There's nothing I've ever worked on that beat 'Game of Thrones' - that's a 10-hour movie; they put a lot of money in it.
Zack Snyder is a huge fan of 'Game of Thrones,' and I met him in the training stunt facility that I train at, and I guess he really liked me because he later called me into his office, and we talked about playing Aquaman.
The reason why I wanted to direct is because there are personal stories that I want to tell, but also because I love every part of movie making - from the wardrobe to the set decoration to cinematography.
I go train, and like with Conan, I'm in leather, and with Drogo, I'm in leather or armor or something else. I'm not in my adidas sweat suit or my matching tracksuit pants to go work out. I got too busy of a day. I've got my boots.
I'm half Hawaiian and the haka is a very sacred thing, something your family teaches you - my father taught me.
How far would you go to protect your family? I'm a father, I'm a son, I'm a grandson, and I'm a husband. If someone were to hurt the women in my life and the law didn't take care of it, what would I do? Pretty awful things.Collection: Hurt
Some people we know in our lives come up to a crossroads, and they could go left or right, and then end up in a totally different place.Collection: People
I lay naked in furs a lot. I think I'm naked more than I talk.Collection: Thinking
A wolf is not bad for eating and tearing apart something, if it's for survival. It doesn't do it to be menacing.Collection: Survival
You know what's it's changed is my appreciate for the art form of making cinema. I don't want to act as much as I want to tell stories. I want to be a part of the whole collective and pull all of the pieces together. That's what I love about directing.Collection: Art
Like it or not, I'm the new f***ing Aquaman buddy.Collection: Buddy
I don't really push myself upon people. I don't have that. When it meets and things fall in line, it's meant to happen. It's happened that way. I just try to do my best and do my work, and then it falls in line.Collection: Fall
When I'm acting, I wish I was out there, being a part of it and making it. It's all on your name to do that. It's your vision. You're going to get slandered for your work, and I like that. As an actor, it's so hard. I'd rather direct than act.Collection: Names
People who know me, know who I am.Collection: Who I Am
You cannot embrace the action or play the role correctly if you're having someone else do the movements for you. I want to be doing it myself, unless it's going to be a train wreck.Collection: Action
I don't really have any limitations for what I want to do, as an actor.Collection: Actors
A lot of people don't know enough about me. When I meet people who freak out about Game of Thrones, they don't even know that I can speak English.Collection: Games
I don't want to just play the same thing. But with The Red Road, no one has ever seen me like that. No one really even knows that I smile, have a personality and have a sense of humor.Collection: Play
As a Polynesian, our gods are tied to water, so this means something special.Collection: Mean
I don't want to play a superhero. Drogo may not be Superman, but it is a phenomenal role. I didn't want to get typecast. Drogo is an exceptional character. Conan is iconic. Whether it does good or not, you just try to elevate it to the next level.Collection: Character
It's not that demanding. It's fun. That's one of the great things about being an actor. You get to learn all these things normal people don't get to learn. Going through hallways where it's basically like S.W.A.T. tactical stuff. Around hallways, how to cross, how to signal everyone. Then how to hold a gun, holster the gun - everything.Collection: Fun
I took no money to make art, but my woman backed me up on it and I want my children to see their father happy.Collection: Art
I made a conscious choice to turn down some movies that were action-based, so that I could direct Road to Paloma and show that side.Collection: Choices
I wanted to know everything about the blues. I think it constantly changes for me.Collection: Thinking
I was on Stargate: Atlantis for four years, playing a similar character called Ronon, who was an alien that didn't say much and grunted. I've been there and done that. Whether people have seen it or not, you want to stretch. And then, while I waited, I got The Red Road, and I'd never gotten anything like that.Collection: Character
There are tons of things I'd love to do. I want to do comedy. It's not that I don't want to play a superhero, but I got to play Conan and Drogo.Collection: Play
I was a huge comic book fan, and I still am.Collection: Book
To do six to 10 episodes of high-quality writing, and then be able to go direct my own things, and do a movie, if it comes along, sure. I just want to act and do good work.Collection: Writing
In this business, we have to travel so far away from our families. We have two children, so if we can work together, that's awesome. Before I met Lisa Bonet , it was a dream to work with her.Collection: Dream
For right now, I'd like to tell stories that I want to tell. I haven't wanted to use someone else's material yet, but I would with the show. It's become an integral enough part of me now, that I could definitely tell a story in this.Collection: Stories
I've been on shows that went for years and years and years, and I was not ready for that again.Collection: Years