Nov. 11 (UPI) — Jason Momoa says he was “completely in debt” following his run on Game of Thrones.
The 41-year-old actor recalled in the December issue of InStyle how he struggled professionally and financially after playing Khal Drogo on the HBO series.
Momoa portrayed Khal Drogo in the first season of Game of Thrones, which aired in 2011. His character was killed off the show before the series reached its fever pitch of popularity.
In the InStyle cover story, Momoa said he struggled for several years after Game of Thrones. Momoa is married to actress Lisa Bonet and has two children, daughter Lola, 13, and son Nakoa-Wolf, 11, with the Cosby Show alum.
“I mean, we were starving after Game of Thrones,” Momoa said. “I couldn’t get work. It’s very challenging when you have babies and you’re completely in debt.”
Momoa’s situation improved after he was cast as Aquaman in Justice League, which opened in 2017. He has since reprised the character in a standalone film, Aquaman (2018), and will return in Aquaman 2.
Momoa will also star in the film Dune, Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of the Frank Herbert novel. Momoa plays Duncan Idaho, with Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides, Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica, Oscar Isaac as Duke Leto Atreides and Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck.
In the interview, Momoa said Dune is particularly relevant in today’s world.
“It’s not alien versus alien — it’s about conflicts between human tribes,” he said. “And greed. It really hits home right now.”
Dune was to open in theaters in December but was delayed in October to October 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Momoa most recently appeared in the Apple TV+ series See.
