 85 people, works and ideas, including Chief of War, New Zealand, Aquaman, Mr. President, London.

What is discussed, and when

  1. – 10:00: New York, New York, Aquaman, Budapest, Chief of War
  2. – 20:00: Mr. President, Polynesia, Surfing, Abraham Lincoln
  3. – 30:00: Game of Thrones, Baywatch Hawaii, Chief of War, Fight Club
  4. – 40:00: Aquaman, Big Island, Chief of War, Deadly by Surprise
  5. – 50:00: New Zealand, Chief of War, Aquaman, Budapest
  6. – 1:00:00: Budapest, London, Aquaman, Chief of War
  7. – 1:00:24: Michael Grant Terry

Notable quotes from "Jason Momoa | SmartLess"

  • From Fall Guy from Fast X from the Fast series but you also know him from the Aquaman movies and Zack Snider's Justice League. And he has a new show coming out. Let's bring him out. Apple TV is Jason.
    about Aquaman · at
  • Cuz I mean I feel like there's a lot of chlorine in the water just when you know I'm in London right now and it's like everything yeah you're just like damn cool it what's up Sean yeah I definitely I Wait a minute.
    about London · at
  • Well, my intention was to be I was supposed to do Fallon tonight. So, I was in I'm in Budapest right now. Yeah, I'm in Budapest shooting Dune. So, I flew in and then we got…
    about Budapest · at
  • Chief of War. So the Chief of Show I have coming out is 1790s Hawaii.
    about Chief of War · at
  • Yeah. So Captain Cook died in Hawaii.
    about Mr. President · at
  • Was a huge thing. At the same time it's like you know the movies we had were from like Alto they're from New Zealand like once were warriors or like whale rider like there's…
    about New Zealand · at
  • Do? So in Hawaii. So you're working at the family surf shop. Were you surfing? How did you get on a board? in big waves like this. This movie came out called In God's Hands and…
    about Surfing · at
  • And took some time off, but I, got married, had some kids, and then Game of Thrones came out and then no one knew what the [ __ ] to do with that guy, and then you're kind of…
    about Game of Thrones · at

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

  • Mr. President — Person · 5 mentions · first at
  • Abraham Lincoln — Person · 1 mention · first at
    Something that would encompass a lot of things that were going on. It's like telling Abraham Lincoln story and you're like that's why Spielberg did Gettysburg, just it's just a…
  • Chester A. Arthur — Person · 1 mention · first at
    Beautiful story. It's it's very much like an artherian kind of you know the Gwennavir sir Lancelot King Arthur story between they have this love story at the same time you have…
  • Dave Kalama — Person · 1 mention · first at
    And we did like a 14 maybe it's like a 13 mile paddle with from I was with Dave Kalama, my friend Joe Flanigan and Lar Hamilton. We paddled like 13 miles down the coast. and you're kind of almost a mile offshore.
  • Joe Flanigan — Person · 1 mention · first at
    And we did like a 14 maybe it's like a 13 mile paddle with from I was with Dave Kalama, my friend Joe Flanigan and Lar Hamilton. We paddled like 13 miles down the coast. and you're kind of almost a mile offshore.
  • Gary Oldman — Person · 1 mention · first at
    If I watched Fifth Elemen, I was Gary Oldman that day. If I watched Fight Club, I was [ __ ] Tyler Gordon in that episode. And so, I literally just it was practice and doing all that. And I just wow didn't give a.
  • Jack Black — Person · 1 mention · first at
    You know it's my first time doing a comedy doing Minecraft finally with Jack Black and I'm like Jesus Christ finally like or just getting into SNL like that's that's all that…
  • Cliff Curtis — Person · 1 mention · first at
    Don't really have a style, so I'm not going to I don't know how to teach it. So, my dear friend Cliff Curtis, who I looked up to and he was in the show with me. I was Can you…
  • John Paul Jones — Person · 1 mention · first at
    Peppers and Prince and Zombie. all great for the bass. All those those groups have John Paul Jones.
  • Sean Hayes — Person · 1 mention · first at
    Who both don't work out and eat whatever they want and one is Jason Mimoa and one's Sean Hayes. So I'd love to see just a speedo shot side by side the two of you.
  • Michael Grant Terry — Person · 1 mention · first at
    Smartless is 100% organic and artisally handcrafted by Rob Armjarf, Bennett Barbco, and Michael Grant Terry.
  • Adria Arjona — Person · 1 mention
  • Brian Keaulana — Person · 1 mention
  • Buffalo Keaulana — Person · 1 mention
  • Captain James Cook — Person · 1 mention
  • Denis Villeneuve — Person · 1 mention
  • Jason Bateman — Person · 1 mention
  • Jason Momoa — Person · 1 mention
  • Jimmy Fallon — Person · 1 mention
  • King Kamehameha I — Person · 1 mention
  • Laird Hamilton — Person · 1 mention
  • Mary Parent — Person · 1 mention
  • Rob Zombie — Person · 1 mention
  • Will Arnett — Person · 1 mention

Books & papers

  • Aquaman — Book · 5 mentions · first at
  • Game of Thrones — Book · 3 mentions · first at
  • Fast X — Book · 1 mention · first at
    Say the obvious ones Lego part two movie he was in Minecraft movie. You know him from Fall Guy from Fast X from the Fast series but you also know him from the Aquaman movies…
  • Gettysburg — Book · 1 mention · first at
    Telling Abraham Lincoln story and you're like that's why Spielberg did Gettysburg, just it's just a little moments of his life, but it's like how do I encompass this whole area of Havi and this character like helped me do that?
  • Once Were Warriors — Book · 1 mention · first at
    Like you know the movies we had were from like Alto they're from New Zealand like once were warriors or like whale rider like there's all these Polynesian stories but there…
  • Whale Rider — Book · 1 mention · first at
    Like you know the movies we had were from like Alto they're from New Zealand like once were warriors or like whale rider like there's all these Polynesian stories but there…
  • In God's Hands — Book · 1 mention · first at
    Surfing? How did you get on a board? in big waves like this. This movie came out called In God's Hands and my cousin Brian Kolana, he was the one who was towing in with Lair and all this stuff. And so I was What am I doing? I can go.
  • Baywatch Hawaii — Book · 1 mention · first at
    Major. I was a science major and that's what I wanted to do. And so I Baywatch Hawaii came and whatever.
  • Fight Club — Book · 1 mention · first at
    If I watched Fifth Elemen, I was Gary Oldman that day. If I watched Fight Club, I was [ __ ] Tyler Gordon in that episode. And so, I literally just it was practice and doing all that. And I just wow didn't give a [ __ ] And I.
  • Stargate Atlantis — Book · 1 mention · first at
    Massive, massive holes. like I you know I learned my I went through college doing you know Stargate Atlantis and hiding in Canada and making a sci-fi show and but I learned how…
  • Road to Paloma — Book · 1 mention · first at
    Did Game of Thrones, I did I wrote, co-wrote my first movie and I did Road to Paloma and I was just Fuck this. and I made Pride of Gypsies which is a bunch of actors, a group…
  • Deadly by Surprise — Book · 1 mention · first at
    My mom and my dad are both painters, right? My mom, I was raised watching Rear Window and like Gone with the Wind and Street Desire. My I was raised as a single mother that…
  • Gone with the Wind — Book · 1 mention · first at
    My mom and my dad are both painters, right? My mom, I was raised watching Rear Window and like Gone with the Wind and Street Desire. My I was raised as a single mother that…
  • Lego Batman — Book · 1 mention · first at
    Suit that putting that suit on. I would The best superhero in the world is Lego Batman.
  • Wrecking Crew — Book · 1 mention · first at
    Minecraft in New Zealand. We made Chief of War down there. I made Wrecking Crew which is coming out. Like I just made everything New Zealand or it's going to go to Hawaii.
  • A Streetcar Named Desire — Book · 1 mention
  • Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom — Book · 1 mention
  • Conan the Barbarian — Book · 1 mention
  • Dune — Book · 1 mention
  • Dune: Part Two — Book · 1 mention
  • Fast & Furious series — Book · 1 mention
  • Lego Movie 2: The Second Part — Book · 1 mention
  • The Bridges of Madison County — Book · 1 mention
  • The Fall Guy — Book · 1 mention
  • The Fifth Element — Book · 1 mention
  • The Thomas Crown Affair — Book · 1 mention
  • Zack Snyder's Justice League — Book · 1 mention

