Aquaman breakout Jason Momoa co-creates and leads the cast of this historical epic about a roguish chieftain who’s dragged into the bloody unification and colonization of Hawai‘i’s bitterly divided island kingdoms
As a native Hawaiian actor, Moses Goods feels like he’s been waiting for Chief of War his entire life. To Goods, the chance to tell the under-told story of the unification (and eventual colonization) of Hawai‘i’s disparate island chiefdoms starting in the late 18th century under King Kamehameha (played here by Kaina Makua) felt like the culmination of a long career. “I always knew that this would come,” says the actor who plays Kamehameha’s closest adviser and father-in-law, Moku. “I’ve been telling Hawaiian stories for almost 30 years. In many ways, I’ve been preparing myself for this moment, for our stories to be told on a global platform.”
The opportunity to deliver Hawaiian history to the masses came from Game of Thrones and Aquaman actor Jason Momoa and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom co-writer Thomas Pa‘a Sibbett, both native Hawaiians who’d been planning this passion project for years. In their hands, the account of these powerful men and women gets a treatment both epic and authentic. “Pa‘a is a great historian and incredibly passionate about these ancestral stories,” says Cliff Curtis, whose character Keōua inherits the title of government leader from his father King Kalani’ōpu‘u, but feels deceived by his cousin Kamehameha receiving the mantle “God of War.” “The minute you started reading the script, you knew this is special. And Momoa really inspired those involved to understand the importance of authentic portrayal of this ancestral time, from the ships to the costumes, and the scale. This is a story of struggle and bloodshed, and an epic story.”
The nine-episode limited series features a cast of predominantly Polynesian actors, among them The Night Agent’s Luciane Buchanan,
Te Ao o Hinepehinga, Temuera Morrison and Curtis, who all hail from New Zealand and are of Tongan or Māori descent. Veteran actor Morrison, who knew Momoa from playing his father in the Aquaman films, was hesitant to take on the role of ruthless King Kahekili — antagonist of Momoa’s ever-conflicted war chief Ka‘iana and the aforementioned King Kamehameha in this fateful battle for Hawai‘i’s future. “I wasn’t quite sure if I could pull this off,” says Morrison. “A big part was learning the language and I was scared that I wasn’t able to attain the levels that I wanted to. Fortunately, we had enough lead time and now I feel very, very proud that I did say yes.”
Hinepehinga, who plays Ka‘iana’s wife Kupuohi, echoes Morrison’s initial fears. “When Pa‘a called me and said they really wanted me for Kupuohi, the first thing I asked him was, ‘Why do you want this random little Māori from New Zealand?’ But whenever there were questions or challenges, as somebody who’s not kanaka [native Hawaiian], it was reassuring to know that the people who were guiding my decisions were kanaka,” she says. “If it wasn’t kanaka making decisions, I don’t think I ever would’ve been able to take on this role because it just wouldn’t be right.”
Even native Hawaiian Kaina Makua, who plays King Kamehameha, struggled with whether he was up for the task. “I would say that, initially, I wasn’t the guy. Internally, I was like, it’s not me,” says Makua, who finds himself in his first-ever acting role. “It’s a fairytale,” he admits. “I’ve coached youth outrigger paddling for 13 years now, and in 2019 I was coaching on the beach. Jason saw me, asked his friend to bring me to his house that night. I went to his house, we took some pictures and he told me that I was going to play Kamehameha. I said, ‘You’re a liar.’ Three years later, he called me and said, ‘I told you so.’ And here we are today.”
Goods isn’t the least bit surprised that Makua ended up in the role as his son-in-law. “There is only one portrait that was made of [Kamehameha]. I’m completely honest when I say it’s actually this guy’s face,” he says. “Visually, he embodies him.” Talent-wise, there was not much question about Makua keeping up either. “What sucks is the fact that this guy has never acted a day in his life and is outshining the rest of us,” Goods cracks. “I’m actually embarrassed because I’ve been doing this for almost 30 years, he’s been doing it for 30 minutes and he’s amazing. I love that.”
For all its intensity, the cast recalls many moments of levity behind the scenes of a series that has bonded them forever. “Because our story is so serious, we would keep each other laughing,” says Buchanan, who plays Kamehameha’s wife and Moku’s daughter, Ka‘ahumanu. “Some days were tough, and the weather would be the challenge. But what was so cool about working on a Polynesian project is that we also have that joy of living our dream.” All that remains is sharing the results with those whose opinions truly matter. “I think for all of us, the scariest thing is hoping and praying that all of the work that we did and all the love that we poured into this is something that Hawai‘i feels proud of, and truly represents who they are,” says Buchanan. “It’s scary. We’ve been waiting for three years for the answer.”
Chief Of War, streaming Friday, August 8 on Apple TV+