Jason Momoa looks back fondly at his time on 'Stargate Atlantis'

Jason Momoa recalls fondly his career changing work he did in 2004.

The Aquaman star, 46, while promoting his upcoming film The Wrecking Crew, reflected on his time playing Ronon Dex on the sci-fi series, Stargate Atlantis, which he joined in his 20s. In an interview with MovieZine, Momoa compared the experience to higher education.

“Stargate Atlantis was like going to college, to tell you the truth,” he said. “It was four years of my life — you do 22 episodes, roughly takes about nine months out of the year, and you're pretty much dedicated to that.”

He added that filming moved fast, noting it took about a “week and a half” to shoot each episode. “You're really seeing how everything moves. It moves very quickly,” he said.

Momoa explained that the show helped shape him into an action star, especially through its demanding stunt work.

“As far as action goes, that was when I was really cutting my teeth,” he shared. “Our stunt coordinators were amazing. We're all friends, and still to this day, I'm very close to a couple of our stunt performers in Canada.”

He further added the show gave him creative freedom and room to grow. “So it was very much like college for me,” he said, adding that it helped him learn stunt skills inspired by “samurai films and all these things that I loved when I was a kid.”

“The weight of responsibility wasn't as hard as maybe like a big movie,” he said. “It really was a fundamental and beautiful time in my life where I got to learn a bunch of stuff and make mistakes. I had a great time.”

Momoa also praised the show’s loyal fanbase. “They've stood with me through everything,” he said. “I really respect them and love them and appreciate them.”

Stargate Atlantis aired for five seasons from 2004 to 2009.