How Jason Momoa Really Felt About His Time On Stargate: Atlantis

Jason Momoa has had more than one iconic role in his career, playing legendary characters in "Game of Thrones" and a pair of "Aquaman" movies. Known for his towering physique and imposing personality, he's often cast as a mighty warrior, but before he was a superstar, he also had a leading role in a sci-fi TV series, a part of an iconic franchise that few remember: the 2004 cult favorite spin-off, "Stargate: Atlantis."

For four of the show's five seasons, Momoa played alien soldier Ronon Dex. And though the series didn't make him a star, and isn't among his most memorable roles, it did play a crucial role in his development as an actor, setting him up for success on "Game of Thrones." And in 2019, he talked with Esquire Magazine and discussed how important the series was to him. "It was where I learned how to shoot, how to write, how to do it all. We made twenty-two episodes in nine months. Day in, day out. The machine."

The experience of working on a daily basis for TV was extremely critical for Momoa, especially as someone who never planned to be an actor. But with that experience, Momoa was primed to join another machine. And shortly after "Stargate: Atlantis" concluded, he auditioned for the role of Khal Drogo in "Game of Thrones," and he has not been the same since.

Jason Momoa may have appreciated his role in "Stargate: Atlantis" for all it did for his career, but there's at least one reason he wasn't so happy: his hairdo. In the series, Ronon Dex sports Momoa's real, heavy dreadlocks, but the hairstyle proved to be a source of frustration not just for Momoa, but for the production. As detailed by Gateworld in 2008, the saga of Momoa's locks is almost as riveting as the series itself. 

According to the article, Momoa's dreads were at least five pounds, and he had hoped to cut them off during the hiatus between Seasons 4 and 5 — with the plan being to keep the dreads themselves and turn them into a wig. Unfortunately, that plan didn't go off without a hitch. "It took a little over nine hours," Momoa said. "I didn't sleep for four days. I grew my hair out when I cut them, and they braided it and sewed my old dreads back in. It looked great — it just took a long time." Eventually, the process proved extremely painful for Momoa, and the decision was made to start using his stunt double's wig. 

Eventually, however, a better, fully customized wig of dreads was created, at the cost of $10,000. But it wasn't perfect. "There is some of my hair in there, which they sewed in to make it look more like my hair. When it came to us it was really clean and kind of dark. By the end of the season it will be perfect, because it has to get dirty and used." The Sci-Fi Channel ended up canceling the series, ending the need for a wig.