Companies & orgs

Products & tech

Concepts & topics

  • Surfing — Concept · 3 mentions · first at
  • Rock climbing — Concept · 2 mentions · first at
    Whole life. So we rock climb and like that just keeps us in the outdoors and rock climbing surfing or This is a real man. Jason, you should be ashamed of yourself.
  • Arthurian legend — Concept · 1 mention
  • Olelo Hawaii — Concept · 1 mention

Places & events

  • New Zealand — Place · 7 mentions · first at
  • London — Place · 4 mentions · first at
  • Budapest — Place · 4 mentions · first at
  • New York, New York — Place · 3 mentions · first at
    I'm just at the I'm at the Rosewood right now. I was supposed to be in New York, but then the flight got cancelceled. So, Will, here comes Will. Hey, I live in the Rosewood, too.
  • Big Island — Place · 2 mentions · first at
    Storm they came back and that's when all hell broke loose and so that's when Cook died on the big island.
  • Polynesia — Place · 2 mentions · first at
    Stories but there hasn't been something from Hawaii. So it really kind of united Polynesia because there's not really everyone comes to Hawaii, they make movies there, but they don't make Hawaiian, they don't make movies about us,.
  • Montana — Place · 2 mentions · first at
    Home is now Montana in the States and New Zealand. So, wow. Wow. And I in Hawaii still I have but it's like I'm basically trying to build studios between Hawaii and New Zealand.
  • Philippines — Place · 1 mention · first at
    At the same time you have us a character that leaves Hawaii he goes to China he goes to the Philippines he goes to Alaska and he comes back and that's what he brings back all…
  • Madison County — Place · 1 mention · first at
    Having said that, I grew up where Bridges and Madison County was made.
  • China — Place · 1 mention
  • Fiji — Place · 1 mention
  • Jaws (Peahi) — Place · 1 mention
  • Rosewood London — Place · 1 mention
  • Samoa — Place · 1 mention
  • Tahiti — Place · 1 mention
  • Tonga — Place · 1 mention

Sponsors

Full transcript with timestamps

I'm Jason Mamoa and Smartless is popping my cherry. Smart. Smart glass. Smart glass. Jason, you look Why do you look so uh cleancut today? Look at you. You look really good.

Because I washed. I'm I'm fresh from the shower. I'm glad we were a little delayed today cuz I was running a little behind. And it occurred to me as I was racing through my uh my my rituals there of

pre during and post shower that that my my loop has gotten um uh quicker. I'm I'm you know the the sort of How long does it take you guys from start to finish like oh [ __ ] I got to get out the door. I got to shower. I got to get dressed. I got to get out the door. Are you like a 10 minute, 5 minute, 15 or a half hour?

I'm a five. Yeah. It takes me a long long time. Does it? Yeah. Yeah. Because my

what we'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 to do it so I can walk out the door.

And then so how do you get it down? How do you deep? I I have to product ideally I have to let it air dry because if I blow dry it, it's like massive. Yeah. And then it's really humid over the UK.

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 uh just your ritual just for people who are looking to you know

and uh Willie you just you're just a a five minute um I'm a five and go truly a just five minutes to take get your clothes off, get wet, get dry, get dressed.

Yeah, I'm a quick I'm a quick shower person. Uh I'm really quick shower person. Uh always have been. Uh obviously had those moments we have a longer shower, but I'm a really quick I'm kind of in

Well, let's stop there for a second. What What are those moments where you're taking a longer shower? Is that when you're putting your hands on yourself?

Uh, no. No. Uh, no. I'm not. I'm my shower is not my Jack Shack. It's not. 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? You might be. You might be.

It's a whisper booth Jack Shack. No, it's uh shower time is long showers is usually like winter time and you're kind of chilled to the bone.

Um but what about you Jay? How fast can you do it? I'm I'm a 15minute allin. I can be in the car. Um

Oh, really? Well, yeah. Yeah, that's from getting undressed, showered, redressed. Maybe I'm maybe I'm 15 as well.

I bet you're 15. I might be cuz I do a lot of other stuff, you know, grab my thing, do a little quick moisturize. Um

yeah, that that's another thing. I've done is my products my products have increased as I've gotten older. I've got creams and ointments and [ __ ]

Oh, so you do have all kinds of [ __ ] This is you creamed. Oh, I'm fully hydrated right now.

Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Check me out. Okay. Okay. I mean, if you could smell me. You do have like a You've got a little bit of a cute boy haircut right now.

Yeah. Hey, thanks, man. Yeah, it looks good. It does. It's kind of, you know, don't start acting boyish.

After the podcast, if you've got some extra time, maybe Jesus. Hey, Will, who's your [ __ ] guest today? You seem pretty chipper about this guest. I'll bet it's somebody that's

I like I like our guest. Your guest is Your guest is not intimidating. He's already making a lot of noise.

Jason, you better watch. You better mind your P's and Q's guest. Yeah, cuz he'll reach through the the the screen and he'll grab you. Is this a Is this a a hockey player that could tune you up?

No, he's not. But he probably if he grown up in Canada, he would have been. But he didn't. He grew up in Hawaii.

Oh, is that right? Yeah. And uh and you know, he's he's done a lot of stuff that we love. Barack Obama. He's done a lot of he's done a lot of

It's not a terrible guest guest. No, you didn't get it. But he's done a he's done a ton of movies. This guy's been in like so many freaking huge movies. If I'm going to say like I'm going to try to do it so you can just bury it a little bit. You know things like I'm not going to say the obvious ones Lego part two movie he was in Minecraft movie. You know him from Fall Guy from Fast X from the Fast series but you also know him from the Aquaman movies and Zack Snider's Justice League. And he has a new show coming out. Let's bring him out. Apple TV is Jason.

Jason got it. Look. Wow. You can't swing these guys back me. I I can I can guess it.

What's up? Look at this guy. Jason, what is your what's what's what's your babe? We got to go. Come on. Get dress. What's your I got to get undressed, shower, and redress. What's your out the door?

Yeah. Do you do what Jason does? You cream on your face. Yeah, he creams on his face.

Uh what's what's me in and out of the door? How quick you got to go? How quick if you're if you're if you're dirty and you need to shower and get dressed to go out?

Yeah. 10 15 minutes easy. Yeah. Yeah. Quick. Yeah. What about when the hair was super long?

Pits, nuts, ass and then [ __ ] out the dough. But the hair What about when the hair was super long? That That's a beast.

My hair is super long. It's just uh Yeah. Yeah. It's just in the back. Yeah. I I'm not cutting my hair again.

Never again. Never. I don't want to. Does it take like 2 hours to drive? Is it about that

to dry my hair? Yeah. Right. No, I just take it outside. Yeah. You you when you get out and you just let it air dry, you probably look like an 80s rock, like heavy metal guy, right? Just cool everywhere.

I mean, real men dry. Let's be true. Just let it Don't you have to like Don't you got to condition that [ __ ] and you got to watch out for your split end.

You put stuff in your hair. I don't put [ __ ] in it, man. I just I just You walk around with a bunch of hair hair ties on your wrist like like

I do. I do. I do. I do the hair ties, but I just JB, you spend a lot of time worried about your split ends. Is this something that could keep

you know when my hair was long for a second there I was like oh [ __ ] this is a this is a nightmare it's not fun

do you really do do you do all the stuff that Jason does too with the creams and the things and the and the products younger than us younger I put cream on my face my face yeah it feels dry yeah cuz I mean I feel like there's a lot of chlorine in the water just when you know I'm in London right now and it's like everything yeah you're just like damn cool it

what's up Sean um yeah I definitely I Wait a minute. Where? What part? What part of town?

I'm just at the I'm at the Rosewood right now. I was supposed to be in New York, but then the flight got cancelceled. So,

Will, here comes Will. Hey, you know, I live in the Rosewood, too. Get him. Get him, Will. Everyone's getting along. Come on. First question, Arnette. Let's go.

Listen. Hey, f you, man. You just you just completely uh uh you know, hijacked him. Wait, is that cold brew up there? Or is that Or is that is that a logger?

