From broke to star: Jason Momoa reveals his long road to success

The throwback photo posted by Jason Momoa. Photo / via Instagram

Jason Momoa travelled around Ireland in a van whilst filming the first season of 'Game of Thrones' because he was "too broke to fly home".

The 39-year-old actor - who portrayed Khal Drogo in the hit HBO fantasy series between 2011 and 2012 - shared a picture of himself laying inside the back of the rented van on Instagram over the weekend, and revealed he and his best friend went "searching for the greatest pint of Guinness" on their trips, only to find they were "perfect" everywhere they went.

The Hawaiian hunk also admitted it's been "a long road" to success and that it's the "simplest moments" he remembers the most from his time in Ireland, and he promised to share some more "gold" throwback pictures.

Alongside the snap, Jason wrote: "So homesick. Looking through my phone I found this. Off the road some quiet parking lot in donegal. It was an amazing simple moment with my best friend @captainriff While filming GOT we had a lil break We were to broke to fly home so we rented a panel van aka UHAUL in Belfast and drove around beautiful amazing IRELAND searching for the greatest pint of Guinness. Turns out it's perfect everywhere. So many wonderful people and stories I treasure those times It was the simplest moments I remember the most. I still miss my family. Been a long road and I feel like I'm just getting started. On the roam Needs to go home. Ps ill ask Brian for more pics he's got the gold. Aloha j. (sic)"

Meanwhile, it was recently revealed that the 'Aquaman' star hospitalised 'Game of Thrones' showrunner David Benioff on set.

During the filming for season two, Jason was challenged to "the slap game" - which sees one player slapping the other's hands until they miss and swap over - by David, and it didn't go too well for the show's co-creator.

He recalled: "Jason was one of our favourite people ever on the show, and very strong. And that's not TV makeup - in real life, he's just a big, strong dude.

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So homesick. Looking through my phone I found this. Off the road some quiet parking lot in donegal. It was an amazing simple moment with my best friend @captainriff 📸 While filming GOT we had a lil break We were to broke to fly home so we rented a panel van aka UHAUL in Belfast and drove around beautiful amazing IRELAND searching for the greatest pint of Guinness. Turns out it’s perfect everywhere. So many wonderful people and stories I treasure those times It was the simplest moments I remember the most. I still miss my family. Been a long road and I feel like I’m just getting started. On the roam Needs to go home. Ps ill ask Brian for more pics he’s got the gold. Aloha j.

A post shared by Jason Momoa (@prideofgypsies) on May 27, 2019 at 12:23am PDT

"So, I'm looking at Momoa and Momoa's talking about beating someone at the slap game. I was like, 'I'll take you at the slap game.' I was like, 'I'm going to challenge the Khal, because if I beat the Khal, I am the Khal.'"

Jason returned to the role as towering Drogo after dying during season one for a dream sequence with Emilia Clarke - who played his former on-screen wife Daenerys Targaryen - and the behind-the-scenes battle gripped the cast and grew.

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🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣My beautiful amazing lovee friend @panterasarah who basically Save me through my early 20s sent me this pic of me on my everyday girl @harleydavidson never had a car unfortunately it got stolen in LA and insurance fucked me but I truly believe if she wasn’t taken from me I would have hurt myself so I stayed with MABEL my first love 57pan. Ride the old girls #Elvislover #pinklover HARLEY’S for life Her name was Pricilla 🤣🤣🤣 aloha j. Ps fuck smoking I was stupid

A post shared by Jason Momoa (@prideofgypsies) on May 17, 2019 at 5:10am PDT

David laughed: "I looked in Momoa's eyes, I saw no mercy there. But I wouldn't quit, because, you know, I had my pride. I had my dumb pride."

His hands "doubled in size" by the next morning, and when he got back home to his wife Amanda Peet in Los Angeles, she sent him straight to the hospital.

He added: "Her diagnosis was that Jason Momoa had squished my hands ... So, it just goes to show, don't challenge the Khal."