For an artist, tattoos are a form of expression. Many musicians are known to have tattoos but can actors have tattoos?
Actors should not have tattoos that are visible. Otherwise, you will be typecasted. You will receive roles only for the characters that require tattoos.
Here I am going to provide all the answers regarding tattoos for actors. Also, I will list out actors who are successful and have tattoos. We explore the possibilities of getting tattoos without being typecast.
Can Actors Have Tattoos?
If you want a straightforward answer, then yes, actors can get tattoos. No one will judge or replace you with another actor just because you have tattoos.
But there are a few things that you need to take care of while getting tattoos.
1. Get Tattoos Where It Stays Hidden
You should get tattoos at a place where it is not visible. It can chest, back, shoulder, etc. These parts are generally hidden behind the clothes, so they are not visible.
You should definitely avoid getting tattoos on the back of your palm, wrist, neck, face, etc. The tattoos are generally visible in these areas.
2. Get Small Tattoos
Another important thing is to get small tattoos. Even if it is hidden behind the clothing, keep to small.
Why small?
Let’s say you need to show your back for the scene but have a tattoo on your back.
If it is too large and striking, it would be hard for a makeup artist to hide it.
If it is small, it can be easily hidden with little makeup.
So keep this in mind while getting tattoos as an actor.
3. Get Mild Colors
As I said above, get a tattoo that is easy to hide with makeup. So choose the colors accordingly.
Do not choose colors that are too distinctive and cannot be hidden by makeup.
Simple black ink and red ink can work. Avoid other colors.
What Do Casting Agents Think About Tattoos?
When it comes to casting, they won’t judge your expression of tattoos but will consider you if the tattoo adds to the character.
So there will be two cases, but everything will depend on the types of role they are looking to do the casting for.
The first case is some casting agents will consider tattoos as part of you. That means even if the character description doesn’t specify the character having a tattoo, still casting agent might consider you because you have a tattoo that adds to the character.
Let’s say a character is a man who doesn’t care about the world and is heartbroken, a visible tattoo-like skull with tears might just add to the character.
However, if you are the ideal uptown boy or girl next door, a visible tattoo might not help you with casting.
This will be your second case, where the casting agent will request you to hide the tattoo for the audition.
And if the tattoo is not possible to hide, you might end up losing the role..
Do Tattoos Make It Harder To Get Acting Jobs?
If you follow three things mentioned earlier in the post, getting actings jobs with tattoos won’t be hard.
But it all depends on what kind of roles you are always considered for.
Just try to find your role type and then try to judge whether tattoos are good for you or not.
Having tattoos will be a big advantage if you are an actor always considered for hipster roles.
And if you are always considered for sweet and innocent guy roles, you should avoid tattoos.
Is It A Good Idea To Hide Tattoos During An Audition?
I had an actor friend who had a tattoo on his wrist. For most of his audition, he used to hide the tattoo.
He either used to wear sleeves or use make-up to hide.
However, he used to show the tattoo for some auditions because it fits the role.
So, again I suggest if you want to get the tattoo, just consider what kind of roles you like to play.
If it makes sense to show the tattoo show it or else hide the tattoo.
How Do Actors Cover Tattoos For Movies?
Many famous actors have tattoos. Some of them have sleeves as tattoos.
And for some roles, you need to hide them, so how do you hide a tattoo?
Here are the steps you can follow to hide the tattoos:
1. You Need Clean The Oil, Products, Or Dirt On The Skin
You can use a good quality makeup remover or alcohol on cotton. Just rub it gently on the tattoo. You want to make sure oil and products like lotion are removed.
2. Do the Color Correction
Your tattoo might have different colors, so before you apply anything else, you need to even out the colors.
The best way to even out is to use reddish cream pigment. It is good for covering dark colors because the red color cancels the dark ink.
With the help of a sponge, you should apply the red cream pigment. And to cover fine lines and dost, use a brush.
3. Seal The Color Correction
Once the color correction is done, you need to seal it. You have to seal it in such a way that it should not come off for 6-8 hours so that you can easily do your audition without worrying about tattoos.
To cover it, you can use Green Marble SeLr spray and then use the simple makeup powder to seal it.
This is the best way to make sure the tattoo stays hidden for hours. Even if sweat it won’t come off.
4. Make it look like a natural skin color
Even with the above three steps, you will see the reddish patch on the skin.
So you have to apply a tattoo coverage palette to match your skin.
It has different base shades. Choose the one that matches your skin.
When you are applying the palette, make sure you tap it with a sponge. If you rub it, it will leave lines that don’t look natural.
5. Make Skin Color Consistent
You can skip this step for auditions, but if you are doing some role, you might need to do an extra step.
You have to hide everything using concealer, so that skin color evens out. Use airbrush. It is best for making makeup look realistic.
You can add some beige, brown, or red spots to provide natural skin texture. For this, you can use alcohol-based paints like {amazon products}. It last longer compared to water or oil-based palette.
Final Thought
If you already have tattoos and you want to hide, consult a professional makeup artist. And if you don’t have tattoos as an actor, think twice before getting it.