This is Guinness. This is Guinness. Guinness. That's Guinness. Yeah, cuz it's what? It's like 6 PM over there. Go get it.

It's uh Yeah, it's 6 p.m. Are you getting after it tonight? What's What's going on tonight?

No, I'm going to spend the time with my lady. She's in here doing a movie. So, I Well, my intention was to be I was supposed to do Fallon tonight. So, uh I was in I'm in Budapest right now. Yeah, I'm in Budapest shooting Dune. So, I flew in and then we got stuck in a storm and then I couldn't get in and so

I was supposed to do Fallon and uh but I mean I can do you guys and now we got stuck doing us.

Yeah. No, I [ __ ] this you you guys are popping my cherry guys. You're the first podcast I've ever done.

No way. You're the first podcast I've ever done. I've I've never agreed to do these cuz I'm like I'm going to get myself in trouble. So, please don't get me in trouble.

Listen, I I listen you know this Jason. The first time that we met was like at some event or something, but I You're one of those dudes where the first time we met I felt like I knew you.

We freaked the [ __ ] out is what we did. Yeah, we freaked out. Yeah, you were outside smoking. I was like,

"Yes, you grabbed me and wrapped." I was like, "Oh shit." Same thing with Baitman though. It was the same thing. I was with my ex. It was the same thing, man. You know forever. So

So wait, so you had to cancel on Fallon because of weather. I wonder who Fallon calls. Everyone's got like that call like I think I forget who Kimmel said his call is when when a guest drops out last minute you've got somebody you can get on the blower to get hey can you drive down and and do the show tonight cuz you know they're live.

Um I wonder I mean it was a pre-tapeed so I mean it's I mean I've been I've I've had to I've done it a few times.

Yeah. You've been you've been I've last minuteed it for for Kimmel before and I've last

You are one of the great Paulin back in the day when he was in New York. They call and they'd be like so and so like their flight got cancelled or they were sick or whatever and you come and make a jackass out of yourself.

No, you are one of the great alltime talk show guests. Um uh J Mama, how are how do you like the talk shows?

I do. I love I Yeah, I I mean listen, I think this is probably way better to do because it's way more personal and you get time. Well, this is just a conversation [ __ ] thing. But like

Well, you don't have to get up. You don't have to dress up and like you just show up.

Yeah. You got to have bits on those talk shows. Yeah. It just depends on what you're supporting. Like right now I'm doing like my dream project. Like it's my Braveheart or my Dances with Wolves. So it's like my I've worked my No, no, no. Chief of War. So the the Chief of Show I have coming out is uh is 1790s Hawaii. So I I I created it. No way. I I wrote it.

No way. I directed it. I actually did. Yeah. He did all of this August 1st on Apple TV. Yeah. So Tom all the episodes?

No, no, no. I direct the finale. I mean, I couldn't I mean, I couldn't do all of it, but it was it was But I mean, I created the show. I co-created it and wrote it with my partner and then uh but it's been like my 10-year project that

I did with Apple and it's all like just right after the white man came. So, it's like it's 1790s Hawaii.

Wow. And it's it's all in Olo, Hawaii. So, it's all in the language, which is, you know very it's a it's a it's a pretty big deal.

Whole thing subtitled. It's subtitled. But it it does it it slowly gets into English. Um

but oh buddy, it's my character actually like he uh he leaves Hawaii and he goes out to the world and he comes back with all the weapons, but he basically gets to see the world and just see what's coming and then he unites. It's it's it's about the unification of the Hawaiian Islands.

Sean, that's your that's your approach when you're in the UK, right? Just slowly get into English.

Um so Jason, talk a little bit. How did it start? How what was what was the genesis of this this whole idea of doing this project?

I mean, it's just it's never happened before, you know, these images. Um, my great great grandfather has never even seen anything like this. So, we've only had these in paintings or in museums, so nothing has ever existed like this. And it's one of those things.

Yeah. So, it's just like wanting to make something about King Kamehaha and just like our people and all the different things that were happening, but I needed something that would encompass a lot of things that were going on. It's like telling Abraham Lincoln story and you're like that's why Spielberg did Gettysburg, you know, just it's just a little moments of his life, but it's like how do I encompass this whole area of Havi and uh this character like helped me do that?

How was what what was it? Was the was this the this the settlement the settling of Hawaii uh like when the white man came over was it was it a uh uh was it like a war? Was it contentious? Was it smooth? Was it

I mean I think when I think when Cook first came they were, you know, kind of blown away. And what happened is I think um you know he he left they they they kind of snuck onto the ship and maybe took a couple things and then they executed one of them I think.

Yeah. And uh that pissed everybody off and so they left and when they got stuck in a storm they came back and that's when all hell broke loose and so that's when Cook died on the big island.

Wait again. Yeah. So Captain Captain Cook died in Hawaii. Oh. So um but this is after cook. So um but it's it's it's a it's just a really beautiful story. It's it's very much like an artherian kind of you know the the Gwennavir sir Lancelot King Arthur story between they have this love story at the same time you have us a character that leaves Hawaii he goes to China he goes to the Philippines he goes to Alaska and he comes back and that's what he brings back all the weapons and he sees the outside world and he sees what's coming. Yeah

and you see what's happening uh in Hawaii at the time. So it's it's a very huge huge show.

Yeah. Wow. Yeah, dude. It's like cool. That's really a guy who's on my birthday, guys. August.

August. Oh, wait. Happy birthday. Uh wait. So So going to do that and coming being being, you know, uh uh being Hawaiian and and coming home and doing this story that obviously means a lot to you. Was it uh I imagine there must have been a a bunch of moments you had where it was like almost spiritual or you just like felt like the the fact that you got to do this and tell this story must been pretty rad.

I mean I don't think there's anything bigger that I'll do cuz I mean it's not like I'm playing a superhero or something like that. I'm playing my ancestors. I'm actually like

you know was there pressure in that? Did you feel like Oh my god. Yeah. I mean like I'm putting on I'm putting on outfits that you're not even allowed to I mean they're just in museums. So the things that we're wearing I wouldn't even be allowed to wear. You know what I mean? Like so it's uh even extras were wearing it. So it was a huge thing. At the same time it's like you know the movies we had were from like Alto they're from New Zealand like once were warriors or like whale rider like there's all these Polynesian stories but there hasn't been something from Hawaii. So it really kind of united Polynesia because there's not really everyone comes to Hawaii, they make movies there, but they don't make Hawaiian, they don't make movies about us,

movies about so, you know, we're a part of America. We just no one really knows our story. And so I feel like this this thing is something that's never happened before. And at the same time, we we didn't really have the resources. And so it's really united Polynesia because we got Tongen, Saman, Fijian, uh, Tahesian, Mai, all these different cultures helping us tell this story.

So, it's been really wonderful. Um, how how old were you when you How long did you grow up before you left?

I My parents got divorced when I was 6 months old. So, it was pretty shitty. I left at a very young age, but I was raised in Iowa, which is really most people wouldn't think is great. I think it's really great. I grew up in the Midwest, which is

if you're if you grew up in the Midwest, you kind of know that's it's a pretty spectacular place. You grow up with like

I agree. I mean, my work ethic, family values, like it just it's a very strong place. Having said that, I grew up where Bridges and Madison County was made.

So, I grew up like literally like not a race. So, I go from literally a small country town to going to like kind of the reservation of the Hawaiian side. Um, basically where I'm from is is all local side and it's uh not really being accepted there or being accepted there. So, it was a bit of a right

it's a bit of like trying to figure that out. But I would spend my summers with my father and you know and then I would you know go to school with my mother.

So you were born in Hawaii then went to Iowa then went back to Hawaii. Yeah. So when I was in college, I went out to Colorado and that's where I was going. And then I kind of my my family I come from one of the biggest surf families in in in Hawaii. My great uncles like Buffalo Kana. I come from a long list of amazing watermen. So I kind of went over there to like really sink in with my family, get to know my father better.

Mhm. And I was 19. And then a TV show came and then I ended up I was just folding t-shirts at the Family Surf Shop and then I ended up

getting a lead role in this really horrible show that just [ __ ] killed me. Then I found acting.

You know what I'm talking about, baby. Yeah. Yeah. Right. So you're working in a surf shop.

