Chillin’ with Joe Naufahu

Joe Naufahu can be seen right now in season 6 of Game of Thrones. He is playing Khal Moro, a member of the Dothraki. His past work included Spartacus: War of the Damned, The Kick, The Last Saint and Auckland Daze.

Joe is a former professional rugby union player and runs a personal training business called Ludus Magnus in Auckland. Check out what he tells Chilled about his brief stints in bartending and his adorable love of gardening.

Tell us a bit about the projects you are working on or have coming up.

I’m now over in Los Angeles for the premiere of Season 6 of Game of Thrones. I run a gym in Auckland called Ludus Magnus, so the break after filming on GoT was a welcome one. I’ve got a couple projects in the pipeline but I can’t talk about them just yet.

With your busy schedule, what do you like to do with your down time?

I’ve recently gotten into spending time gardening with my mum. There’s an organic community farm in an area where I spent a lot of time as a child. When I was growing up I never even knew it existed so discovering it was a revelation. I always leave the place feeling rejuvenated. It has everything from avocado trees to fig trees to lemongrass. It’s a wonderful place to take kids and get them away from the mind-numbing gadgets so readily available these days.

What types of drinks do you order when you’re out?

I enjoy a cold beer on a hot day, but in the evening I tend to stick with the white spirits and the low calorie mixers, even though its probably a bit girlie. If I’m out for a night on the town, I’ll usually stick with Vodka, soda and lime, and the occasional tequila shot to liven things up.

Do you own a home bar?

No. I actually don’t have any spirits at home. The only thing on hand is the odd bottle of wine.

If you did own a home bar, what would it be stocked with?

It would probably be stocked with lots of expensive stuff that no one is allowed to drink – haha! Otherwise, it would be gone before you could call it a bar.

Favorite cocktail?

Favorite cocktail would probably be some sort of Mojito. Nice and refreshing with just enough kick.

Have you ever been a bartender?

My folks used to run the kitchen in a little bar and on the odd night I would stand in as bartender. Lots of fun!