Jason Momoa’s Game of Thrones audition tape is going viral this Monday morning. Watch it below and you’ll understand why the show’s producers went with this then-little-known actor for one of Season 1’s most crucial roles.

Momoa’s performance as Khal Drogo, leader of the Dothraki horde and Daenerys Targaryen’s ill-fated husband, is still one of the show’s standouts and fan-favorites despite its brevity (and the fact that it was three seasons ago now). Why? All credit is due to Momoa’s intense, brooding portrayal, and the clip below shows that he was gunning for “aggressive” from the get-go.

In Jason Momoa’s Game of Thrones audition, the 35-year-old actor performs the haka, described by Time as “a traditional dance associated with New Zealand’s Maori people.” The audition shows that Momoa’s own vision of the Dothraki leader matched that of the producers, and is probably why he ended up winning the part in the end.

Since his stint on Game of Thrones, Momoa’s career has soared to new heights with central roles in recent Hollywood actioners Conan the Barbarian (2011) and Bullet to the Head (2012) opposite Sylvester Stallone. His next role is his biggest yet: the actor will portray Arthur Curry/Aquaman in Zack Snyder’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and, silly title aside, he’ll likely portray the character in the follow-up Justice League films and potentially his own spin-off in the near future.

Check out Jason Momoa’s Game of Thrones audition tape below. It has been on YouTube since 2012, but that’s no reason not to check it out right now!

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