All the [ __ ] holes we got to dig ourselves in. That's right. Were you uh what were you do? So in Hawaii. So you're working at the family surf shop. Were Were you surfing? How did you did you did you get on a board? in big waves like this. This movie came out called In God's Hands and my my my cousin Brian Kolana, he was the the one who was towing in with Lair and all this stuff. And so I was like, "What am I doing? I can go surf these big waves, my my family." So I took the summer off and I went over there. And then the moment I was supposed to go back to school, I got the lead role. So I was just like,

"Wait, wait, wait. On the surfing part, did you are have you been towed into waves? Like do you surf those? Come on.

I towed in I towed in like 20 foot wave with uh out." Unbelievable. Jesus. This This is a real man, you guys. This is I mean, come on. Let's tighten up.

You got You got once towed to the service to the BMW stage, didn't you? They towed you.

Yeah. Well, actually, it was only on a flatbed. My my car because of the front fairing, you couldn't tow it. So, you got to put it up on a flatbed. But, um I did ride up front with the guy.

Yeah. No way. Up front with the guy. Wait, Momo, tell me. Wait, you almost drowned for real? Yeah, I uh I was doing this paddle. We we we we went in at Jaws.

Oh my god. Jaws is the real deal. And we and we did like a 14 maybe it's like a 13 mile paddle with uh from I was with Dave Kalama, my friend Joe Flanigan and uh and Lar Hamilton. We paddled like 13 miles down the coast. and you're kind of almost a mile offshore.

And then my leash snapped and I was about and I was uh we're about seven miles into it and my leash snapped and the you're it's so windy on Maui and so the board just went I couldn't even see anymore.

Sean Yeah, you Sean, you were going to say your leash snapped once too, but it was cool. You didn't have to pay the guy, right? Because it's like you snap it that hard on me, it's going to break. I told you.

I know. And you know what? It end up being free. Don't yank on it so hard it'll [ __ ] break. And then we ended up getting married 20 years later. Hey, listen Jason

and we will be right back. And now back to the show. Wait, so tell me when you're in that position of almost drowning, what is your brain?

That's so scary. So you know what's happening? Do you have uh a protocol of what to do in that moment? Are you even thinking clearly enough to know how to save yourself?

Yeah. Yeah. Well, I mean, I was trained pretty well, so I I was fine. So, I was just I took quite a few on the head. Um, they're pretty big. Like 10 foot 10 foot Hawaiian waves, but

unbelievable. You were I'm literally probably half mile at that point offshore and it was just I was It's actually This place is called [ __ ] [ __ ]

and it's literally because there's all this water that pulls out and drinks on Thursdays

and it just it just it's just it pulls you out and you just get hit with these waves. So, I was stuck in this crazy spot,

which is probably the outer reef and unknown to me. I was really on the outer reef and um

they couldn't see me and I had my paddle and I was waving it and I they couldn't see me and uh the waves were so big it was basically took my shorts off. It was so [ __ ] big.

Hang on. I reached down, put my shorts back on. Shorts off at [ __ ] [ __ ] I'm pretty sure that's in the village.

I looked in. Shorts were off at [ __ ] [ __ ] Um I looked in. I looked in and I was just like uh my daughter my daughter at that time was 3 months old and uh I was I just I lost I was like oh [ __ ] I I couldn't uh

and who ended up happening I was out there for a while and then uh I I just couldn't see anyone coming to get me and I couldn't move anymore and my arms and my legs gave up after you know I was out there for a while but Lar had to go in and then go all the way around me and paddle up behind me. So, like it's it's a coastal paddle, so it goes with the trade wind. So, you're going down the coast. And then

he uh came from behind and I had already given up. My body stopped like I couldn't move my arms anymore. And uh I bubbled down and then my my toe hit the outer reef. Like I I literally gave up and I'm screaming inside and my foot just hits the outer reef. And I don't know if it was a [ __ ] whale or like just could be one rock, but I just reach down, grab it, I jump up, I get hit by another wave and I dig my feet into the coral and I'm literally in the middle of the ocean and I'm just I could barely put my lips above just to breathe and get a break. But I had already given up.

So it's like you've already given up and died and have a second chance at it. And

and then I still stayed out there for like 10 minutes. I was hanging on the side of this reef and um and then I hear Lar come from behind and he's on my board towing his board and I get on and he's like, "You're right." And I'm like, "No." And I get back on the board and we start paddling. He's like, "You got to go out out and so we just keep paddling out." And I just keep trying to go over every wave. I lose the board. He loses the board. It's just a [ __ ] [ __ ] It is brutal getting out of the spot. And so we end up getting out really far on the like pretty much on the shelf of Maui and I have seven more miles to paddle. My feet are covered in blood and I'm just literally like with my ancestors just paddling the rest of this way. Head down and uh we get out and I and I mean I could have been trolling.

There's going to be sharks everywhere, but I'm just like trolling this whole [ __ ] coast.

Bloods all over blood you're dropping too. And we get in and that's I I used to smoke and I used to smoke like two three packs a day. I I'd ra pouch. I couldn't stop for my kids, couldn't stop for my my ex. I couldn't I couldn't stop smoking. And uh the moment I came out, I never smoked again. Like I just I just died.

Like I tried and tried but I I couldn't do it again cuz I just I gave up. Like I I gave up my life.

Do you remember the moment you felt that you were saved? That you that he actually that you actually got through it? Do you remember that moment? I remember seeing him but I was like uh but you know I was 10 minutes dead already you know that would have been 10 minutes had there not been the outer reef like had there not been some you know and I do believe my ancestors I do believe my you know I prayed to my grandmother my grandfather I mean I was I was I was reaching and I was in a bad position and uh you're stuck out there in that kind of waves with no board you're [ __ ] and there's no way you can swim in it's just not I don't have that you're you're so it was it was a bad spot to be in

but I imagine That gives you like a it's a pretty sharp contrast and gives you some perspective to like you said you quit smoking and that going forward from that moment you're like all right I've been through some [ __ ] and everything else is kind of gravy. Did you have a little bit of that? You know I did a little harder run. I think you know I have qualities that are could I don't know I I was pretty hard on myself that night. I did a lot of stupid [ __ ] and I just really was like pissed at myself for the position I was in and probably tortured myself even more for the stupid [ __ ] that I did.

So, I don't know. It was a bit of a hard learning curve, but I feel like I've always had that where it's just like

my learning curves are pretty hard on me. So yeah, you know, I was I was I was thinking about that the other day about um

how, you know, I find myself in a completely different life than I was having in my in my 20s. I mean, as as everyone does, you sort of you go through these stages. And how how are you how are you finding your life now as a fully functioning um you know professional that's able to write and direct and produce and star and and like you know take all these sort of adult meetings and like all this kind of [ __ ] that it doesn't sound like you were doing at all in in in your in your earlier sexual life like like me too just being you know a [ __ ]

I think if you have Yeah. I think I there's a potential that you you you have that needs to come out. And I just until I met the people that actually like until I met my partners,

until I met the people that actually made me get those things out, I was just bashing myself with addiction and drugs and and like just another level of like things that you're just burning. Yeah. You're just

You go to that stage, you got to get it out. Yeah. Yeah. There's so much now's now is not a good time to do it. So it like it sounds like we were doing that stuff at a time when you were supposed to, but you do that really well such that you can now do this really well and and are you are you enjoying that? And do you have that kind of clarity and perspective like that was a version of Jason Mamoa and now this is a version of Jason and they're both they're both me and and I'm just going through it

100%. Yeah. I mean they're great. They're great. Uh all the things that we did when we were younger I'm glad I you know it wasn't handed out. It was a very hard road to get where I'm at. So

yeah, having said I've been, you know, I've been directing for the last almost 12 years now. I like that process. I love producing. I love not being just an actor. I love being able to

if if someone's going to judge me on something like I took this choice. I made all these choices instead of just being an actor. It's nice just to go to the trailer and be an actor. But I also love I mean that's just the way my brain works. I want to have 100 things going on and I just love working. I love I just love being responsible for those things. So, um

Well, you also you also appreciate it because of all the things Jason like you were just saying. And I think

I I'm finding I I'm going through it right now at this age. I'm I'm 55. Sorry. I was waiting for you guys to go. No way.

