How far would you go to show your devotion to your favorite celebrity? A standard fan might have their favorite musician's albums, or all their favorite actor's films, and a few posters on the wall. For a sporting icon, you might have a jersey with their name on the back.
A really big fan might go that little bit further. For them, it's all about meeting their hero. Big fans might have autographs in a frame, along with a picture of them actually meeting their hero in person. They'll travel miles to go and meet their icons in the flesh.
Then, there's the super fans. Owning all the gear and having all the pictures isn't enough. For them, the ultimate display of how much they truly love their hero is to get their face inked onto their skin, creating a connection that lasts forever. Here's fifty people with celebrity tattoos!
Lana Del Ray is known for combining her music with drama, romance and art. Her music touches on the themes of glamour, often feeling like it belongs to a different time and place. Del Ray wouldn't look or sound out of place in the heyday of the 1940s or 1950s, such is her timeless elegance.
That elegance is reflected in this beautifully detailed tattoo; with has really captured a photographic likeness of the singer. Topping the design off with a stylized flower blooming from her hair adds a touch of femininity which makes this a real work of art. What's particularly amazing is the attention to detail that's been given to Del Ray's eyes; this is a tattoo that looks like it's following you around the room. The self-styled "Queen of Indie Pop" would surely be honored if she ever saw this picture.
Recent coverage of Kanye West's life hasn't been particularly positive for the rap superstar and husband of Kim Kardashian. He's endured a difficult couple of years, especially with his habit of making bold and controversial statements on Twitter, and then seeming to reverse them days or weeks later. From 'college dropout' to global superstar, West's rise to fame seems to have been a journey conducted against the odds. It certainly isn't easy being Yeezy.
What's never been in doubt, though, is his talent as a recording artist, and the way he's able to inspire devotion in those who adore him. That explains why this fan invested time, money and pain in having this vividly colorful tribute to him etched onto their flesh. The detail in the hair and stubble is particularly outstanding. We wouldn't be surprised if the larger-than-life star got a copycat tattoo for himself!
The Barbadian Princess of Pop is an icon of both fashion and music, as well as being a pin-up poster on the walls of millions of people around the globe. From her humble beginnings to where she is now, Ri-Ri has definitely put in the 'work, work, work' to make it to celebrity superstardom. She might be a good girl gone bad, but she's also a regular girl turned rich, and has the chart success and fan base to prove it.
She's been particularly well captured in this tattoo; which manages to be instantly recognizable at the same time as depicting the singer as royalty. She may be the true heiress to Madonna's 'Queen of Pop' status, and so it seems only right that she should have a crown to go with it. Also, is it just us, or is anybody else getting a slight vibe of Cleopatra looking at this?
It's a sad truth that many artists; and especially musicians; get more credit and attention after they've died than they ever do during their time with us on the planet. That's doubly true if somebody dies young. They never age or fade within our minds, meaning they never got too old, or lost their creative edge. Tupac Shakur was at the cutting edge of the rap game when he was taken from us too soon, and so he'll always retain that status.
It's difficult to overstate just how influential a figure Tupac is within the world of rap. Many young rappers who emerge now still cite him as being an inspiration and a role model. He's a cultural icon, and cultural icons are always likely to inspire their followers to get a tattoo just to show where their loyalties lie.
Wow, there's a lot going on in this image! Pink has been a mainstay of the music scene for twenty years now, effortlessly moving between rap, hip hop, pop and rock music with a versatility very few others can match. She's also a feminist icon, with her 'girl power' message always seeming more genuine and sincere than the Spice Girls ever were.
That spirit of female empowerment is evident in this tattoo, which transplants Pink's face over the famous 'Rosie the Riveter' image which dates all the way back to the Second World War. The original image has always been associated with feminist causes, and so adding Pink to it just solidifies that connection. We're less sure about the text that's going around the image, but that's just a matter of personal taste. We're not here to judge!
