Jason Momoa is well-known for his muscles and for portraying strong characters like Khal Drogo from Game of Thrones and Aquaman. But the actor wanted to show off another, more sensitive side of his personality in a short movie titled Canvas of my Life starring himself, his three kids and his wife Lisa Bonet.
In a mere eight minutes Momoa gives us a personal look inside his childhood as well as his life as a father and husband. “I always wanted to be a father, but never in my life did I ever think I would be an actor”, he says in the video as touching and emotional family scenes pull at the heartstrings.
However, the biggest surprise comes towards the end when we notice that the loving speech and the beautiful family scenes are being used to advertise Carhartt pants. “Everything I am is in these pants… And there will come a day, when I’ll be gone, and my children, or my grandchildren will find these beat-up old Carhartts in a dusty corner somewhere, and they will know, this is the canvas of my life.”
They’ve done it and they’ve done it right. The advertisement, directed by Brian Andrew Mendoza and produced by Momoa’s production company, Pride of Gypsy, uses the heightened emotions to draw the target market in while creating a really honest and genuine image of Momoa outside of the brawny stereotype. It begs the questions, how did a small advertising film in the Mid-west come up with such a clever tactic and how involved was Jason Mamoa with the story and production? Either way, the best advertisements are those that draw you in with a real connection and emotional investment without you even realising it’s a marketing tool. You can bet that mothers and wives all over the Mid-west will be going out to buy Carhartt pants asap. Incredible.
Raised by a strong single mother, Momoa reflects in the film on how his upbringing has shaped his worldview, saying his mom opened his eyes to art, music and instilled in him a deep love for rock climbing and skateboarding. He also shares his aspirations as a father and how he hopes to impart his zest for life into his children by teaching them to develop their self-expression and creativity.“If I teach them to climb then they can push themselves to the limits; gracefully move through fear and doubt”.
In the end, he opens about how his life as a traveling actor is not always compatible with his ideal familial life. “And now my passion for storytelling pulls me away for long periods of time, and that scares me. The nomadic lifestyle
that once inspired me, now takes me away from the things I love most. My family.”
Watch the video “Canvas of my life” below!
