The big, big Hollywood actor pursues his passions, with film crew in tow.
Fame and fortune can either destroy you and all those around you, as we often read in the tabloids, or it can be kinda fun. In the case of Jason Momoa, it’s fun.
The Hollywood hunk has met with huge success in the movies, starring, as you no-doubt know, as the villain in the latest Fast & Furious movie, as the title character in Aquaman 1 and 2, and in Dune, Justice League, Batman v Superman, and many other hit movies, not to mention TV shows Game of Thrones and Baywatch.
When you’re in that many big hits, they pay you a lot of money—and you get famous. In some cases, as we said, that results in depravation and ruin, but not always. They say if you win the lottery, whatever character traits you have are simply magnified a million times. So if you were basically a good person before, you’ll still be good after. If you were a petty, psycho nutjob, well…
This content is imported from youTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
ON THE ROAM Trailer (2023) Jason Momoa
When fame and fortune came to Momoa, he didn’t waste it on depravation. He used it to pursue his dreams and passions—the ones he had before the fame and fortune. That is what we see in the new series On the Roam, Momoa’s latest endeavor available now on Max (formerly called HBO Max).
“Jason is like a big artist in this body—he’s like an artist trapped in a wrestler’s body,” says co-director and longtime friend Brian Mendoza.
The eight-part series covers the breadth of Momoa’s great loves, from photography and skateboarding to guitars and metalworking. But this isn’t Guitarweek—it’s Autoweek—so we’ll look at the two episodes that have to do with wheels: motorcycles.
Momoa has always had an interest in motorcycles, the 1936 Harley-Davidson Knucklehead in particular. More specifically, a hill-climbing variant of the ’36 he calls a DAH. His goal is to restore or recreate six of them. His journey toward that goal is what we see in two episodes of On the Roam.
It’s a story of redemption and rebirth through motorcycles. It’s believable.
“I had this crazy idea to take this one very rare bike, the DAH, take it apart and make three (more) of ‘em,” he says in the first segment, where the goal is just four DAHs. “This hasn’t happened since probably the 1930s.”
These are not just motorcycles to Momoa.
“These bikes, they’re like paintings,” he says. “They’re these incredible works of art. And they’ve just been sitting there.”
But not enough of them are sitting there to make the four he wants to race in the dirt with his friends, nor the total of six he wants to take with those same friends on “an epic road trip.” So he has the originals scanned and uses the scans to create the rest. And it works.
At the end of the first motorcycle episode we see Momoa and his buddies racing the four DAHs on a dirt track. There is dust in the air, the bikes roar about in super slo-mo detail, and there is a lot of hugging. Momoa is a hugger.
Some critics, even our own staff chopper-rider Wesley Wren, thinks the show is a little “contrived.” Maybe there is some contrivance, but what part of Hollywood is completely free of that, is genuine in every scene? And Momoa certainly comes across as genuinely warm, especially when he meets his heroes and makes new friends to ride with. The dust in the air in slo-mo? Was that tossed up by production assistants?
“No,” Mendoza assured us. “We’d have to go in and pack (the dirt down). We had to shoot early in the morning because of the temperature. It probably would have been easier if it was more packed down but when you shoot with light like that, dust becomes so much more apparent than if you were to shoot the other direction.”
Plus, “We both love backlit images. We both love dust,” Mendoza said.
Momoa on his Harley.
So it’s a highly stylized approach to dirt-biking.
The second of the hour-long motorcycle segments delves a little deeper into the builders who are going to make the final two motorcycles, Jeremiah Armenta and Max Schaaf. It’s even more of a documentary, incorporating long interviews and establishing backgrounds for each character and both bikes. It’s a story of redemption and rebirth through motorcycles. It’s believable. Even moreso than the first one, which was also a good story.
And then, there they are: all the bikes, all firing, each with exposed rocker arms whappity-whap-whapping away.
“Riding with the six ‘36s, at dawn, it was a beautiful thing,” Momoa says. “Having all your friends build them, and customize them, it’s having your wildest dreams come true. It was extremely special.”
And the process, for both Armenta and Schaaf in particular, was cathartic.
“It takes a long time for some of us to feel comfortable in our own skin, and to believe in who we are,” said Schaaf. “And that has been the journey.”
Motorcycles as redemption.
The team has hopes of doing another series of documentary episodes, after the eight that are available now, though nothing is nailed down for sure on that. They plan to do something on cars.
The brothers…
The rest of the segments in this first release cover more of Momoa’s heroes, from photographers to metalsmiths. It’s a somewhat enthralling series that kind of makes you want to hang around with Momoa and his buddies. Or maybe hang out with your own crew of buds.
“Taking something that’s never been ridden since the ‘30s, and taking four of them and racing them…,” Momoa philosophizes. “They’ve never even had four of them together, ever, to race. It’s so cool and so much fun. I hope people get inspired by that and go, ‘Yeah, that (stuff’s) possible. Is that possible? Let’s go do it. Let’s try.”
So watch and be inspired, and maybe go out and pursue your own dreams. In slo-mo.
News
Alexa Bliss spotted training; looks in incredible shape ahead of WWE return
Alexa Bliss has been out of in-ring action for well over a year. [Image credits: wwe.com] Alexa Bliss was spotted training at the gym during her hiatus from WWE in a recent Instagram story. It has been more than a…
Rhea Ripley reacts to a fan who tried to touch her at WWE event
Rhea Ripley has a tough Road to WWE WrestleMania this year. The Women’s World Champion first faces Nia Jax in Australia, and, if she survives The Irresistible Force, she will go on to defend her belt against the winner of…
Stephanie McMahon allegedly got pis*ed at WWE veteran on a flight
Stephanie McMahon had an argument with a WWE veteran on a plane, as per the latter’s comments. Greg Gagne had a brief stint with WWE in 2006 and worked as the OVW booker. He was let go by the promotion…
“Pirates of the Caribbean” will no longer have iconic Captain Jack Sparrow
In a recent interview with Variety, famous producer Jerry Bruckheimer shared about the future of the two popular film franchises he is behind, Top Gun and Pirates of the Caribbean. As for Top Gun, Bruckheimer said part 3 of the…
Johnny Depp’s relaunch REVEALED: Truth about reprise of Captain Jack Sparrow role in Pirates Of The Caribbean reboot… the status of his romance with Amber Heard trial lawyer Joelle Rich… and plans for actor’s own brand of rum
The cheekbones are back. As is a languidly stylish and much shorter haircut. And while Johnny Depp retains that trademark rough-cut and tattooed charm, the excessively scruffy – perhaps even grubby – look of recent months seems to be well past. Friends explain…
Johnny Depp almost lost the role of Jack Sparrow to this actor: He holds the world record and is also the “original” of the captain!
This is the male actor representing the Jack Sparrow role model played by Johnny Depp. As the “chameleon” of the Hollywood film industry, Johnny Depp has many familiar roles, leaving many impressions on the audience. But certainly the image of mischievous and…
End of content
No more pages to load