Via Twitter, we learn that the Hawaiian actor Jason Momoa has been cast in the part of Khal Drogo. He announced that he had just learned he had landed the role at the Armageddon Pop Culture Expo in Australia. He indicates that at the audition, he performed a haka war-dance as part of his audition, he said, and then apparently showed off his backside to the audience in preparation for further nudity in the pilot, which would mark both his first nude scene and his first sex scene as an actor. He also apparently mentioned disliking horses, and not really looking forward to the riding scene the pilot requires (much less the rest of the riding scenes that will be required if the show goes forward).
It seems possible that the spread of the news has led to his official website running into occasional capacity issues. Some photos from a panel Momoa took part in at this summer’s past Dragon*Con can be found at ]his official site forum.
As George R.R. Martin stated earlier, Drogo was the last significant role to be cast in HBO’s pilot for Game of Thrones.