Jason Momoa Says Being On ‘Baywatch’ Almost Ruined His Acting Career Before It Started

Jason Momoa may currently be getting a lot of attention on the big screen in Justice League portraying Aquaman, but he got his start on the small screen as a lifeguard in Baywatch. While the actor might be experiencing a lot of success, it seems that his three years playing the character of Jason Ioane on Baywatch Hawaii actually caused him some problems as he began his acting career.

According to Metro News, it seems that while getting to play a lifeguard on television not only started his acting career and ignited his passion for acting, it also had some unforeseen consequences as well. During a recent interview, Jason Momoa shared that getting his start on Baywatch was actually quite “crazy” to him because he was a teenager and a college student living in Colorado, who was “running around with no clothes on and saving people.” However, the entire process and experience ultimately gave him a real passion for the craft of acting and this is when he truly fell in love with the work.

While Baywatch may have given Jason Momoa his passion for acting, the actor did say that it almost ruined his career before it really began. In fact, he shared that after his role as a lifeguard on the series, he found it hard to get other acting jobs.

Jason Momoa explained that after his time on the show ended, “it lead [sic] to getting no respect for about four years and I couldn’t get an agent to save my life.” Instead, the actor explained that he ended up becoming “a rock-climbing bum” and that he found himself spending what little money he received from his work on Baywatch traveling around the world.

Although Jason Momoa may have had problems finding work for a while after his tenure on Baywatch Hawaii, he was able to find roles in smaller projects, like Stargate: Atlantis, before really getting his big break in Game of Thrones as Khal Drogo. Since then, Momoa has found his career really taking off as he joined the DC Extended Universe as their Aquaman.

While Baywatch may have started his career, Game of Thrones seems to have cemented him as a true star. Fans of Jason Momoa have the chance to really see him in action as part of Justice League, which is in theaters now.

[Featured Image by Kevin Winter/Getty Images]