Oh, yeah. Sorry. Really? There's a delay. There's a delay. And uh I I you know I I've just recently truly the last I don't know almost couple weeks I I finally had this moment where I was like I feel this kind of shift happening and this sort of cloud lifting and this thing happening in my life where I feel like I'm okay. I'm cool with who I am today.

Uh and it took me going through a lot of different [ __ ] It's and it's different from any other period of my life. It's really it's really rad and really profound.

It's one of the gifts of getting older, right? You start to care a little less about um what other people perceive you as and the artifice and the efforts you make to sort of convince those that you might be X, Y, or Z. And it's like no, I'm just A, B, or C. You know, like this is just me. And if you see it, great. If you don't, that's okay, too. It's more most important is that number one understands who number one is and that I'm okay with that. There's only one of me and I hope you guys dig it. If you don't, there's other people to talk to

a little bit. Yeah, totally. I think there I think there's truth in that. Um, wait, so Mimo, you're talking about you did this shitty show, but like it uh uh your f I guess that was your first acting gig, right? The thing you're talking about that you did in Hawaii.

Yeah. You know what's kind of cool about it? I mean, like, listen, I fell in love with acting. I cuz I was I was a biology major. I was a science major and that's what I wanted to do. And so I um you know, Baywatch Hawaii came and whatever. I was 19 years old. You got to make a $100 being a extra and I was folding t-shirts for 16 and you get to meet a bunch of hot chicks and I was 19 years old and like, "Okay, I'm going to go on."

Perfect. Yeah. It was like, 1300 people showed up down there and we went in and I ended up, you know, ended up getting the lead role. I was supposed to go back to college and my mom's like, "What are you doing?" I'm like, I want white. And she's like, what? And so, I mean, like, it just,

you know, I didn't know anything about it. And but I fell in love with the acting. I basically watched tons of movies and every movie I'd watch, I just play that character into the next day. You know, if I watched Fifth Elemen, I was Gary Oldman that day. If I watched Fight Club, I was [ __ ] Tyler Gordon in that episode. And so, I mean, I literally just it was practice and doing all that. And I just wow didn't give a [ __ ] And I I I but I fell in love with it. And having said that, every grip and like from catering to the grip, makeup, everyone, uh, they're on my show, you know, on 40 somebody 46 on August 1st and they're all did Chief of War with me and I'm coming home telling our people's movie and, you know, I've dug myself out of massive, massive holes. like I you know I learned my I went through college doing you know Stargate Atlantis and hiding in Canada and making a sci-fi show and but I learned how to do

everything and I was like listen I'm going to shoot this myself. So I started at that point I could write direct do all this stuff on my own cuz I was like 22 episodes 9 months of my life.

Yeah. you know, it's just like banging out stuff and you're like, "No, that was my college." And then I had an accident and took some time off, but I, you know, got married, had some kids, and then Game of Thrones came out and then no one knew what the [ __ ] to do with that guy,

and then you're kind of stuck in that jail of like until you get to the fourth season of it. And I was like, while we did Game of Thrones, I did I wrote, you know, co-wrote my first movie and I did Road to Paloma and and and I was just like, "Fuck this." and I made Pride of Gypsies which is a bunch of actors, a group of friends and we just made movies together and uh you know some of us were hold we'd all hold the boom we'd all do this we'd all shoot and so

we all came from that thing where it's just we did the work we edit it we shot it

and that's how we kind of built the you know I'm not going to wait for anything so we just kind of went about it that way cuz I was like no one's going to give me this [ __ ] you got to go you got to go get it so we we wrote all our own stuff

yeah that's cool you know I remember seeing you in Game of Thrones and I was like you just your the character and the size of you. I was just like my god this guy's such a an incredibly you know fit human being and and the size of you. I was like and then on cuz your entrance you're like oh my god who's this guy and then you start acting you're like oh wow he's like a brilliant actor like

and you have presence he has such you have such presence apart from your physical you just have presence as a person that's really magnetic and I wonder right Sean like like

yeah I was just so surprised that like that that I know what you mean by what well what do we do with this guy but I was like well he's a great actor that's what you do with him you just you plug him in any role

was Game of Thrones. Was was that the first was that the was that a turning point? It must have been.

Yeah, that was that was a turning point. We got to respect, but it was it's it it didn't like cuz he didn't say much. And even though I played like a really good character, played it and

did my job well, but it was uh I mean it's that it's that thing where it's like I I I'm a huge SNL fan. Like I love comedy. I just want to do comedy. That was I grew up with SNL. It's all I wanted to do.

Yeah. Yeah. And and you hosted twice. No one no one [ __ ] knows me that way. So, I didn't know they they just, you know, and they just use me as action or I don't say much. And so, it's it's very weird thing to kind of live in that action. And you're you're this and that cuz my mom my mom and my dad are both painters, right? My mom, you know, I was raised watching Rear Window and like Gone with the Wind and Street Desire. My I was raised as a single mother that worked four jobs in Iowa. So, it's like I I didn't grow up even though I grew up into this body. I'm like I'm a total art like an art nerd. Yeah,

I grew up in a different way and you just kind of like uh this isn't really me. This is more me,

right? It's difficult. It's like you you're this you're this huge presence. You you're you're you're in this you're in this this big beautiful God frame. You're you're a very good-looking man, too. And inside of that is somebody who not only wants to do comedy, but can also do very subtle, nuanced dramatic acting as well. How do you like, you know, you you obviously have to account for how you come across and so they can only put you in those types of characters and those characters aren't historically super funny or super sensitive,

you know? So it's like I just I mean until you get to know me and like I think we've had a little bit of time with each other some of us but it's like I just

you know it's my first time doing a comedy doing doing Minecraft finally with Jack Black and I'm like Jesus Christ finally like or just getting into SNL like that's that's all that matters to me is like just all I want to do is

you killed it on SNL by so funny. Yeah. Now you've got the juice where I'm sure you can go to your team and say hey so I'd like to do parts like X Y or Z. Can you go out there and see see

or create? By the way, I mean like you while you're busy doing your job, they can do theirs trying to bring you options in those areas because you've got the juice to where like a part is written not for a guy with your physical type. But it it you've got enough juice now where they can actually change what that actor might be, what that character might look like um without changing any of the dialogue, you know.

Yeah. Yeah. You should tell. Yes. He agrees with you. But uh uh but but but yes, they can they can search it up. But I wonder do you have like um because you mentioned Road to Plum and the the movie that you wrote and directed, which what was By the way, when you first started directing, and this is a Jason question, did you love that shift to directing?

I love it. I mean, I don't want to actually be in front. I'd rather be behind the camera. Like, I love every

You're like JB. JB's the same. Yeah. I mean, like, that's that's where it's at. top and bottom jokes there. Um, you say you don't want to be in front, you want to be in the it's but I don't I don't have it fully written right now, but you just come back to me on that.

Damian, you love being behind the camera right? Oh god. Yeah, I would I'd stay back there and and never never act again. Although I do like acting and I also acting in something that I'm directing I really I really love just because as you said

I love being overwhelmed with the amount of work and responsibility as opposed to just hiding in the trailer, you know? Like I I'm a glutton for that stuff. So,

but you dropping in like I'm smoking aces and [ __ ] like that. That's hilarious. Like you got to like that stuff is like you know when you have little roles that come in like I want to support this and come in and do something.

Yeah, I love that stuff. Of course, I love if I can add and get the budget of whatever they need to do, but I'd rather not have all the

I don't need to be the lead of this. I'd rather make my movies and I like them small and they I don't want to direct like a massive

This is probably the biggest it'll ever be. Like when I directed Chief of War, I directed four or five units. The the the finale is on the lava field. Dude, here's a crazy story. So, you might have asked this earlier, Will, like a crazy story about Chief of War. When we first wrote it, the whole finale is about these uh uh two cousins fighting over the big island and the volcano goes off in history and it's literally snowing ash and the volcano is coming down and the volcano it's it's kind of like let's just say it's 50,000 verse 10,000 and the volcano comes down and wipes out the persons who lives in that territory and that's how Kamehameha won

in history. Wow. So when we wrote this, I I literally saw on the calendar in the production meeting, I go, "Boom, volcano is going to go off." And everyone's laughing at me like, "No, no, no, it's not going to go off." We cut to we're there. The night before, we're driving between Monaloa and Mona and uh I tell my partner, I'm like, "Bro, it's going to go off. I know it." And about 4 hours later, production calls, Monaloa goes off, which is it's probably 10 plus years since it went off.

