Jason Momoa was recently a guest on The Graham Norton Show. He was promoting his film Justice League - scheduled to be released tomorrow. What follows is a partial nonverbal analysis.
GRAHAM NORTON (beginning at 1:36): And you've brought yourrrr, ah, hang on, it's a - a, a, a - a sep-
JASON MOMOA: A Quindent
GRAHAM NORTON: Quindent
JASON MOMOA: Quindent
GRAHAM NORTON: Quindent
JASON MOMOA: It's not the trident yet, we don't need the trident 'til a little bit later. Next movie.
GRAHAM NORTON: So, I, I now, I think the Quindent is d- back there. You, this is - is this the real Quindent from the movie?
During 1:48, just after Jason Momoa says, "... we don't need the trident 'til a little bit later. Next movie" - he pulls his upper and lower lip inward, covering his teeth - more prominently on his right side. Unfortunately, the camera cuts away quickly, so watch this dynamic several times at 1/2 and even 1/4 speed.
This nonverbal tell is a signal of "a Hesitancy to Disclose". Indeed, the proverbial "Tight-Lipped" display is a longstanding idiom - and it's believed to have been coined by William Shakespeare. The bard was a keen observer of human behavior.
Of course, Jason Momoa is not supposed to reveal much about the plot of his next film (Aquaman due to be released in December of 2018) - however, among fans of the genre, it's no secret that his Trident will play a key role. There are other plot secrets he's keeping - and his concealment of these secrets are what caused Mamoa's expression.
This particular example of a Tight-Lipped display also has additional components of:
• a Suppressed Smile (concealing joy-happiness)
• a hint of a Tongue-in-Cheek display (I just won, Smugness of Victory)
These additional two elements further telegraph not only Jason's feelings of holding a secret - but also the actor's excitement - that he believes the film is sure to be a smashing success.
Of course, these emotions of Momoa's are not at all surprising - and if we were in Jason shoes (fins) we would no doubt feel similarly. It's profoundly important to stress, however, that the tight lip display is typically much more clandestine. In the everyday world - in business or in one's personal life - when this is displayed (with or without a tongue-in-cheek or a suppressed smile component) - the vast majority of the time it is completely missed. How many times have you been blind to this tell?
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See also:
Body Language Analysis No. 4122: Jeff Sessions Testimony, Russia, Ted Lieu, and Changing Stories
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Body Language Analysis No. 4097: Andre Agassi, Boris Becker, and a Tennis Tongue Tell
Body Language Analysis No. 4071: Fans' Reaction to Trauma - Young Girl Hit By Foul Ball at Yankee Stadium
Body Language Analysis No. 4039: Blue Angels, Surprise, Emotional Processing, and Empathy
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Body Language Analysis No. 3934: Donald Trump's (False) Praising of James Comey
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