With his towering frame, carved abs and muscles for days, Jason Momoa has built a career not just on screen presence, but on one of Hollywood’s most famously “jacked” physiques. From Atlantean king to post-apocalyptic warlord, the 6’4” star has long embodied peak action-hero condition — which makes his latest dietary confession all the more surprising.
In a recent sit-down with Men’s Health US, Momoa revealed that despite his sculpted appearance, his eating habits are far from monk-like. While he tightens things up for superhero roles, he insists that outside of filming he’s far more relaxed — with one nightly ritual he refuses to give up: three pints of Guinness.
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“I just work really hard,” he said. “So at the end of the day, the dog wants his bone.”
Momoa, now approaching 50, explained that during physically demanding roles such as Justice League and Aquaman, he had to significantly adjust his diet to lean out and maintain superhero-level definition. “For Justice League and Aquaman, you know, the Superhero shit, I had to lose weight,” he said. “But I’m not the kind of guy who wants to walk around like that. I’m old now. That’s a young man’s game.”
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Momoa first shot to global fame as Khal Drogo in Game of Thrones, a role that showcased both his physicality and screen intensity. He later became synonymous with DC’s Aquaman, helping the first standalone film gross over $1 billion worldwide. More recently, he has appeared in Fast X as flamboyant villain Dante Reyes, scene-stealing in a pink satin ensemble that proved he’s more than just a stoic strongman. He also reprised his role in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, while continuing to produce and front passion projects tied to environmental activism and Hawaiian heritage.
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Yet despite the blockbuster credentials, his diet is refreshingly human.
Breakfast can go one of two ways: “dirty” or clean. On the indulgent end, he swears by The Lumberman at Waveland Café in Iowa — a calorie-heavy plate loaded with biscuits and gravy. In Hawaii, he opts for traditional local fare such as Kalua pork, poi, rice, macaroni salad and Portuguese sausage.
His at-home guilty pleasure? A dish he describes under the “buttered noodles umbrella”: spaghetti with half a stick of butter, sea salt, sunny-side-up eggs and a tin of caviar. “Eggs on eggs is what we call it. That’s the fucking banger,” he said.
When preparing for roles like Aquaman, however, things look very different. His cleaner breakfast includes black rice, avocado, sardines, seaweed and eggs — nutrient-dense, protein-heavy and designed to support intense training sessions.
Lunch, he says, is minimal. “Not really a lunch guy.” Often it’s grilled chicken or something similarly lean — mainly so he can save calories for later.
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Later, of course, being those three Guinness.
Momoa credits his upbringing for his appreciation of good beer. His mother worked for Leinenkugel, and he says she raised him on quality brews rather than mainstream light lagers. That influence appears to have stuck, though Guinness has become his non-negotiable of choice.
Still, age is prompting some reflection. “I used to eat steak almost every day,” he admitted. “I’m almost 50, and I’m like ‘I gotta lay off the caviar, oysters, beer, red wine’. It’s all the things that are bad for you, all the things that I love.”
He has recently cut down on red meat in a bid to protect his heart health — a pragmatic shift rather than a dramatic overhaul.
The broader picture? Even one of Hollywood’s most physically imposing stars doesn’t live on grilled chicken and broccoli alone. His approach now seems less about six-pack perfection and more about balance — train hard, eat well when needed, and allow space for enjoyment.
And if that enjoyment happens to include three pints of Ireland’s most famous stout each night, he’s not apologising for it.
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