Wow. Monaloa goes off. We obviously break because we don't no one's worked during a volcano. So, we're checking, you know, air air quality and all those kind of things. And they're like, "Yeah, we're good to go." So, the next day we go, Kilawea goes off. That's the first time in human written history that both volcanoes went off. I go and I shoot eight days. I wanted to shoot the fight. So, it was like we're in the daytime and it goes into night. I want to see the night. I want to shift into blue light. I want to I want to go through the sunset. I want to go into blue light. So I had to shoot the whole fight in reverse. So we show up at four o'clock in the morning. You're ushering in 300 extras, 100 stunt men. You're massive [ __ ] battle, dude.

On lava fields. So any anyone falls, gets hurts, where do you put the para potties? How do you hide this? I mean, just all the schematics of like how do you shoot this massive epic piece in the area where it happened?

Yeah. So we shoot it there. Um I got about four to five units. I'm directing at the same time where I built it where I can shoot simultaneously. So they can be used as extras in the background as I'm shooting this one, as I'm shooting that. So I kind of designed the whole [ __ ] thing where I can and the 80s just like, "What? What? What?" And I'm sitting in the production meeting

and I have it all balanced out. And uh yeah, dude, the [ __ ] volcanoes, this thing went off on the eighth day we end. And the volcano stops.

The day we end, both volcanoes end. That's funny. So, were you getting the the sort of the production value of those volcanoes going off?

Did you send the people up to go shoot some stuff? Yeah. But did you have ash coming down?

Yeah. No, no, we didn't have ash coming down in our scene. Otherwise, we wouldn't have been working cuz that would have been hurt already pretty bad for our health. But we had ash and all that stuff coming down. So, it's a huge massive scene where we shot it in reverse so that way I can shoot all our key characters in the same light,

but it's all Yeah, it's completely in reverse. Wow. It was meant to be. It was a massive feat. So the the the finale is like that's my that was like I'm shooting the finale and everyone's like there's no way we'll pull this off. I'm like

I can't wait to see this. I've seen some of the posters around town. It looks awesome

and it's all in our language. It's all in Alo Hawaii. So you're like you're going to be like it's such a beautiful language. It's the most beautiful language.

It's so rad. I mean you're going to love it. Yeah. I can't wait to see it. We'll be right back.

And back to the show. You were talking about uh shooting that. That's pretty rad. That that scene on the on the on the lava field and shooting that and you've you've done a lot of kind of big epic scenes like that. You've acted in a lot of them. Like Aquaman like didn't you have like underwater fight scenes basically?

Oh yeah. Like how how'd you pull all that kind of what was that process like? Lots of stunt man. I don't want to

st it's brutal man. It's brutal. It's it's that's hard. I mean, fighting in a suit that putting that suit on. I mean, I would The best superhero in the world is Lego Batman.

Ah, come on, Black. Come on, Black. Dude, my son, dude, you're the best. You're the greatest Batman in the world.

The greatest. I mean, you're the [ __ ] best in the world, bro. You are Batman.

Thanks. Tell me more. Black. That's a good impression. And sometimes very, very dark gray. Um, listen, uh, uh, that's very kind of you, but I I mean, you've, you know, you're [ __ ] you're Aquaman, dude. And you had you had to do, you know, wear all the put all that [ __ ] on. Do you like having to do that stuff like put all the [ __ ] suit on?

No, I don't. No, but you do it. Yeah, the tattoos. It's all hard, bro. Sorry. It's all hard. But then you go and do stuff, but in the same time you do like like the like Dune, like going to working with uh Denise. I mean, it must be amazing.

I love those movies. Did you guys hear what happened right now? No. Check this story out.

So, I'm in I'm in Japan with my my son's dream is to go to Japan. So, his 16th birthday, we go with the whole family and I I'm with him and I'm I'm like, "God, he he he's trained martial arts his whole life. He always wants to act." I'm like, "You're never acting. There's no way I'm let I'm not letting you act." He does like school plays in Tanga, right? That's it. That's the extension of like his acting skills.

Yeah. Yeah. You know, um but I'm just like, I don't want my kid child actor. I don't want you in this business. Blah blah blah.

You know, obviously the mother has been through it. Like, no, you're not you're not you're not doing Yeah. It's just like tail. Sure.

Um, but he grew up with his dad being this thing. He he just loves it. But he loves martial arts. So, cut to I'm like, he's 16. I really want it's time for my son to be with me and travel um and maybe he can do school abroad. So, I asked the mother and we're like, "Yeah, Wolfie can come with me. I would like him to come to Dune because if he wants to really wants to learn acting, I'm like, "We're going to be with Shalom. We're going to be at Denise. We're going to be with Jadea. He should be watching his father like day in day out. I want his work ethic to be like mine of the Midwest. I want him to see how hard it is

getting up at this time doing this. Like it's it's it's hard. You know what I mean? It's not digging ditches, but it's [ __ ] hard. And when you have to do something over and over and if you're doing a fight scene all day long, like no, you go 10 rounds, 12 rounds, but like this is all day and you're in a suit that weighs 40 lbs and you're like, it's brutal.

Yeah. And so I want him to like understand the business. So he's begging me to learn all this stuff. All right, fine. Well, let's send Uncle Kale. Kale did my I did Minecraft with I did Dune with He's a producer. I'm sure you guys know him. And so Kale Yeah. Killer. And I was just like he's a dear friend. I was like, "Listen, we'll send him a stunt re." So we taped something for for Wolf. We send it in

and Kale's like, "What the [ __ ] dude? Your son does cuz he's been doing it his whole life." And he's like, "Wow, he does this." I'm like, "Yeah, he's pretty he's pretty good at it. Do you think we can get him like a a Fman roll and he can do some fight scenes?" And I and let him be on set. And he goes, "Dude, we're casting

for the kids for Shalom and Zenaas." Uh, basically like I guess it's like Skywalker and and Leia, you know, it's Children of Dune, so it's the two kids. And I was like,

"All right, well uh he doesn't really does he act?" I'm like, "H, you know, it's it's you know, it's it's community theater and uh anyways, they send they send it. I'm in New Zealand. The mother's with him. He does his scene. you know, we you know, I I we don't want I don't want to coach him at all. I don't I don't know how to teach acting.

I don't have a [ __ ] style. It's just through sucking, you know? It's through sucking that I

sucking a little less each year. Like, I've had 27 years of [ __ ] sucking that I I figured it out. So, like I don't really have a style,

so I'm not going to I don't know how to teach it. So, uh, my dear friend Cliff Curtis, who I looked up to and he was in the in the show with me. I was like, "Can you talk to my son a little bit about acting?" And so, he talks to him a little bit. Wolf does the scene. We tape it. We send it in and they [ __ ] love it. And I'm like, "Holy shit." Uh, he's like, "We want him to come to to London and test."

Oh my god. I'm like, "Dude, what?" And I have to fly from New Zealand to London and my son goes into a room with Denny Velv and he has to test with five girls and it's 3 and 1/2 hours long. I'm so [ __ ] stressed out.

Yeah. And like way more stressed than you would be for yourself. I mean, bro, like I don't even have like I'm fine. No, I'm freaking out cuz my son is just wild. He is so wild and amazing and but he just he I guess he was beautiful like uh you know Mary Parn was texting me he's like he's killing he's doing great but he had to he had to do like a really hard scene that even if I had to do that scene there's no way I could pull that off and to do that for the first time and this kid killed it and he did it on his own. I didn't help him at all.

How about that? And I'm doing [ __ ] Dune with my son right now. That's amazing. I didn't know that.

I literally just we we just premiere, bro. the premiere of of Chief of War. We flew to Hawaii. We did the premiere, I think, on the 18th. We got on a plane that night. We landed on the 19th. My daughter's 18th was the 20th. We flew out the 21st. We landed in Budapest on the 22nd. He went to work on the 23rd.