This is another tattoo that's a little surreal to look at. Very few people would dispute Eminem's worthiness as a superstar. He's one of the biggest rap artists who's ever lived; still as capable of selling out stadiums and multi-platinum albums now as he was when he first emerged all the way back in 1996. There's only ever been one Slim Shady, and his ability to turn social and political commentary into relatable rap tracks is a skill that precious few others have ever been able to master.
To understand why he has rabbit ears in this tattoo, though, you need to have seen his semi-biographical film '8-Mile' in which Eminem plays a young upstart freestyler named 'rabbit'. He never took it as far as actually wearing bunny ears in the movie, but then art is all about interpretation and creativity.
This likeness of Beyoncé is so good that we feel like someone should replicate it and put it on a canvas. It deserves a wider audience than just whoever meets this super fan in day to day life. Then again, we've put the image out here on the internet, so we guess we're helping with that! From Destiny's Child to her glittering solo career, Beyoncé has done it all in the world of music, and even achieved some successes in the field of acting.
This tattoo actually takes its inspiration from the song 'Telephone', which was a duet with fellow diva Lady Gaga. The catchy track was a global hit, with a video that contained truly memorable visuals. It obviously made a big enough impression on this fan to have it etched in ink permanently. Add in the tears and the picture becomes a mood!
UFC legend, big-talking tough guy and all-round king of controversy Conor McGregor knows a thing or two about tattoos. The Irishman is practically covered in them and would doubtless be impressed if he ever saw this version of himself rendered on a fan's lower leg. Given his gift for self-promotion, and his habit of doing nice things for his fans when he meets them, he'd probably fly them out for a fight, with ringside tickets!
When you're getting a tattoo of anybody known for their macho image, or their fighting ability, the key is to make sure they look as mean and moody on your skin as they do in the ring. Shaded, black and white images are a good way to go about achieving the effect, and the artist has done a good job of capturing McGregor's withering stare, which has intimidated many an opponent from across the ring.
The Godfather of Gangster Rap. The kingpin of the N.W.A. However, you know Eazy E best, the fact is that you know him, and nobody did more than him to take rap into the mainstream during the 1980s and the 1990s. Who knows where the genre would be today if he hadn't been around to get the party started?
The success of the movie 'Straight Outta Compton' brought the story of E to a whole new audience, and won new legions of fans to his music, even though the legend has been dead for over twenty years. This tattoo pops with vibrancy and color, suggesting it's been done quite recently; perhaps it's on the skin of one of those brand-new fans? In any event, it's a fitting tribute to a man who paved the way for an entire generation.
The undisputed golden child from the golden age of Hollywood. Marilyn Monroe is an icon who transcends time; possibly the first true global sex symbol. Her movies, her quotes, and even the perfumes she sponsored have become legendary in their own right. There may never have been a bigger name in the history of film than the woman who was born simply 'Norma-Jean'.
Monroe might be one of the most commonly tattooed celebrities in the world; she's always been in fashion, and she probably always will be. Even now, aspiring young stars take inspiration from her look and her style. That means people will probably still be getting her inked onto themselves a hundred years from now. Perhaps there will be holographic or animated tattoos by then? She may have died young, but through tributes like these, Monroe achieved immortality.
This is something of a surreal image to look at! Seth Rogen may not be a cultural icon in the manner of many of the names on this list, but there's no denying that he's a very funny man. He's had audiences in stitches with films like 'Knocked Up' and ''Neighbors'. They say the best way to someone's heart is to make them laugh, so Rogen must have found a place in the hearts of millions around the globe.
That probably explains the theme of this tattoo. The comedian may be wearing a serious expression, but the image is anything but. Why is he dressed like a British beefeater? Why is he apparently carrying a lamb? Nobody other than the artist and the person who paid for the tattoo knows for sure, but if Rogen saw it himself we're sure it would amuse him.
If this fan could turn back time, do you think they'd reconsider having this tattoo done? We don't believe so; it looks great. It might not be the most accurate portrayal of the legendary singer's face we've ever seen but look at that hair! It almost seems real. Cher has always been about fashion and style as much as she's been about music, so drawing attention to that aspect of her feels appropriate.
