Celebs with Heavy Tattoo Cover-Ups for Roles

Tattoos are part of many stars’ personal style, but cameras need characters to look consistent with the world of a story. When an actor’s ink does not match a character, makeup teams step in with concentrated layers of color correction, high coverage creams, airbrushed alcohol paints, and strategic wardrobe choices that keep continuity tight from scene to scene.

The work is precise and methodical. Artists neutralize dark pigment with orange or red correctors, build an undetectable skin tone with silicone or alcohol activated palettes, and finish with sealers that resist sweat, water, and friction. For exposed areas like hands or necks, daily maintenance, waterproofing, and constant checks under different lighting keep the cover intact through long shooting days.

Angelina Jolie

Angelina Jolie has extensive tattoos across her arms, back, and torso that do not always fit contemporary or period characters. Projects like ‘Salt’, ‘A Mighty Heart’, and ‘Changeling’ required neutral skin in areas that would otherwise show visible script and gridwork.

Makeup teams typically correct the darker ink first, then airbrush thin, even layers to match her undertone under studio and daylight sources. Long costume days call for multiple sealing passes and touchup schedules, especially for areas that can rub against wardrobe like shoulders and upper arms.

Dwayne Johnson

Dwayne Johnson’s Samoan pe’a and shoulder chest work are central to his public image, yet some roles require a blank canvas. When a character in ‘San Andreas’ or ‘Skyscraper’ needed a specific look, departments relied on targeted coverage along the deltoid, biceps, and chest.

Artists often start with high opacity creams to block the black patterning, then use alcohol airbrush passes to restore realistic skin texture. Tight shirts and layered costuming reduce abrasion and keep the covered areas from breaking down during action scenes and harness work.

Jason Momoa

Jason Momoa’s forearm shark tooth pattern and other pieces are recognizable, but characters like Khal Drogo in ‘Game of Thrones’ and roles in ‘Dune’ required either additional body art or the absence of modern ink. That means real tattoos must be blended out before any character designs are added.

Crews map each tattoo’s edges, neutralize them, and then either leave clean skin or apply character specific markings on top. Because Momoa performs physical scenes, water resistant sealers and scheduled resets are built into the call sheet to prevent cracking or transfer.

Pete Davidson

Pete Davidson has a large number of tattoos across his arms, chest, and neck, and many productions require extensive cover to maintain a character’s look. Work on films like ‘The Suicide Squad’ and ‘Bodies Bodies Bodies’ involved full arm and neck neutralization before base makeup.

Departments plan extra chair time for him because high contrast ink needs multiple passes to disappear under camera. Alcohol activated palettes and airbrush systems allow thin layers that read as skin under close focus, while matte sealers and powdered set reduce shine during hot lighting.

Harry Styles

Harry Styles’ chest, arm, and torso tattoos needed full coverage for the World War II setting of ‘Dunkirk’. Period accuracy demanded clean skin for close quarter scenes on ships and beaches.

The team used orange correctors to knock down blue black ink, then built a subtle chest and shoulder tone that matched sun exposure for exterior scenes. Saltwater and sand conditions meant additional sealing and frequent checks between takes to keep the result stable.

Kristen Stewart

Kristen Stewart has several small but visible tattoos on her arms and hands that do not align with many biographical and period roles. Playing Princess Diana in ‘Spencer’ required clear skin on wrists and hands for frequent close ups.

Makeup leads used precision concealers and fine airbrush passes to maintain realism on delicate areas that flex and crease. Gloves and wardrobe helped when available, though dinner and ballroom sequences required bare skin that would hold up under bright practical lighting.

Megan Fox

Megan Fox’s tattoos, including the well known forearm portrait that she later removed, often needed to be concealed for continuity. Productions like ‘Transformers’ and ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ required neutral arms and shoulders for action and stunt days.

Artists combined long wear creams with silicone based airbrush layers for flexibility during wire work and fight choreography. When sweat or rain rigs were involved, waterproof sealers and protective barriers kept coverage intact without caking on camera.

Colin Farrell

Colin Farrell’s personal tattoos are not part of many of his characters, and heavy prosthetics for ‘The Batman’ covered skin and added texture that did not match his real ink. Other films with period settings also needed clear forearms and hands.

Prosthetic teams coordinate with makeup to hide ink before applying appliances, since edges can lift if pigment shows through. Alcohol paints stippled over barrier film help tie skin and prosthetic surfaces together, while powdering and setting sprays keep everything consistent across long prosthetic calls.

Tom Hardy

Tom Hardy’s numerous tattoos are frequently covered for roles where they would distract from character design. Films like ‘Inception’ and ‘The Revenant’ required clean forearms and necklines, while projects such as ‘Warrior’ used character specific body art placed over neutralized skin.

Because Hardy performs physically demanding scenes, coverage must stay flexible and breathable. Crews rely on thin layered airbrush applications that move with the skin, reinforced with setting sprays designed for sweat and temperature swings on exterior locations.

Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga’s ink on arms and back needed adjustments for characters with different style profiles. In ‘A Star Is Born’ some tattoos were minimized for performance scenes, and in ‘House of Gucci’ pieces were covered to match Patrizia Reggiani’s look.

Covering pale skin with high contrast tattoos requires careful undertone matching to avoid patches under flash or daylight. Teams test under multiple color temperatures and lock the formula before principal photography, then catalog positions in continuity books for reshoots.

Chris Evans

Chris Evans has chest and torso tattoos that are not part of his superhero or period characters. Marvel productions like ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’ and ensemble titles needed a clean upper body when shirts came off or collars dipped.

Makeup artists neutralized ink with correctors, then used airbrush passes that kept muscle definition visible without revealing the coverage. Because action units shoot out of sequence, continuity photos of lighting and sheen levels ensured that covered areas matched from scene to scene.

Ariana Grande

Ariana Grande has many small tattoos on hands, arms, and the torso that do not align with certain roles. For ‘Wicked’ the team aimed for a classic look for Glinda with pristine skin on hands and neckline in musical set pieces.

Tiny linework can peek through if only a single layer is used, so artists build coverage gradually and seal between coats. Gloves and jewelry choices help when appropriate, and close up checks under theatrical lighting confirm that no micro lines are reflecting on camera.

Mark Wahlberg

Mark Wahlberg previously had multiple tattoos that were often covered for early roles that demanded a clean look. Before removal, productions addressed shoulder and ankle areas where wardrobe could not fully hide the ink.

Crews used dense creams to block darker areas first, then airbrushed subtle veining and freckles to bring back natural texture. Water scenes required additional alcohol based sealing and quick dry touchups to prevent color wash off between takes.

Scarlett Johansson

Scarlett Johansson’s back and arm tattoos are not part of most of her characters, which means regular cover on open back gowns and sleeveless costumes. Projects across the ‘Avengers’ series and ‘Black Widow’ asked for a specific silhouette without visible modern ink.

To keep movement natural, artists avoid thick layers on joints and focus on thin airbrush passes that blend into surrounding skin. For red light and blue light setups, tests ensure the covered areas do not fluoresce or shift tone under specialty fixtures.

Zoë Kravitz

Zoë Kravitz has multiple tattoos across arms and torso that often need concealment for continuity. As Selina Kyle in ‘The Batman’ only character appropriate markings could show, which meant personal ink was minimized or removed in post only after on set coverage.

Makeup plans accounted for stunt doubles and second unit work so the same covered pattern read across performers. Neutralization followed by translucent setting layers kept the finish skin like while still resisting friction from leather wardrobe and harness points.

Cara Delevingne

Cara Delevingne’s tattoos are part of her fashion identity, yet period or fantasy roles often need a clear base before any character designs are added. In ‘Carnival Row’ personal ink was reduced so era specific styling could read cleanly.

Departments map each tattoo during prep and use a combination of cream camouflage and alcohol paints to achieve thin, durable layers. Because her roles include rain and fog effects, sealers and barrier sprays are essential to prevent streaking on long night shoots.

Ruby Rose

Ruby Rose’s extensive arm and upper body tattoos require planning when a character calls for different designs or none at all. In ‘John Wick: Chapter 2’ and other projects, only character matching marks are allowed to be visible in frame.

Covering full sleeves efficiently means assembling a specific palette for undertone and texture, then working in zones to reduce time in the chair. Compression layers under costumes reduce rubbing, and scheduled checks keep edges from lifting during fight choreography.

Dave Bautista

Dave Bautista’s tattoos cover large areas of his upper body, which can conflict with specific character looks. For ‘Blade Runner 2049’ and ‘Dune’, departments either covered real ink or layered character tattoos over neutralized skin to maintain design control.

Because Bautista’s scenes often involve heat and movement, makeup teams use alcohol based products that bond well and resist sweat. Texture passes mimic pores and slight mottling so the covered areas remain believable under high resolution cameras.

Machine Gun Kelly

Machine Gun Kelly, credited as Colson Baker in several films, has extensive torso and arm tattoos that rarely align with period or grounded characters. Projects like ‘The Dirt’ embraced character ink, while other films required his real tattoos to be fully blocked before costuming.

Artists often start coverage the moment he hits the chair to stay on schedule, working from torso outward with quick drying layers. For performance scenes that involve contact, additional sealers and breathable barriers keep coverage from transferring to wardrobe and set pieces.

Priyanka Chopra Jonas

Priyanka Chopra Jonas has a wrist tattoo that does not match every character profile. On shows like ‘Quantico’ the visible script was often minimized to keep focus on the character’s world.

Small script can resurface as makeup wears, so teams use fine brushes to correct edges and set with micro powdering that avoids buildup. Watch placement and sleeve length are coordinated with costume design to reduce friction and extend wear during action sequences.

Share other examples you have spotted on screen in the comments so everyone can compare notes on the techniques that work best.