Image Press Agency

Jason Momoa told this lie to book his first acting role

Jason Momoa is an undeniable force in Hollywood now, but the 41-year-old began as an anonymous Hawaii-born, Iowa-raised kid who faked it until he landed his first-ever role.

"My first job was Baywatch: Hawaii, and that's when they were kind of steering away from the whole [David] Hasselhoff thing, and he was leaving, and they came to Hawaii," Momoa explained on The Drew Barrymore Show. "I was working in the family surf shop, and it was on the radio. It was just this massive casting call, and ... as long as you're Hawaiian, you're an extra, and you get like $100 a day."

Momoa continued:

"You know, I'm folding t-shirts for $60. I was like, 'Ah, I'll go down there. So, I go down there with my cousins, and it's this big lineup. Really, we just went down there to meet ladies. I'm 19 years old, and that's just how it was, and then sure enough, I got the lead role. But you had to have a resume. And so, when we came in, they're like, 'Well, do you have any modeling or acting experience?' And I was like, 'Oh, yeah, yeah. I did Louis Vuitton. I did some of the Gucci.' And so, basically I just made up a bunch of stuff. ... Back then, you couldn't really look it up!"

Momoa went on to star as Jason Ioane on Baywatch across 44 episodes from 1999 to 2001. He reprised the role for the Baywatch: Hawaiian Wedding television movie in 2003.

The husband and father of two did not have to lie to land the role on Game of Thrones, where he embodied Khal Drogo for 10 episodes in the 59-time Emmy-winning series' first season. Since 2016's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, he is best known as Aquaman.

Momoa also discussed why becoming Aquaman is full circle as well as new scoop on Aquaman 2 with Barrymore. Watch below.

More must-reads:

TODAY'S BEST
Disney pushes back the next two Avengers movies
Scarlett Johansson reveals if she would be interested in directing a future Marvel project 
19 times Netflix reality stars were more chaotic than seasoned vets
15 movies about forbidden love that had no business making us cry
The 15 funniest movies about pretending to be someone else
The 20 greatest films from the Marvel Cinematic Universe
Apple TV+ shares official trailer for season 2 of 'The Buccaneers'
George Wendt's perpetual Norm-ness was a harbinger of the modern sitcom star economy
Jason Momoa and wrestler Roman Reigns in talks to star in new "Street Fighter" movie
Catherine O’Hara reveals that the third season of 'The Last of Us' will be "the Abby story"
20 iconic celebrity couples who exude fame & power
20 awesome TV shows that were canceled way too soon
Jason Momoa is a warrior ready for battle in 'Chief of War' teaser trailer
Elizabeth Banks calls Elle Fanning "perfect" to play Effie Trinket in 'The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping'
John Krasinski reveals if he would make a cameo in the upcoming spin-off of 'The Office'
Austin Butler is on the run from gangsters in trailer for Darren Aronofsky's "Caught Stealing"
Carey Mulligan reportedly joining Greta Gerwig's "Narnia" movie
Christopher Briney admits that "it's cool to steal the voiceover spot for a little while" in 'The Summer I Turned Pretty'
20 times an actor stepped out of their typical genre, and it paid off
20 of the greatest coming-of-age movies