Joseph Jason Namakaeha Momoa is an American actor, model, and producer, who rose to fame with his long-running roles in the television series Baywatch Hawaii and Stargate: Atlantis. His performance as Khal Drogo in the TV series Game of Thrones further increased his popularity and took his career to the next level, drawing the attention of producers and mainstream audiences. He began his career as a model before venturing into acting. He was discovered by international fashion designer Takeo, who encouraged him to pursue a modelling career. Due to his good looks and attractive physique, he was soon at the peak of his modeling career and was also named Hawaii's Model of the Year. He walked the ramp at several prestigious fashion shows prior to taking up acting roles. In acting, his title role in the film Conan the Barbarian opened doors for more film roles, making him a busy actor. In 1999, he bagged a lead role in Baywatch Hawaii, which he earned after beating about thousand other actors who had auditioned for the role. After the show ended in 2001, Momoa took a break from work to travel the world. It was during this time that he discovered Buddhism on a trip to Tibet. He eventually returned to the world of acting and is currently busy with his upcoming projects.