Jason Momoa Was in a Forgotten Soap Opera Way Before ‘Aquaman’

You might know him best for his 10-year portrayal as Aquaman, Protector of the Deep. Future moviegoers might remember him more as Lobo, The Ultimate Bastich. Whether Jason Momoa is a member of The Justice League or an intergalactic bounty hunter, the Hawaii-based actor had very different breaks on the small screen. Rather than cementing himself in the superhero world, Momoa first found himself in the soap opera scene. When the longstanding NBC series Baywatch was renamed Baywatch: Hawaii in its last two seasons, the then 19-year-old actor made his small-screen debut as one of the mainstay lifeguards.

But as interesting as that beach drama could be (after 10 years on television), what’s more eye-opening is that Momoa tried for that same type of slow-burning and scintillating soap opera once more after Baywatch: Hawaii was canceled in 2001. But this time, he found himself on FOX. Just two months after he made his big-screen debut (in 2004’s Johnson Family Vacation), Momoa would step into the shoes of Frankie Seau on the premiering primetime show North Shore. This was to be the new Baywatch, but with a little more class, a little more sophistication, and less of the cheese.

‘North Shore’ Was All About a Resort In Hawaii

Similarly, North Shore would also take place in Hawaii, but instead of focusing on lifeguards patrolling a beach, this soap opera would revolve around the staff and guests within the fictional Grand Waimea Hotel and Resort. Even though the show would have a great locale and feature stars like James Remar (Dexter, The Warriors), Kristoffer Polaha (Wonder Woman 1984, Jurassic World Dominion), and Brooke Burns (Baywatch, Melrose Place), North Shore would only last 21 episodes before being axed by Fox. But don’t worry; there’s plenty of early small-screen Jason Momoa to go around. The few online users who have reminiscenced about North Shore over the years have had varied positive words, from “a good show” to “great trashy soap”.

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Combined with the two not-so-nice reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, the series was never too high on anyone’s totem pole. But that doesn’t mean it’s not worth a watch. This nighttime soap hit all the right notes. The main cast had chemistry with one another and acted well enough in their roles, and the natural Hawaiian scenery in the background always brought a warm feeling to the show (even with all the drama going on).

Polaha stepped into the main character role of Jason Matthews, who was the general manager of the resort, while Remar was Vincent Colville, who was the owner of the hotel. Burns stepped into the shoes of Nicole Booth, a new high-ranking worker at the resort who used to be Jason’s girlfriend years ago before she broke up with him to be with Morgan Holt. Holt works for Booth’s father, who is trying to continuously buy Colville’s resort. As you can see, North Shore is already on par with the soapy type of drama.

Jason Momoa Played the Smooth Talking Bartender

Aside from that main trio, there are lots of other side characters and stories one can follow. The lifeguard (Corey Sevier as Gabriel McKay) wants to become a pro surfer, and he constantly turns away from job responsibilities to do so. The waitress (Nikki DeLoach as MJ Bevans) is trying to find true love all the while starting an island clothing line. There’s also the con artist turned hotel concierge (Amanda Righetti as Tessa Lewis), who can’t seem to get a handle on her mischievous ways. Certainly, you shouldn’t forget about Momoa’s Frankie Seau.

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The cool man of the group. He operates the outdoor bar, listens to everybody’s problems, and flirts with the ladies when he has the chance. Even this early in his career, the would-be A+ movie star has a natural hold on his character, bringing a smooth balance to the otherwise hectic hotel shenanigans happening all around him. The character of Seau even gets his friends out of some really sticky situations sometimes (as when McKay becomes involved with gang members on the island). North Shore was certainly a bright spot in Momoa’s small-screen filmography. Since the resort bar is on the beach, if it were any closer, he could be considered for Aquaman! Oh, wait…

‘North Shore’ Is Gone, But Not Forgotten

Just as the title of North Shore’s theme song is Home in Paradise, there is certainly something dreamy about the show that reviewers just didn’t see. Baywatch had beaches, but this was in an altogether tropical climate. Oahu, Hawaii, was the perfect backdrop for this story to take place — the blue waters of the ocean and the clear skies have you constantly simmering down from the emotionally hard-hitting relationships between characters. Jason and Nicole are the ultimate “will-they-or-won’t-they” couple of this series, and you easily slide in for the ride with the gorgeous scenery all around.

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Also, actress Shannon Doherty (R.I.P.) comes in mid-season as Nicole’s mean and obnoxious sister — exec producers thought that this would help the show stay afloat against the declining ratings (similar tactics were previously used on Dynasty, Melrose Place, and other iconic soaps). Even though this plan did not work, seeing such a talented actress on a show like this really emphasized North Shore’s desire to stay on the air.

For those wanting to see a rare Doherty role, some of Jason Momoa’s earliest work, and/or the rest of this wonderful cast at work, I’ve got some bad news. The show isn’t available on streaming. But don’t fret just yet. North Shore has been uploaded to YouTube and the Internet Archive for anybody to enjoy — for free!