Cher has been in showbiz for longer than most of us have been alive. Despite that, she always finds a way to stay relevant, and seems much younger than her years. In the case of this tattoo, which captures her towards the start of her career, she'll literally be forever young. It's a fine piece of art to have on your body if you're out walking in Memphis, that's for sure.
Katy Perry is a heroine to a huge number of fans around the globe and seems to particularly connect to the young. Those who were children when she first emerged onto the world's stage are a little older now, and so they've reached an age where they can choose to have tattoos if they wish to. We imagine that's what's gone on here.
Perry looks a little more serious here than she usually does in everyday life; the 'Firework' singer is generally seen with a smile on her face, loving life. She's equally capable of this kind of smoldering expression though. Many people out there have kissed a girl and they've liked it, but how many of them have had a tattoo of their favorite singer on their skin, and liked it just as much?
Everything Marilyn Monroe is to film, Elvis Presley is to music. The King was the first true rock and roll star, taking music out the safe swing sound of the 1950s and changing the tone; making the new genre acceptable to the masses and providing a stage that the Beatles would storm onto ten years later. He remains almost unrivaled even decades after his death; his albums are never far from the charts, and it seems every time someone puts a new spin onto one of his old songs, it's a guaranteed #1 single.
It's therefore completely unsurprising that he's a popular choice for tattoos. There are a million Elvis tattoos out there, but this is a particularly fine representation of Presley in his youthful prime, before years of excess took their toll and moved him to Las Vegas.
Do you smell what the Rock is cooking? Well, not unless the owner of this arm happens to smell like Dwayne Johnson, but it's a particularly vivid depiction of the wrestler turned movie star. There's seemingly nothing in entertainment that Johnson can't do. He made WWE cool again with his battles against 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin in the 1990s, before finding his way to the big screen as the star of the 'Fast and Furious' franchise.
Johnson is one of the most charismatic people you could ever hope to meet. Although regularly derided for his acting abilities, he's the most bankable action movie star in Hollywood with a string of blockbusters to his name. During his time in the ring, he was known as 'the people's champion'. Now the people walk around with tattoos of him on their bodies.
Oh, sweet child of mine, what a fine tattoo! The history of rock and roll is littered with bad boys, known for their lifestyles of excess and partying. There may never have been a more notorious rock or metal band than Guns n' Roses at the peak of their fame in the 1980s. The legendary band had a whole catalog full of hits and were seemingly always involved in controversy and scandal. None of that mattered to them or their fans so long as the music kept coming.
Rose and his band are still touring the world today, even in their mid-50s. The youthful swagger may have gone, but the attitude is still there. This tattoo captures him at a point in time closer to the start of his career. He was definitely young, but we're not sure he was ever quite this fresh faced.
The heartbreaking life of Amy Winehouse reads like a script straight from Hollywood, and there were no surprises when somebody decided to make a movie of it after she tragically passed away in 2011. She joined the 27 club; a set of music stars who died far too young which also includes Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix and Kurt Cobain.
Winehouse was as recognizable for her distinctive look as much as she was her incredible voice; bringing 40s fashion back to the forefront, and briefly making the beehive a popular hairstyle again. Winehouse's greatest hits, like 'Rehab', 'Back to Black' and 'Valerie' are still in major rotation on most radio stations. Her lyrics were visceral, very real and just a little bit naughty; which makes us think she'd approve of someone getting her face tattooed towards the top of their thigh.
Getting a tattoo of Sia is a pretty unique challenge. The secretive singer never shows her face in public, and so how is anybody supposed to know what they're tattooing? This person found the perfect solution; cover the face and go big on the fashion. They've captured the essence of Sia and topped it off with a line from one of her most famous songs.
Whoever got this work done must be a really big Sia fan; just look how big this tattoo is, it covers half of their torso. The representation of the singer is big enough, but it's been topped with an enormous bow just for good measure. This is the kind of work that would have taken a long time, and more than a little pain. The worst thing is that even if this fan walked past Sia in the street, she wouldn't recognize her in order to be able to show her the tribute!
