Vanessa Hudgens Got a Tattoo Inspired By Her New Film

An astronomical amount of work goes into making a movie. It’s everything you live and breathe for months, sometimes years, so it’s natural that once everything is in the can you want to go out and celebrate. What better way to celebrate than getting a tattoo immortalizing the experience? 

Vanessa Hudgens did just that over the weekend. Along with her BFF GG Magree, Hudgens hit up the respected Mr. K for a small piece inspired by “Tick, Tick… Boom!” Directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda, “Tick, Tick… Boom!” is based on the play of the same name written by Jonathan Larson, who is most well-known as the creator of “Rent.” The play is autobiographical as it details Larson’s early days as a struggling composer in New York City, as well as his anxiety over whether he had made the correct career choice. 

In the film version, Hudgens plays the character Karessa Johnson. For her tattoo, she was inspired by a line in the song “Louder Than Words” when choosing her tattoo—fine line script that reads “Cages or Wings.” 

The full lyric Hudgens is referencing in the tattoo is, “Cages or wings, Which do you prefer? Ask the birds.” Hudgens has always been a free spirit who marched to her own beat, so the sentiment is more than apt for her. 

Magree wasn’t just there to hold Hudgens’ hand throughout the experience, she also grabbed a pair of tattoos from Mr. K—script reading “Psycho” on her hand and a barbed-wire spiderweb to compliment an existing spider on her wrist. 

As expected given his history, Mr. K knocked all three tattoos out of the park.