Looking back, the Game of Thrones cast is filled with iconic actors as well as performers who got their breaks because of the HBO hit. For example, The Last of Us stars Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey both had parts in GOT before leading their hit series. This is also true for Jason Momoa, who played Khal Drogo in two seasons. However, before he made a splash in Hollywood, it took him a long time to land a meeting after playing the Dothraki warlord, and he’s opening up about it and the wrongful expectations some folks had for him.
Jason Momoa has always been open about struggling financially between Game of Thrones and being cast as Aquaman. He was an unknown actor when he booked Khal Drogo, and he was “too broke to fly home” while he was filming the acclaimed fantasy series – which wasn’t the hit we all know it as today at the time. Now, in an interview with Esquire, the actor explained just how hard it was for him to book a job after GOT, saying:
[quote] I couldn't get a meeting to save my soul after Game of Thrones. It wasn't until the third season came out that the show actually caught on, and people were playing it back and watching three seasons of it when things started to kick off. That's when Zack [Snyder] called.
After being the one responsible for some of the most gruesome deaths on Game of Thrones, Khal Drogo died of illness in Season 2. Then, after Momoa left the show, he landed six roles. However, he didn’t become the movie star we know him as today until he appeared in Batman v. Superman as Aquaman. And before he became the King of the Sea, he had to deal with wrongful expectations and assumptions after playing the King of the Dothraki on HBO’s hit fantasy series.
As you likely remember, in Game of Thrones Jason Momoa’s character is not fluent in English, he speaks Dothraki. So, since this was the role that introduced him to many, some didn’t realize that he is an American actor. One time, someone even told him that they didn’t realize he spoke English, as he said:
[quote] They didn't know what to do with me. I remember meeting someone, I don't really want to throw them under the bus, but he's a famous comedian that I really love, and he was like 'Oh my god, I didn't know you spoke English.' I was like 'Wow.'
I can’t imagine how hard hearing something like that would be. I guess it makes sense that someone might assume Momoa didn’t speak English to an extent. However, Dothraki is not real, so, obviously, that wouldn’t be his first language.
Despite the challenges and wrong expectations placed on Momoa coming out of Game of Thrones, he has no regrets about doing the show. Plus, he has a whole lot of love for his castmates, especially his GOT wifey Emilia Clarke, whom he adores.
Eventually, everything worked out for the best, and now Jason Momoa is a full-fledged movie star, leading franchises like Aquaman and playing fun villains in films like Fast X. While he doesn’t have anything planned on the 2024 movie schedule, a lot is coming up for the actor in the next couple years, proving that the hard work he put in throughout his career has paid off.