So far, all of the tattoos we've seen have been either beautiful artistic etchings that almost look real, or fantasy-tinged art that puts a stylish twist on the star being illustrated. This one is a little bit different. We're not sure if someone won a bet, lost a bet, or just has a quirky sense of humor. Whatever the explanation, it looks like poor Drake isn't very happy about it!
'You used to call me on my cellphone' is of course a line from 'Hotline Bling', one of Drake's most famous songs, and a lament about a lover who was once more attentive than they are now. Why someone would want to get the phrase immortalized on their skin is unknown; this would work as a meme during the time of the song's relevance, but it might look a little odd in ten years' time. It looks quite odd now! Also, look at Drake's eyes on the tattoo. That's a man who's seen some truly horrible things!
Whoever got this tattoo must be a true Belieber. Justin Bieber is the original YouTube sensation; recordings of the once-innocent teen covering pop songs at home got him noticed and based on the popularity of his videos he landed himself a huge recording contract. Seemingly overnight, he was the biggest solo singer in the entire world. The crazy level of fan attention he got verged on hysteria at times and getting a tattoo of him definitely sits at the 'normal' end of the scale compared to what some have done to get his attention.
Bieber seemed to be developing a 'bad boy' reputation two or three years ago, although he appears to have calmed down again now, and he's started working with artists like Ed Sheeran to release songs that win him as much critical acclaim as they do from his screaming fans. This tattoo captures him in a more pensive, innocent phase; although he seems to have borrowed his hair from Elvis.
Whenever a glossy magazine does a poll to find out who people think the sexiest woman alive is, Megan Fox is either at the top of that poll, or very close to it. Fox sizzles every time she takes to the big screen, as any fan of the 'Transformers' franchise is already very aware. Despite that, her private persona is very different to her public portrayal; she sees herself as a good Christian girl, and has been faithfully married since she was 24. She prefers staying at home with her children to going out to Hollywood parties.
Whoever got this tattoo done has chosen to go with the sexy side of her personality, though. Semi clad, provocatively rubbing an ice cube against her lips, this is a look that could come from a Playboy centerfold. Also, note that the tattoo also has representations of Fox's own tattoos, which are visible on her side. It's like tattoo 'Inception'!
You don't have to be a Lakers fan to appreciate the talent of NBA legend Kobe Bryant. He's one of very few men in the sport who's name bears mentioning in the same sentence as Michael Jordan, and undeniably one of the greatest of all time. We suspect whoever had this large leg piece done was a Lakers fan though; there's something about the text that goes with the image that gives it away!
The image looks like it's been taken straight from a poster, and even though it's been rendered in two-tone, it's lifelike and instantly recognizable. We salute the courage of whoever had it done; it's absolutely huge and full of thick black ink, which you feel the most going in. Work on this area of the leg tends to be a little sorer than it is on fleshier parts of the body!
What if you have two different musical heroes, and you're not sure which one of them is more deserving of having tattoo space on your body? Well, that's why we were given two arms and two legs, so you don't have to choose! This ink enthusiast has Lil Wayne on one leg, and Nicki Minaj on the other.
The two rappers aren't particularly linked, other than the fact they're both on the Young Money Entertainment label, so we guess this fan just loves their music independently and equally. They're both stunning tattoos, striking a perfect balance between realism and a hint of colorful cartoonishness. Given Minaj's proclivity for falling out with pretty much any other musician she meets, it's probably just as well they've been put on separate limbs! No wonder Wayne looks a little defensive in his pose, he might know what's coming.
There are some fan bases out there, like Justin Bieber's 'Beliebers' for example, who are known for being more dedicated than the average kind of music fan. Taylor Swift's 'Swifties' definitely belong in that category. Swift sings songs about issues that teenage girls and young women can relate to, and that connection makes them very devoted to her. Her habit of occasionally responding to fans on social media, and doing nice things for them, make her all the more endearing.
We're not surprised to see her face on a tattoo, but we are a little concerned with how it's been done! Swift looks as radiant and beautiful as she does in real life, but why has she been attached to a grisly looking skull? Does it represent Swift's darker side? Is it a threat? Is it a reminder of Swift's mortality? Who knows, but it's a strange way of paying homage!
