Pretty in pink: Jason Momoa and ‘Aquaman’
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LOS ANGELES – All seemed right in the universe when 6-foot-4, biker-bearded, rock-god-haired Jason Momoa strode into the DC Comics world as Aquaman, with roles in 2016’s “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” and 2017’s “Justice League.” ❚ You could almost forget that the water-dominating comic book superhero was once blond and rode a seahorse. Momoa puts his stamp on the character with his long-awaited solo outing “Aquaman” (in theaters nationwide Friday).
“He stakes his trident into the ground and says, ‘I’m (bleeping) Aquaman! I’m the guy.’ And he made this role his own,” says director James Wan.
Momoa, 39, strides into his USA TODAY interview at the London West Hollywood hotel in bare feet carrying a bottle of Guinness lager. With “Aquaman” looking to dominate a crowded holiday release season (it already has topped $265 million in foreign box office), Momoa’s reign promises to be a long and wild ride.
Here’s what’s you need to know about the star:
He’s very rock ’n’ roll, but we won’t hear it.
When we arrive, Momoa is sitting in the middle of the hotel’s lobby, strum- ming an unplugged electric guitar (he got there early). He plays to relax, frequently on the “Aquaman” set. “Literally between set-ups, he’d be strumming that guitar,” Wan says.
But don’t expect him to celeb-rock onstage anytime. “I don’t want to be an actor that plays music,” Momoa says. “I’ll back up my kids maybe with some bass. But that’s about as far as it goes.”
Aquaman is totally riffing off Jason Momoa.
Momoa acknowledges that it’s hard to tell him apart from Aquaman. It has been that way since “Justice League” director Zack Snyder, who cast him, went for a Momoa look.
“The problem is Aquaman looks like me. He took all my style,” says Momoa, who added a dash of rocker Slash.
Even the body tattoos are patterned after Momoa’s Polynesian arm ink. “Zack had the idea of putting that over the entire body,” he says.
It took two hours in the makeup chair to transform into the hair and full-body Aquaman look for each day of shooting.
He explains his hot love for pink.
Google “Jason Momoa” and “pink” and you’ll find that tabloid sites are fascinated with Momoa’s penchant for wearing pink scrunchies on his wrist during interviews (suitable for pulling back the flowing locks if needed) or pink pants hosting “Saturday Night Live.”
“It tones down the testosterone,” he allows. “I’ve got a lot of weird pink stuff. I’ve had a ’55 pink Cadillac for 16 years. I don’t know, I like pink.”
He needs private time with wife Lisa Bonet.
The “Aquaman” world premiere was a family affair with his wife, former “Cosby Show” star Lisa Bonet, and their two kids – daughter Lola, 11, and son Nakoa-Wolf, 10 – hitting the blue carpet. Even Momoa’s mom, Coni, came. But Momoa and his “wifey” stayed late at the party “so we could be together.”
Momoa needs that alone time with his partner of 12 years (they married in 2017). “We laugh a lot together,” says Momoa. “But the hardest thing is making sure we have time for ourselves.”
He’s tight with Bonet’s ex, rocker Lenny Kravitz.
Momoa made headlines when he posted Instagram photos of the skullshaped, carved-bone friendship ring he gave to Bonet’s ex, rocker Lenny Kravitz (Zoe Kravitz is their daughter).
“He’s my buddy and a rock god,” says Momoa. Kravitz, he says, is great family.
“We’re awesome. He’s an amazing dad. And Zoe is like my daughter,” Momoa says. “So it’s family.”
Paparazzi are ruining his surfing.
Pre-Aquaman, Momoa used to “hang 10” carefree, even if he’s far from pro (“Scale of 1 to 10, I’m a four, maybe five”).
But now the sight of the King of Atlantis surfing has proven irresistible to paparazzi, especially when Momoa slipped out while filming in Australia.
“That’s one thing that’s gotten harder,” Momoa says. “The paparazzi are pretty strong in Australia. ... I start to feel like a caged animal.”
He’s so not seducing you on ‘SNL.’
Momoa achieved his dreaming of hosting “SNL” with a rousing monologue and the song “This Is My Moment.” But TV viewers only imagined having a moment with Momoa as he cast a sexy gaze at the camera: He was squinting to read the cue cards.
“I need glasses. ... I have glasses, but I don’t wear them,” he says, narrowing his eyes. “They’re like, ‘Ooh, he’s smoldering.’ And I’m like, ‘No, I can’t see.’ ”