Jeez. His first goddamn scene. I'm sitting there shooting my pants going like he's with Zenaia. He's like, he's in it. And I'm like, "My baby,

16 years old." And he just killed it. I'm I was crying. I was a [ __ ] wreck. I was so proud of him.

And did he ever go Did he go, "Dad, you were right." Did he say, "You were right. That this is really [ __ ] hard."

He's like, "It's so hard. It's so I have so much respect for you now." And he and he understands every person that works with me now. It's going like, "Yeah, I need help. I need help. These are the people that help."

You don't have any scenes with him, do you? I don't this but in the future. But I'm like I'm just there and I'm watching him and and you know Denny who I [ __ ] love dearly and he's just like

he's he's just he loves Wolf and he's just doing a great job and so I'm like it's the craziest feeling.

How incredible. Yeah. And I'm like god damn it, dude. I just didn't want him to do it but he's I'm not going to lie to you. Like he's so good.

I surprised at his parents. I'm not surprised either. And I also think like you

you want your kids to just be better than you. And I'm like this [ __ ] is going to be like he's going to blow me away. He's so goddamn present.

Two things I want to say. One is you've paved the way cuz you're a great dude. And and it's no surprise to me that he's great cuz you're great. And it's no surprise to me that you deserve it in this time. Think about the year you've had that you're doing. You've got chief of war. This thing that is really personal to you and about your family. And now you have your immediate family, your son coming and working with you. It must what an incredible feeling you must have in your heart this year about where you're at. Just just in that just think about that. It's pretty rad.

I start Dune I start August 1st and this comes out. So I start Dune on August 1st. I went and watched my son.

Okay. Yeah. It's great. On the day it's Yeah, it is. Well, you put in a lot of hard work and

I'll tell you you know what I'll tell you something that my son said to me recently. my son Abel, a friend of ours uh whom we all know had had something happen in their life and it was public and uh you know it was like sort of shocking. So my son Abel comes to me and he says, "Hey, I heard about that thing. Is so and so okay?" And I said, "Yeah, yeah, they're fine. It all worked out fine." He goes, "You know, I was just thinking, man, thank God we're not as famous as them because, you know,

and nice work, Dad." And I go, "First of all, you're not famous at all." A. Yeah.

And B. [ __ ] you, man. That's great. Isn't that hilarious, man? And he meant it, too. He was just like, "Ah, thank God we're not as

Thank God we're not so famous." Yeah. How How about that, Jason? Cuz you can't really hide. Can you How How is it?

I can't hide at all. Yeah. And so, how are you with that with fan interaction and taking photos and things like that? I really I I I'm really good when it's like set for that time.

Yeah. If it's like really Here's the hard thing is like when I'm I mean we're all human so I'm like I'm down but if I'm with my kids don't even and it just people don't have really respect or they don't really think

it just makes the kids so uncomfortable but if I'm with my kids I'm like don't Yeah. But I'm like if I'm like you're never going to get I can't take my attention away from these these beautiful things that I barely get to see.

Yeah. So I'm like, yeah, it's a very challenging uh thing to navigate, but at the same time that time to do it or if I'm not if I'm by myself, I'm like, "Yeah, hell yeah." But the cool thing is is like

I love it when it's kids because it's like Minecraft like right now they're like they go it went from Aquaman and then it went into like I'm garbage man now. I know you guys probably haven't seen Minecraft, but Minecraft I'm like the garbage man now. And so it's it's [ __ ] cute as [ __ ] So all these little kids are like garbage man. And I'm like, "Yeah, what's up?" So, I take kids show the kids. But it's a grown ass man.

I'm like, "Just just buy me a beer and try not to be weird about it. Just like, let's just hang out." Like, it's just

I would imagine uh I would imagine the sequel to that is probably brewing, right? When do you when do you guys start that?

Oh, dude, we're right into it, bro. It's like I mean, I'm into this [ __ ] in March maybe.

Look at you, Johnny Franchise. I love it. I know. Tell me about it, man. I got Fast and barking on the door. Hopefully Chief goes again.

Really? I Yeah, I moved everything to New Zealand, too. I'm like New Zealand and Hawaii. I'm building studios down there with Cliff and Ta. So, we're trying to We're trying to

No way. Yeah. So, I just want to be boom, boom, boom. That's great. I have you. You ever been to New Zealand?

I've never When I was a little kid, I'd love to go back. Are you Is that where home is?

Home is now Montana in the States and uh New Zealand. So, wow. Wow. And I in in Hawaii still I have but it it's like I'm basically trying to build studios between Hawaii and New Zealand.

That's amazing. And shoot everything there. It's just you get to a certain place where I'm like the quality of life. Where do I want to be? Who do I want to be with?

You know, I don't want to like it and it's still tax incentives and I'm like this is where I want to be. And so like if everyone can come down here. We made Minecraft

in New Zealand. We made Chief of War down there. I made Wrecking Crew which is coming out. Like I just made everything New Zealand or it's going to go to Hawaii.

That's great. What's your favorite thing to do with your I was going to ask you what you work so much it sounds like like what what do you do in your downtime, but like obviously to spend time with family. What's your favorite thing to do with your kids or with family when you're not working?

I mean we rock climb so it's like I taught my kids how to rock climb their whole life. So we rock climb and like that just keeps us in the outdoors and uh rock climbing surfing or

This is a real man. Jason, you should be ashamed of yourself. I really am. You know, I used to rock climb when I was a little kid, but now my it hurts my hands too much as I get older.

You know, it's just the rock. There's nothing soft about a rock. It's just scratchy.

It's scratchy. I just like I like my hands to be strong and tough. I know. I see you got a band-aid on the one finger and I'm like that would just I'd have to cancel the podcast if I had a band-aid on my finger. You just you push right through it, don't you?

And then music. And then music, man. I started playing with my kids. my guitar. So, I started playing music and

they kind of moved me into bass cuz they both started doing everything else and I

I just love playing music with them. So, is it like a family band? Well, it's not a family band. I started making a I started I started doing I have a I have a vodka company. So, I uh out of town.

It's called Haleif Relief. Uh it's called Melee. Melee. Sorry. Relief. That's actually trying to look at the hat. I'm trying to see. It looks like No.

Me. Melee Melee. Yeah. So, we have a vodka company out of Montana and so it's been nice to like have these gatherings where you get together with everyone and we play music and we play our favorite songs. So, we play Zeppelin and Sabbath and Chili Peppers and Prince and Zombie. I mean,

all great for the bass. All those all those those groups have John Paul Jones. Incredible.

You've got a you've got a vodka company. You're building a studio between New Zealand and Hawaii. You're directing movies. You're writing series and acting in series and acting in like eight franchises

and you seem so like chill about it. You seem really happy. Yeah. And like Yeah. I mean, what what pisses you off? Like you seem like you sure whatever. Well, you have some Are we late? That's cool. I'll just wait.

I'm pretty pissed. I got to lose a bunch of weight then get ready for this role. You know what I mean? Like you know that's about it. All right.

But that's everyone's thing. I got to do a little extra. I got to take care of myself.

How do you uh what's your How's it doing with you guys? Like, uh, listen, I'm 46. You guys are uh, you know, you said you're 55.

We got 10 years on you. You got 10 years on me. I'm like, what's your favorite way of dropping dropping pounds?

You know, I No, not eating or exercise. So, I don't exercise and I don't and I and I eat whatever I want. I And I eat whatever I want. So, and I and I drink.

When I stop drinking and I eat smart and I exercise, I lose weight. Okay. Gotcha.

Oh, yeah. your body. Generally, I just keep it like I don't I don't do it until I have to.

Yeah. Uhhuh. But I My problem is like with all the things that you're taking off like oh you do this, do this.

The thing that I don't do is I don't take care of myself. Well, you will. You will. You still got time.

Yeah. Yeah. So, you got time like you got to go like a certain point where you take care of yourself.

One one kidney stone you'll change your life. Oh, haven't had one yet. Okay. Well, thanks grandad. Listen, I think but but how many people are listening right now going, "Fucking Mimoa doesn't even work out and he looks like I'm going to [ __ ] throw myself up."

There must have been a time There must have been a time when you were a gym rat and you put on all that size on that.

No, it's only when you It's only when I I was like a, you know, I grew up skateboarding and I was a skateboarder and rock climber. So when I did Conan, they made me put all that they made me train and and learn all that stuff.