Kim Kardashian, who has made an incredible career out of the concept 'famous for being famous', probably wouldn't be too flattered if she ever saw this tattoo. She, like the rest of the women in her family, doesn't like to leave the house without looking her impeccable best. This tattoo is most certainly not her looking her best.
In execution, the design looks more like an emoji than it does anything else, and we're not sure you'd be totally sure who it was supposed to be if we hadn't told you. She's clearly upset about something; maybe Kanye has been on Twitter again? As for the rest of the iconography; a heart as a background, flames coming out of her head, and a contour brush from her makeup range skewered through the whole thing. It gets full marks for originality, if nothing else.
Wiz Khalifa always seems to be a pretty easy-going guy. He's got a laid-back attitude, is often seen smiling and joking, and generally acts like he loves his life. He even looks delighted to be on this tattoo. We don't blame him; it's a really nicely worked piece. If we were going to be hyper-critical, it could have done with a pinch more detail on Khalifa's neck tattoos, but overall, it's a fine likeness of the man himself.
Khalifa is a man with a lot to thank the relaxation of US cannabis laws for. Before it became possible for the Cookie Company to sponsor him (and market his own strains of the plant), he admitted to spending up to $10,000 a day of his own money on smoking. How does he even manage to rap or sing when he's smoking that heavily?
When it comes to getting a tattoo of a celebrity right, it really comes down to the fine details. What you're looking for is an end product that ensures everybody knows exactly who they're looking at when you show the tattoo off. Fortunately for the owner of this Travis Barker tattoo, the artist responsible for it got 'all the small things' exactly right. This is the sort of attention to detail on the neck tattoos that we were hoping to see on Wiz Khalifa's!
The Blink 182 drummer is synonymous with the pop punk sound that was everywhere around the turn of the century and is as in demand today as he was twenty years ago. He's inspired thousands of budding musicians around the world to pick up drumsticks and start to play, and in turn they pay tribute to their inspiration by getting tattoos of him.
Style, elegance and grace. Audrey Hepburn had all of those qualities in spades, and that made her the definitive leading Hollywood lady of her era. Nobody could play 'classy' like Audrey Hepburn. A still image of her from 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' has become iconic and is a popular choice among students for wall posters to this day.
You'd have thought the iconic image would be the obvious choice for a tattoo, and perhaps the fact it might be considered too obvious is exactly what put this person off having it done. Instead, they've gone for more psychedelic style; with a cheeky and defiant-looking Hepburn tending to her lipstick, juxtaposed against flowers, and a road leading into a gaping mouth, the lips of which presumably belong to Hepburn. It's a very unique creation, and the tattoo bearer never has to worry about meeting someone with the exact same design.
Until recent years, as he's started to age, and some unwelcome press attention has damaged his standing, Depp was as big a film star as anybody in the modern era. Casting him in a leading role was a guarantee of success. His partnership with Tim Burton, who cast him opposite Helena Bonham-Carter in several of his movies, made a great deal of money for all three of them. Few can play 'quirky' like Depp can, and from 'Edward Scissorhands' through to 'Pirates of the Caribbean' he's been captivating for decades.
He's also something of a style icon and a sex symbol, which makes him a prime candidate for tattoos like this one. There are plenty of Depp movie roles to choose from if you're looking for a themed tattoo. This one shows him as he was in 'Public Enemies' from 2009.
Just getting the outline of a large tattoo done is a process that can take several hours. Getting that outline filled in with black and white, or shading, adds several more hours onto that. When you go for a full color rendition with as much detail as this tattoo has, it might even require several sessions across a period of days. But when the result is this good, it's always worth it.
Rap icons don't come much bigger than Snoop Dogg. He's been at the top of the game for decades, worked with anybody who's anybody, and become a star who's transcended the genre to become mainstream. He may go by 'Snoop Lion' these days, but anybody who's been listening to his music for a long time will always remember him as the 'D-O-Double-G'. This tattoo representation of him is every bit as bright and colorful as the man himself.
