Joseph Jason Namakaeha Momoa (born August 1, 1979) is an American actor, best known for playing Khal Drogo in the HBO fantasy television series Game of Thrones, Ronon Dex in Stargate Atlantis, Declan Harp in the Canadian series Frontier, and Aquaman in the DC Extended Universe films Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Justice League, and Aquaman.
An only child, Momoa was born in 1979 in Nānākuli, Honolulu, Hawaii to Coni (Lemke), a photographer and Joseph Momoa, a painter. He was raised in Norwalk, Iowa, by his mother. His father is of Native Hawaiian ancestry and his mother is of German, Irish, and Native American descent. After high school, Momoa attended college and initially majored in marine biology before switching to wildlife biology.
In 1998, Momoa was discovered by designer Eric Chandler and Takeo Kobayashi, who encouraged his modeling career. At 19 years old, he also worked part-time in a surf shop before being cast in the action drama series Baywatch Hawaii, where he appeared as Jason Ioane (1999–2001).