Fast X: Jason Momoa Took It Upon Himself To Secure A Custom Harley For The Movie
Jason Momoa is an actor who wears his passions on his sleeve. He's admitted to building his characters around different heavy metal songs, and his love of rock climbing runs so deep that he co-hosted HBO Max's reality competition series "The Climb." Now, Momoa is tapping into his motorcycle fandom for his appearance in "Fast X."
In the forthcoming "Fast & Furious" film, Momoa plays Dante Reyes, the vengeful son of drug lord Hernan Reyes (Joaquim de Almeida), the antagonist of "Fast Five." For Momoa, who has his own vast collection of vintage bikes and cars, being on set was like being a kid in a candy store. "The first thing I asked was, 'What bike do I get to ride?'" the actor told Total Film (via SYFY). For Momoa, only one brand would suffice: Harley-Davidson. "Generally, it's a Bugatti or a Triumph or some kind of smaller performance bike for doing tricks on," he explained. "I was like, 'Hell no. I want to ride a Harley!'"
Harley-Davidson hooked up Momoa with six bikes for Fast X
To ensure that his "Fast X" character would be outfitted with the finest motorcycles on the market, Jason Momoa went straight to the top. "I called Harley instantly, called the CEO, and was like, 'Bro, can you help me?'" Momoa recalled. The fine folks at Harley-Davidson came through in the clutch. "They sent up like six bikes," the actor continued. "I totally got hooked up. They let me build it for my character."
For Momoa, the bikes weren't merely props. The actor and motorcycle enthusiast insisted on doing some of his own bike stunts, though some of the more serious action sequences were left to veteran stunt man Joe Bucaro. "The other half of the time, I'm riding at top speed through Rome," Momoa told Men's Health. "I couldn't believe [director] Louis [Leterrier] let me do it."
Like Momoa, Dante Reyes is a real gearhead, but he's not your typical butch villain. "I didn't want it to turn into another macho, testosterone showdown kind of thing," Momoa explained to Total Film. "I wanted to make him look inviting and easy-going, to have a softer side. That's why he wears pastels. He's a little androgynous." Indeed, Reyes' lilac-purple car is the perfect encapsulation of androgyny-meets-muscle. "I want you to be intrigued by Dante Reyes, and when you get close, he has you."