In the time when Frank Sinatra was in his prime, people didn't really get tattoos unless they were in prison, or they were sailors. Because of that, Sinatra never got the honor of seeing people get his likeness tattooed on them in the same way that modern music and movie stars do, which is a shame. It's a testament to his legacy and enduring appeal that people are doing so now, though, so many years after he died.
As the kingpin of the Rat Pack, Sinatra was pretty much 'the guy' in the 1950s. He was the leading man that film studios wanted for their movies, and when they'd cast him in the film, they wanted him to sing the soundtrack. 'Sinatramania' happened twenty years before the Beatles had even picked up their instruments for the first time to spark 'Beatlemania'. His incredible voice is the sound of a whole era, and although many have impersonated him in the time since, nobody ever did it better than Ol' Blue Eyes.
People just seem to love Jon Hamm. Superstardom has come to him fairly late in life and owes a lot to his success in 'Mad Men', but there's no denying his earthy, charismatic appeal. Women want to date him, and men think he's the kind of guy they'd love to go for a drink with. He appeals to everybody and has a relaxed character that puts people at ease as soon as he appears on screen. Very few people have that quality!
That might explain why someone decided to go the whole way with their Hamm love, and have a hyper-realistic tattoo of him on their arm. The details really pop out of this picture, capturing his good looks and his impeccable style perfectly. As a nice touch, what portrayal of his 'Mad Men' character would be complete without a whiskey on the rocks?
Who's this a tattoo of? The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind. And if you're too young to get it from that clue, then this is folk music legend Bob Dylan. It may seem a ridiculous thing now, but when Dylan switched from the acoustic guitar to the electric, it sparked a riot in his audience. Ask your parents about it.
With his unusual vocal style, and lyrics full of metaphorical social commentary, Dylan was viewed with the reverence of a poet when he was young, with his fans hanging off his every word. With every new generation comes a new set of Dylan fans; to those of a certain mindset, he stands out among music history when people go looking for inspiration. The photo that this tattoo is based on is considered to be iconic. As you can see from the side-by-side comparison, the artist has done a fantastic job.
The King of Pop was always going to appear in this list somewhere, it was just a matter of when we got to him! Michael Jackson might just have been the most gifted entertainer of all time. He was born and bred for the role - literally - performing with his brothers in The Jacksons and then striking out on his own to become one of the biggest selling artists of all time.
To Jackson's fans, he was more than just a pop star; he was almost a religious figure of worship, and they were his cult. There will be thousands of people in the world today who have Michael Jackson tattoos, but the one we see here is surely among the very best of them. It's a bold work of shading and contrast, portraying Jackson in full slow during a performance of 'Smooth Criminal'.
Everybody we've seen on this list so far has been a singer, an actor, or Kim Kardashian. Here's an entry from a completely different theater of the arts; Frida Kahlo. The Mexican artist was famous for her portraits; both of herself and of others. She was a trailblazer of her time, pushing boundaries for women in the arts, and today she's revered as an icon both of feminists and of the LGBTQ community. A constant theme of her art was the idea of giving a voice to the voiceless. Her skill made her an artist, but her beliefs made her a hero.
What better way is there to pay tribute to a great artist than to commission some art of your own? Fortunately, Kahlo painted so many self-portraits that there were plenty to draw inspiration from. It also makes the work of the tattoo artist easier if they're copying a drawing of a person rather than a photo of the real person; it means they don't have to worry about being photo-realistic with their own work!
Mother Monster was always likely to get a tattoo tribute from one of her Little Monsters, and so Lady Gaga was inevitably going to end up on this list at some point. The style icon, singer and movie actress may have started her career being compared to Madonna, but she's arguably the person who's come closest to wrestling the 'Queen of Pop' crown from her head and surpassing her. She may have to fight Rihanna for that honor, though!
There are two clues on the tattoo that this is quite a recent image. Firstly, Gaga has her David Bowie tattoo, which she had inked in his honor after he passed away in 2016. Secondly, the number 17 next to the tattoo is a reference to her performance at the 2017 Super Bowl. If you look closely, she's also wearing an NFL t-shirt. Associating her so closely with the sport seems an odd way of paying tribute to Gaga, but she'd be the first person to tell anyone to do what feels right for them.
