Do you have any favorite behind-the-scenes memories with Jason Momoa?
Our audition was quite funny. Initially, I didn’t get the part. They were like, “Sorry, we can’t make this happen,” because I was on another show. I was quite upset about it. It’s very rare that you get upset about auditions because you’re just like, “I was never meant to play it, move on.” But when it’s something that special, you’re just like, “Why?” I’m still on Night Agent, Season 1; this is how long ago it was [laughs]. I was telling the ladies who were doing my hair because they knew all about the audition. They’re like, “We’re so sorry. Hopefully, something comes up later.” And my co-star, Hong Chau, who plays Diane Farr in Season 1, was in the chair next to me, and she looked over and was like, “Well, do you want the role?” I was like, “Yeah, I really want it.” And she was like, “Well, fight for it. Go back and say you want it.” I was like, “Okay, how do I do that? I’ve never done that.” And she really encouraged me.
I went back and messaged my manager, “If there’s any way I could play a smaller role or be a background.” I just went straight to the bottom. I didn’t ask for what I actually wanted. So for two months, I was like, “Okay, it’s not mine.” Then, it randomly came back, and they were willing to make it work. Both shows were happy to, and then they called me. I had no idea. I didn’t read a script. I didn’t know that I was a lead ’til I booked it. So, I play Kamehameha, one of his wives. I thought I was wife number five, who comes in, “hi” every episode or something. No, not at all. They called me, and they’re like, “We’re going to do a chemistry read with Jason Momoa.” No pressure. Had never met him, huge superstar. I don’t know if you remember, in Season 1 of The Night Agent, I have a straight bob, and Polynesian women have very luscious, beautiful, long hair. They were really struggling to see me in this role. They’re like, “We like you, we like the way that you read her, but we can’t visually see you as Kaʻahumanu.” And I was like, “Okay, what do I have to do?”
So, my manager sent me to Crenshaw in Los Angeles to a wig shop, and I bought this [laughs] cheap, synthetic wig. I was like, “I’ll do whatever.” Of course, I’m not going to spend hundreds of dollars on a wig, but it’s a Zoom audition. They can’t really see everything. I ended up doing the read call; I was wearing the wig. Thomas Pa’a Sibbett, who’s our writer and creator, was like, “Can I just ask, you look so different, are you wearing a wig?” And I was like, “Yes.” The longer we talk, the more my hairline is changing because I didn’t pin it down, didn’t have anything with me. He was like, “Wow. This is a different person. Who’s on the Zoom?” And then after that Zoom, Jason was just like, “Congratulations.” And I was like, “Okay, why is he saying congratulations?” [Laughs] Because you hear stories of people being like, “You got it,” and then, they go to someone else. So you never want to celebrate too early. And the first time I met him in person, he is like, “Where is that wig? I want to pin that on my wall. That changed everything.” And I was like, “Really? Not the performance? The wig?!”
Credit: buzzfeed.com
