Jason Momoa Stargate Atlantis played a key role in shaping the actor’s early career, as Momoa recently described his time on the series as a transformative experience similar to attending college. From 2005 to 2009, Momoa portrayed Ronon Dex, a warrior from the planet Sateda, on the SYFY series filmed largely in Canada.
Jason Momoa Compares Stargate: Atlantis to a Formative Learning Period
Jason Momoa reflected on his years filming Stargate: Atlantis, explaining that the experience greatly contributed to his professional growth.
“Stargate Atlantis was like going to college, to tell you the truth. 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,”
Momoa said. He noted the demanding pace of production, adding that shooting each episode took about a week and a half.
“You’re really seeing how everything moves. It moves very quickly.”
During its run, Stargate: Atlantis focused on a team sent to the lost city of the Ancients beneath the ocean, tasked with establishing Earth’s influence and confronting threats like the Wraith. The show featured Joe Flanigan as Lt. Col. John Sheppard and Torri Higginson as Elizabeth Weir, key members of the expeditionary force. Other main characters included Rainbow Sun Francks as Aiden Ford, David Hewlett as Rodney McKay, Paul McGillion as Carson Beckett, Rachel Luttrell as Teyla Emmagan—the Athosian leader—and Momoa’s Ronon Dex, the military specialist from Sateda.
Early Career Growth Through Stunts and Collaboration
Momoa emphasized how the physically demanding action scenes honed his skills and introduced him to the stunt community.
“As far as action goes, that was when I was really cutting my teeth. 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 shared. This close relationship with the stunt team allowed him to explore his interests beyond acting, giving him the opportunity to learn about stunt work and genres such as samurai films, which he had admired since childhood.
Momoa credited Stargate: Atlantis with providing a period of growth.
“It was very much like college for me, and after that was when I started writing my own stuff… it gave me a time to grow as an actor and obviously learn all the things I wanted to do as a stunt [performer].”
Legacy of Stargate: Atlantis and Its Cast
The show’s ensemble cast also included Amanda Tapping, Jewel Staite, and Robert Picardo, who contributed to its enduring appeal. Stargate: Atlantis remains accessible to fans through streaming platforms such as Hulu and Prime Video, allowing new viewers to experience the world that helped launch Momoa’s career. Momoa’s journey from this early role to becoming a major star in projects like the DCEU’s Aquaman and DC Universe’s Lobo showcases how significant the series was for him both professionally and personally.
As Momoa continues to build on his diverse roles, his reflections on Stargate: Atlantis highlight how foundational the series was in shaping his approach to acting, stunt work, and creative exploration.
