He may have starred in Stargate: Atlantis and Baywatch beforehand, however, Jason Momoa’s turn as Khal Drogo in Game of Thrones was the role that made him a household name.
While the series has been hailed as one of the best TV shows ever, it didn’t mean a big payday for the star who would later become Aquaman.
In an interview with InStyle Magazine, the 41-year-old revealed that he was “completely in debt” following his 2011 appearance in the show.
“I mean, we were starving after Game of Thrones,” Momoa recalled. “I couldn’t get work. It’s very challenging when you have babies and you’re completely in debt.”
Momoa, who is married to Lisa Bonet, had two small children at the time, Lola, now 13, and Nakoa-Wolf, now 11, but it wasn’t until 2016 when he was cast in Justice League that things began to improve.
Before then, he had a re-occurring role on Baywatch however, just like the financial stress of Game of Thrones, it didn’t guarantee him a smooth career.
“I couldn’t even get an agent for three or four years,” he told the outlet.
Coming up, Momoa is set to star in Dune, a film based on Frank Herbert’s novel alongside Timothée Chalamet.
He will play Duncan Idaho in the movie that centres on Atreides (Chalamet) who, after his father is killed, is entrusted with the protection of the most valuable asset and most vital element in the galaxy.
“It was ‘Josh Brolin, Jason Momoa, Javier Bardem,’ and I’m just like, ‘Oh my god. I can’t believe my name was with those names,'” Momoa said during the interview. “I feel like I’m still a kid, freaking out.”
Following Dune, he will star in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, Frosty the Snowman, Sweet Girl, Cliffhanger and Aquaman 2.