8. Before He Played A Fake Lifeguard, He Was The Youngest Lifeguard In The History Of The Gulf Coast
Before Khal Drogo and Conan, Momoa first received recognition for convincingly playing a make-believe lifeguard on Baywatch: Hawaii. As it turns out, his performance wasn't as make-believe as viewers might have initially thought. During his teens, Momoa was an actual lifeguard and was certified to save people from drowning if need be. In fact, he was so good at his job that he became the youngest lifeguard in the history of the Gulf Coast. Not long after, Momoa was scouted by an international modelling agency and he decided to hang up his lifeguard trunks and was soon named Hawaii's Model of the Year in 1999. This didn't last too long as Momoa was soon back in those lifeguard trunks for Baywatch. But rather than hiring him based on his lifeguard credentials, the producers were more interested in those with modelling experience. To get the role, Momoa lied about his modelling credentials and claimed that he had worked for Louis Vuitton and Gucci. This little white lie paid off and Momoa was cast. Ironically, Momoa's Baywatch character was the youngest lifeguard on Baywatch, as well as the best water person on the team.