Although he’s known as Khal Drogo and Aquaman to most, when Jason Momoa is with his kids, he’s just “papa bear.”
The Justice League actor is dad to 15-year-old Lola and 14-year-old Nakoa-Wolf — both of whom he shares with his ex-wife, Lisa Bonet — and to say they’re the joy of his life is no understatement. In fact, Momoa revealed his lifelong dream of becoming a father in a November 2017 Outside documentary short, sharing, “Ever since I was a little boy, I have always wanted to be a father.”
While he’s shielded Lola and Nakoa-Wolf from the public eye most of their lives, Momoa’s heartwarming relationship with stepdaughter Zoë Kravitz — Lisa Bonet’s first child with ex-husband Lenny Kravitz — has played out in front of us, much to our delight.
Channing Tatum, Idris Elba, Jason Momoa, and more celebrity dads who are totally loving parenthood. https://t.co/Ox0FFzomiX
— SheKnows (@SheKnows) January 2, 2023
After news broke in 2019 of Zoë being cast as Catwoman in The Batman, Momoa congratulated her with an Instagram post captioned, “I’m so proud of u zozo bear. On and off screen OHANA. … Lola and Wolfies big sister is CAT WOMAN. Unbelievable so freaking stoked. You’re going to have so much fun.” She lovingly replied, “LOVE YOU PAPABEAR!,” cheekily adding, “Love that aquaman and catwomen [sic] spend the holidays together from now on.”
Even after he and Bonet announced their split, the ohana vibes are just as strong as ever between within their blended family. While attending The Batman premiere in February 2022 with Lola and Nakoa-Wolf, Momoa told Entertainment Tonight, “Lisa couldn’t be here so we’re representing, me and the babies. We’re very excited to just be here. … It’s still family, you know?”
Read on for even more feel-good quotes on fatherhood from the beloved superhero — and super dad.
Teaching Them And Their Peers An Important Lesson
Momoa walked the red carpet with his teens before the premiere of Common Ground, a documentary that features him and other celebrities and highlights the need for sustainable and eco-friendly farming. He admitted to People that he almost “force feeds” his children the importance of living an environmentally conscious life.
“…We played [the film] at their school, and it was fun to watch all their friends watching it, but I’m like, secretly, I wish they even took it more to the next level,” he told the outlet. “I mean, I want the next generation to take it even more. And they are, some people are, but you just got to deal with what feels good to you and it just fuels me. That’s what I’m fighting for.”
On His Favorite Ways to Spend Freetime
What’s Jason Momoa’s ideal lazy day? “Cuddling babies … playing in the dirt, rock climbing, just being with my kids. I love being with my kids out in nature,” he told E! News.
He’s Not ‘Jason Momoa’ to His Kids — He’s Just ‘Dad’
In 2017, the actor explained his perspective on his growing fame and how it may affect his family, telling Entertainment Tonight, “All I’m pretty protective about is my children, and if anyone f—ks with my children — I’m sure most people can understand that. I can really care less about myself, I just want to always stay papa to them. They don’t see that version of me and I like that — I like being able to keep it so I’m just papa bear.”
On Losing His Father at a Young Age
During an interview with InStyle, Momoa shared how his experience growing up without his father in his household impacted the way he approaches fatherhood with his own son. “I didn’t know what it takes to be a dad,” he said. “And I don’t want to just tell my son, ‘Because I said so.’ I really want to connect, and I want him to be vulnerable and open.”
Fueled by Fatherhood
“When I became a father, it changed my life because it really made me learn to take care of myself,” Momoa told The Philippine Star. “Prior to that, I didn’t give too much thought to that. Everything’s to live for after you have babies. I’ve never learned more in my life by having children. I really don’t know what I was doing beforehand. By having children, I felt like my life was then born from that moment on.”
On Balancing His Career & Home Life
“The nomadic lifestyle that once inspired me ― it now takes me away from the things that I love most: my ohana, my family,” Momoa said in a 2016 Carhartt campaign video. “I’m afraid of what I’m going to miss — the laughs, the cries, being able to help them, teach them. I don’t want to miss those moments.”
Teaching a Reverence for Nature
In the same video, Momoa shared his passion for teaching his kids about all of nature’s glory. “I teach them to learn respect for our natural resources, because if they can admire nature’s truest colors, then they can begin to see the beauty in all things,” he said. “To be aware of those inconspicuous and overlooked details of life. I want to give them my eyes.”
Proud of the People He’s Raising
“I want to be remembered as, I hope, an amazing husband and a great father,” the actor told Men’s Health in 2017. “My kids are my greatest piece of art. If I can pump them full of amazing stuff and surround them with beautiful art and music, then I’m going to live out my life watching them. They’re already way smarter and just way better than me. God, I love it. It’s beautiful. I want it to be the greatest thing I ever do: make good humans.”
A Different Perspective on Life
In the same Men’s Health interview, Momoa said, “I really can’t tell you what the hell I was doing before I had kids. Just f—king off. Wasting time. I think I was pretty reckless and definitely a bit out of control. Now I’m more focused. I probably love myself more and take care of myself more because I want to stick around.”
Inspiring His Kids
Sharing what he wants his legacy to be with his kids, Momoa explained to People, “The biggest thing I’m trying to do for my children is just let them have their imagination, their creativity, and to let that flourish. I hope they get to see I’m striving for my dreams and building new ones always.”
This Must Be the Place
In his Carhartt campaign video, Momoa sweetly said of his kids, “With them, my dreams finally came true. I’m a father. I found my place, my home.”
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