Jason Momoa believes it's his 'destiny' to tell the story of Hawaii
The Aquaman star explores his Hawaiian heritage in new Apple TV+ series Chief of War - which tells the story of the unification of the islands at the turn of the 18th century - and he is convinced the stars have aligned to bring him to a place in his career where he could show the lives of his ancestors onscreen.
He told PEOPLE: "I feel like this whole thing has chosen me in a way, like this is my destiny," he says. "I have no idea how I got to all this, but we're here, and I'm very grateful. I'm living my dream doing what I love to do. To play my ancestors is such a responsibility. It's scary and exciting."
Jason added: "My dad is a coach at an outrigger canoe club, which is where I learned how to surf.
"Just this morning, the sand pulled back and revealed massive petroglyphs [ancient carvings] right in the place where I grew up. It's kind of insane. I've never experienced that before."
The actor also got the chance to write and direct while working on the show and he has insisted he's finally get the chance to show a different side to himself.
He told the Metro newspaper: "It's my heart and soul. This has been in me my whole life. I'm ready. Put it on me.
" I feel like I've been mismanaged and people don't really know who I am, since the beginning, so now I finally get a chance to [show] 'No, I can direct and write'."
Jason went on to applaud bosses at Apple for taking a chance on a show about Hawaii's history, adding: "It's a bold thing to do.
"I think Apple had a lot of trust in us, because there's nothing to prove it against. No one's ever heard the language. There's a lot of actors that have never been seen before. It's a lot ...
"There's a lot of change and a lot to bring back of a culture that was … Our language is banned from us and we're getting it back. A lot of our art … We're part of America and I don't think anyone really knows anything about us.
"[We] really have to celebrate Apple for just taking on something that's this big, and putting the trust in me ... "
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