Jason Momoa at a New Zealand screening.Photo:Fiona Goodall/Getty
Fiona Goodall/Getty
ForJason Momoa, nothing tops the feeling of wearing a malo, the traditional Hawaiian loincloth that leaves little to the imagination.
“I feel very beautiful in them, and it’s just something that just feels natural,” he says in the new issue of PEOPLE.
The actor, himself a Hawaii native, says making the series — which he co-created and stars in — helped him “reconnect” with his culture.
“It goes to many different things, not just wearing a malo, but it’s such an honor to wear a malo,” he says. “So I look at it in a totally different way that maybe the world looks at it.”
“It gets a lot of attention,” he continues, “but it’s something that is just for me, personal.”
Momoa has posted to social media several photos and videos of himself wearing the malo, and he says it’s about to get even more mainstream, thanks toChief of War.
“You better get used to it,” he warns playfully, “because it’s going to be on billboards, and it’s going to be all over. If you think I posted something that was racy — the whole show, everyone’s like that.”
“It’s just a natural, everyday thing,” he adds.
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Last November,Momoa modeled one onJimmy Kimmel Liveafter the host brought up the subject and showed an image of Momoa wearing the garment.
“That’s a traditional malo, it’s what the Hawaiians wear,” Momoa told Kimmel, explaining that he had taken to wearing the clothing while preparing to filmChief of War.
When Kimmel inquired whether Momoa was wearing the malo under his clothes during their interview, the actor simply rose from his seat and began removing his apparel until he was clad only in the traditional thong-like clothing, baring his behind for the talk show host and his audience.
“I actually don’t even like wearing clothes anymore," Momoa told Kimmel. “I’m in it every day. I wear it all the time.”
A week later, Momoa shared photos and videos of him onInstagramwearing the malo during an outing in Hawaii, posing with martial artistGordon King Ryan.
Momoa, a passionate advocate for ocean conservation who has crusaded against single-use plastic bottles use, has also also worn the malo while promoting his water brand, Mananalu, which comes in more environmentally-friendly aluminum containers.
Shark Week premieres July 23 on the Discovery Channel. Shark Week programming will also be available to stream on Max.
For more on Jason Momoa, pick up the new issue of PEOPLE.
source: people.com