I mean, you do it for roles. Sure. and uh and you and that's what's great about acting and they teach all these new things and so you know you learn that and then obviously for Aquaman I had to train and you know you're with all these best trainers but I I don't want to live like that and I I don't find like I so what I did is I I would build rock climbing gyms in our training facilities cuz I don't want to do sit-ups and I don't want to I I would just rock climb

one of the greatest joys in the world is food I would just rock climb to do to like kind of like the things that you love to Yeah. And and yeah, you think you're in shape till you try a pull-up. And that's that's what a lot of rock climbing is, right? It's just like

Yeah. It's just I just try I just want to have fun doing things I like to do. So, I mean, like I I stay physical doing things I love to do. I just uh like I think I probably get hurt more lifting weights. If I do lift weights, it's very light now. Or I do like kettle bells, which has really helped like just for like my like legs, but I do pretty pretty light.

Avoid injury by just lifting chopsticks like Sean, you know. Yeah. into sodium.

I'm just thinking here's we got two guys who both don't work out and eat whatever they want and one is Jason Mimoa and one's Sean Hayes. So

I'd love to see just just a speedo shot side by side the two of you. It' be so good. Although JB you were talking about you were lifting really light weights recently and you were saying how hard it was.

That lasted three days. Yeah. Did it really? It did. Yeah. I'll get back at it though.

I've had a burger every day for the last three days. Really? Great. Yeah, that's

Do you work out? Uh, no, not not really. I mean, I I do cardio, but I I don't lift weight and I should.

I mean, like when you're directing, it's so hard. The hard thing for me is like I'm such a I come from such an artist mentality where it's like it's really hard to balance the physicality when I'm like I'm giving everything to right

these things that you're doing. You get up too early too to work. And the thing is like I don't sleep much anyways, which is fine. It's just I don't if I if I if I burn out doing this to for just I just don't take care of myself.

Keep doing whatever you're doing. Whatever you're doing, just keep doing you're killing it. Just

My favorite thing one time, Moa, you and I were in Vegas. We were at for like Cineacon or something. We were on a remember maybe remember we were on a shuttle bus and we're going we were going back to the the airport and he had like he had like a rucks sack like a roughly hued rucks sack and it was just filled with loose beers. It was the It was the greatest. I'm like, "He's got a bag with him." And I was like, "Oh, it's a cooler."

Um, so smart. I know. Mhm. So jealous. Uh, all right. What are you going to do the rest of the day today, Jason? You got you got the you got the evening.

I'm going to go have dinner with my lady. All right. Yeah. I'm going to go just have a nice romantic dinner with my lady.

Who's your lady? I should know. Adria Adrea Arjona. Andrea Arona. Yeah. She's doing a movie. Yeah, she's she's uh she's doing a movie

Thomas Crown Affair right now. So, we're gonna go have a nice dinner and then I go back to Budapest to go back to to do.

Yeah. Unbelievable. I can't wait. The kids are in the kids are in Budapest. So, we're going to be together and uh Wolfiey's working and my daughter Lola's there. So, her friends are coming over and we're just uh celebrating because I get them in the summer. So, we're going to go do fun stuff, have my birthday here in a couple days. So, big party.

Yeah. You got do you have plans for your birthday? I think I'm going to stay at the house. Maybe get a DJ and just like eat.

You going to stay at the house with a with a DJ? A DJ at the house and just don't play.

Get Scotty. Scotty. I snuggle. My husband DJs sometimes he does. Send him over. He's in London. He'll go he'll do the Listen, we'll we'll make a deal here.

Moa, you're going to have to wait till what? 50 for for the big one, right? I mean, I feel like that's that's when you get to our age, you got to wait for like 50, 60, 70, 80 for the big ones. You can't do it every year, right?

Yeah. Yeah. No, I just think being I'm like I get I'm I'm with some really cool friends that I haven't seen in a long time. So,

how long's it You haven't seen us for a long time. Can we get an invite? I would love for you guys to party.

It's Budapest, so it's like it's pretty far. You're always invited. Uh listen, dude. Uh continued success. One of the all-time great dudes and you deserve all of it, honestly. And I'm so happy for you, and you see you look so great, and you seem so happy, and

just continue. I'm so psyched that you and your son get to do this. Just all of it is great. You're

I can't wait. I'm a huge Dune fan. I can't wait for Yeah. Go get it. I can't wait for you guys to see this. Yeah.

Chief of War Apple TV on August 1st as well. I mean, just just all of it. All of it. So rad.

Congratulations, buddy. Keep it up. Keep going. Thanks, baby. All right, guys. All right. Good to see you.

See you, pal. Bye, pal. All right. Nice going. Big hug soon. All right. Good to see you.

Bye, pal. He slammed it. He's a slammer. I love it. Yeah. Nice call. Well, you know, I thought it might have been Barack Obama. I'm I was pleasantly surprised it was Jason Mamoa. You know,

those are the two Hawaiians that, you know, that's it. That and King Command Man, but he's gone. So, um

Yeah, that that was great. I've never met him. This is this is great. He's such a warm the warmest guy.

Yeah. Just so cool. Down to earth. Yeah. So, so good. And I love the that I love that his pants came down at [ __ ] [ __ ] Is that what it's called?

Yeah. [ __ ] [ __ ] At at [ __ ] [ __ ] he got taken from behind um with his shorts down was kind of was just the net result of all that.

That's when I perked up. We might we might want to revisit the transcript on that, Jamie. I don't know.

You know what I mean? And also, you want to fall on the wrong side of Mimoa. I mean, you know,

but you truly thought [ __ ] [ __ ] was in Chelsea, is it not? I thought, but wait, you know what's great about him is like I had no idea he was that prolific in this business. Like I had no idea.

He's a busy man. Yeah. Just doing it all. Big huge star. Yeah. Turns out just a guy trying to mind his own business.

You're like you're like complaining about tech rehearsals. You know what I mean?

I know. Hey. Yeah. When do you when do you go when do you go up, Shnie? It's got to be close.

Two days. Three days. Three days. Two. Oh my god. I can't wait to see you. I don't normally have my wear my hair like this. Well, we're not talking about the hair right now. We're talking about the show. Um, three days.

Yeah. Yeah. JB, you're not going over, right, JB? We're going to go over and see him.

Yeah. No, I saw it. It's Yeah, it's fine. Yeah. I saw it in New York. Okay. And plus, I was just there in London staying with him. Okay. Walking the [ __ ] stairs.

I liked it the first time. I preferred it in the States. I'm a fan of the original. Um, yeah. I know. I'm excited.

You got so belleaguered. The guy. Yeah. Go ahead. No. I was just going to do a buy.

Oh, no. We know. We saw you look out the window. Well, no. I was thinking I was like, you know, I didn't I I knew I didn't know he was from Hawaii. I thought it was like like But, you know, aloha not only means hello and in Hawaiian.

Mhm. Sure. What else does it mean? Oh, hello. What does it mean? It means something like

Oh my god. It's goodbye. Aloha. Smartless. Smart less. Smartless is 100% organic and artisally handcrafted by Rob Armjarf, Bennett Barbco, and Michael Grant Terry. Smart less.

Questions about this episode

What is discussed in "Jason Momoa | SmartLess"?

In order: 0:00 New York, New York, Aquaman, Budapest, Chief of War; 10:00 Mr. President, Polynesia, Surfing, Abraham Lincoln; 20:00 Game of Thrones, Baywatch Hawaii, Chief of War, Fight Club; 30:00 Aquaman, Big Island, Chief of War, Deadly by Surprise; 40:00 New Zealand, Chief of War, Aquaman, Budapest; 50:00 Budapest, London, Aquaman, Chief of War; 1:00:00 Michael Grant Terry.

What is mentioned in this SmartLess episode?

85 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Chief of War, New Zealand, Aquaman, Mr. President, London, Budapest. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "Jason Momoa | SmartLess"?

The episode runs 1 h; the transcript is about 13,671 words in 309 timestamped sections.

More from SmartLess

About this transcript: the episode's spoken words as captioned on YouTube, split into timestamped sections. Reclip.Me locates every person, work and idea in the text, keeps the time it is first named, and quotes the words around it verbatim. Last updated January 24, 2026.