Horror to Heartthrob— 10 Iconic Fictional Tattoo Artists from Television and Film

In television and film, it’s very common to see tattoos on characters. However, what about scenes depicting the physical acts of tattooing? Over the years, fictional tattoo artists have slowly made their way into popular culture, occupying both the stereotypical villain archetype and the progressive “normal guy” approach. Take a look at 10 of the most notorious artists on screen in the gallery below and let us know your thoughts on this story in the comments section.

Anarchy Parlor—Robert Desalvo and Sara Fabel

2014’s Anarchy Parlor introduced the world to tattooers “The Artist”(Desalvo) and his apprentice Uta (Fabel). In the film, Fabel’s character lures a group of American college students traveling abroad in Eastern Europe to The Artist’s shop, where they get far more than a commemorative tattoo.

Younger—Nico Tortorella

In Lifetime’s Younger, Tortorella plays Josh, a 26-year-old tattoo artist who begins a relationship with the protagonist Liza, who’s pretending to be in her mid-twenties but in actuality is 40.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo—Rooney Mara

Okay, so Salander technically isn’t a professional, but she’s a cult classic. In the film, Mara’s character is assaulted by her legal guardian and to get revenge, she buys a tattoo machine and gives him a permanent reminder of the crime he’s committed.

Hannibal—Chris Ip

In the television show Hannibal’s third season, killer Francis Dolarhyde travels to Hong Kong to get a back piece inspired William Blake’s painting, “The Great Red Dragon and the Woman Clothed in the Sun.” They briefly show Dolarhyde being tattooed, which Ip playing the character in a flashback sequence.

The Tattooist—Jason Behr

In this 2007 horror flick, Behr (best known for his roles in The Grudge and Dawson’s Creek) plays a tattoo artist who steals a sacred tattoo tool while traveling to Singapore and after returning to New Zealand, learns the tool is haunted by evil spirits that attack his clients.

American Horror Story: Freak Show—Skitch King

During the show’s fourth season, which is set in the 1950s, the character Penny is tattooed against her will by King, after her father discovers she’s in love with one of the freak show’s performers. In addition to receiving a lizard tattoo makeover, she also gets a bonus forked tongue.

Blindspot—Many

In the NBC series, Jane Doe is found in Time Square with a bodysuit of mysterious tattoos and no memory. Throughout the series, Doe along with a team of FBI agents use her tattoos to uncover her past. They eventually discover that Doe had been tattooed by a South African terrorist organization, including her biological brother Roman.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VU99fxUQmFM

Euphoria—Javon ‘Wanna’ Walton

In HBO’s Euphoria, Rue gets an inner lip tattoo by Walton, a 12-year-old drug dealer who tattoos on the side. In the show, Rue and her friend Jules visit Walton for friendship tattoos, however, Jules backs out after seeing Rue get hers done.