Moviegoers who flocked to see 10,000 B.C. this past weekend had to be doing double-takes, thinking the film’s leading caveman, Steven Strait, was actually Jason Momoa from Stargate: Atlantis. It’s pretty hard to tell them apart—though it might be easier now that Jason’s big secret is out: he recently lopped off his trademark dreadlocks! The 6′5″ half-Hawaiian joined the WBNX sci-fi hit early in Season 2 as alien warrior “Ronon Dex” and has developed a cult-like fanbase of admirers. Jason’s character is known for being dark and serious, but those who’ve met the 28-year-old star at conventions say he’s extremely personable and down-to-earth. (He even lists his mom as his role model, and Scooby Doo as his favorite cartoon character.) The 6-lbs. of dreads had to go because their weight was causing Jason headaches and even whiplash during his many martial arts scenes. He presented the heavy hair locks to Stargate’s makeup crew in case they want to sew them on for shooting future episodes. While the unusual flailing hair is sort of a “character” in its own right, the show’s executive producer says the dreads will be reattached prior to the Season 5 premiere for continuity, but beyond that the decision will be Jason’s. Off-camera, the former Baywatch lifeguard is an accomplished artist who’s had showings in both Hawaii and Australia. He and actress Lisa Bonet (The Cosby Show) welcomed their first child together last year, Lola Iolani Momoa. That’s one kid destined for some long, tight braids.

I’m not exactly a diehard sci-fi fanatic, but I do realize that Stargate: Atlantis is one of the most-popular and best-produced shows in the genre—so adding the series to our Sunday night lineup is exciting. One of my coworkers is hooked on the show, which (from what I gather) has raised the legendary city of Atlantis and somehow propelled it into a lost galaxy, while harboring coveted “stargate” transports onto key planets and civilizations. This series is a successful spinoff from Richard Dean Anderson’s Stargate: SG-1, which concluded in March after ten seasons. This coming week, I’ll be interviewing Atlantis star David Hewlett, who plays cranky Dr. Rodney McKay, and we’ll post some of those video highlights here soon.