Hawaiian actor and star of ‘Aquaman’ Jason Momoa arrived in Aotearoa over the weekend and was greeted with a pōwhiri as he hopped off the plane at Tāmaki Makaurau.
The traditional Māori greeting was captured by Coconet TV, a Pacific Island website/media outlet.
Some choice form on the hongi from the ‘Game of Thrones’ star there.
The group performing the pōwhiri is the kapa haka group ‘Ahina i te Kaupapa’ from Rāhui Pōkeka (Huntly), reports Coconet. They also gifted Momoa a pounamu (greenstone).
Momoa has long been a fan of Aotearoa and Māori culture. He once performed a powerful haka on the red carpet for the premiere of ‘Aquaman’ back in 2018.
Check that out below.
Talking to Newshub about why he performed the haka, Momoa said that since he was a young kid he’s had an interest in NZ’s culture, even more than that of his homeland Hawaii’s.
“I’ve always been drawn, since I was a baby, I would see pictures of New Zealand, I’ve been just pulled there and the moment I stepped foot there, it was the only place I’ve felt like ‘this is exactly where I’m from’. Not even Hawaii has done that to me.”
“I am so connected to Aotearoa on a higher level. I know I’m from there.”
The way Momoa reacted to meeting the All Blacks at the airport is pretty good evidence he’s a kiwi at heart.
He took a bunch of photos - cheesing in most of them - and called Tana Umaga his ‘idol’.
Read more about that below.
Despite his love for our country, he is still a Hawaiian through and through, evident in the fact he just recently got a traditional Hawaiian tattoo on the side of his head. He shared the ink, which has been in the works for two decades, on his Instagram.
