Chief of War star on 'overwhelming' volcano eruption filming Jason Momoa drama

Chief of War star Te Kohe Tuhaka has revealed the cast were blessed by a stunning moment of natural beauty while filming Apple TV+'s acclaimed new historical drama.

Starring, co-written and executive produced by Jason Momoa, the Game of Thrones star steps into the role of real-life Hawaiian warrior Kaiana during the tumultuous turn of the 19th Century.

Exploring Pacific Island history like never before, the series features a predominantly Polynesian cast who filmed the majority of their scenes in New Zealand.

However, some pivotal moments were shot in Hawaii itself, including an ambitious sequence against the backdrop of the lava fields of Kalapana.

In a stunning coincidence, the Mauna Loa volcano erupted for the first time in three decades while filming continued, and stopped just as the cast finished their final scenes.

Momoa said of the jaw-dropping moment in an interview with Entertainment Weekly: "You can't write that s***.

"You're obviously stirring up a lot of spirits and mana. It was unbelievable, but there was a really positive energy."

Express Online recently got the chance to chat with Momoa's co-star Tuhaka, who portrays Ka'iana's brother Namake, about Chief of War's ambitious production.

"We arrived, our first day of the shoot, the volcano goes off," the New Zealand actor recalled.

"And then, when we wrapped, as soon as our last day there, wrap was called, boom. It stopped.

"It was intense and beautiful at the same time, and pretty overwhelming. Especially when we were setting up shots with lots of warriors and extras going on, fight extras."

Hinting that fans will be able to see the sight for themselves during the episode, he went on: "You can see the glow from the volcano.

"It was a beautiful thing to be a part of, and culturally I was just like, 'Whoa, that is a sign'."

Momoa, Tuhaka and the show's ensemble cast all seemed to take the unexpected eruption as a good omen that Chief of War is doing justice to Hawaii's rich history and culture.

"Because of the way I love my culture I read into those things quite a lot," Tuhaka says.

"Personally, from my perspective, I went, 'Oh, that is a beautiful sign, a beautiful Hawaiian sign that this is something that is waking up the land in some way'."

As for the content of the scene itself, the actor is keeping spoilers close to his chest.

However, he did confirm there'll be a thrilling action sequence in the season finale that's well worth the wait.

"Without giving too much away, there is a scene in [episode] nine... that's all I can really say to it," he teased.

"But it was physically demanding, it required an intense focus which I haven't had to lean into before and it caps everything off really, really nicely. Ep nine, epic scene. So, keep watching."

Chief of War continues Fridays on Apple TV+.