Cyndi Lauper means a lot of different things to a lot of different people. To those who aren't really familiar with her work, she's best known as the singer of 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun', and that's a fine thing to be known for in itself. To others, she's a woman who's led the charge for LGBT rights for decades, inspired to do so by her sister, a lesbian woman who Lauper refers to as her hero. 'True Colors' is a special song to many within that community, who consider Lauper to be an icon.
Someone so closely associated with the rainbow flag, colors and fun in general deserves to be celebrated with a colorful tattoo, and so she has been! This loud, bold and beautiful image is a great likeness of the singer, and an excellent tribute.
Scarlett Johansson is a very special actress. Nobody who's ever seen 'Lost in Translation' could ever dispute that; the sheer level of emotional depth she's able to portray, despite being only 17 at the time of filming, is incredible. She's performed across a variety of different genres since then, as at home in an art-house production as she is in a superhero movie, and it's no wonder people find her utterly enchanting.
This incredibly colorful and hyper realistic tattoo of Johansson is a work of art. It's no wonder someone wanted to photograph it three times to capture the full effect of it; every intricate piece of detail is amazingly well done. We're not totally sure why she's dressed as a cowgirl, or why there's a large gun in the foreground. She's never played a cowgirl as far as we're aware. Maybe this is a depiction of how someone would like to see her!
Has any musician ever influenced quite as many of his fellow performers as English legend David Bowie did? His loss in 2016 was mourned by the entire artistic world, and his like will surely never come again. There were plenty of people who had Bowie tattoos when the man was alive, but that number probably doubled when he passed away, as everybody rushed to get lasting tributes to legend.
One of the best-known images of Bowie was taken during his time as 'Ziggy Stardust'; a glam-rock alter-ego Bowie performed as during the 1970s. He would take the stage with a lightning bolt painted onto his face, and a photo taken of him in the paint became a popular poster. This tattoo plays with that image; instead of putting the paint on his face, it uses it as a background, upon which a drawing of an older and slightly more pensive looking Bowie sits.
There may never have been a more gifted child actor than River Phoenix, and so therefore there may have been no greater waste of acting talent than when Phoenix died of a drug overdose outside the notorious Viper Lounge in 1993, aged only 23. Phoenix, a lifelong vegan, had been considered to be one of the cleanest-cut stars in Hollywood, and so his death came as a great shock to the whole world.
Phoenix inspired many during his life. He campaigned for PETA as part of his commitment to veganism, took on the role of a gay man during a time that such things were still controversial, and supported environmental causes. He was something of a modern-day hippy, which may explain the garland of flowers below this tattoo tribute to him. There's a touch of James Dean to the way he looks here; a comparison that was made often during his life.
We've seen the mean and moody look employed a few times already to represent rap stars, and here it us being well-employed again, this time to pick out a fantastic likeness to Notorious B.I.G. The rap star, who was shot dead in Los Angeles in 1997 in what was believed to be a rap feud. Like Tupac Shakur, he'd been taken in his prime, and was greatly mourned by the rap community and music lovers worldwide.
Puff Daddy's global hit 'Every Breath You Take' was a tribute to B.I.G, and arguably elevated the profile of the deceased star with the success it garnered. That meant that B.I.G's posthumous album, released weeks after his death, shot straight to number 1 in the Billboard charts. Coming back to the tattoo, our favorite detail is the cityscape reflected in the rapper's sunglasses. It's a reminder that, for a short while, the world belonged to B.I.G.
We're not sure what's really being paid tribute to here; the brilliant comedy actor Steve Carell, or his famous 'that's what she said' catchphrase from 'The Office'. The joke has been around for a lot longer than Carell, but it's more closely attached to him than it is to anybody else.
The depiction of Carell is an interesting one. It's very clearly him, but it's been done in a slightly cartoonish way which makes him appear a little bit like a dummy. There's also a slight hint of Mr. Bean to the whole thing, too. We don't think Carell would mind being compared to another legendary character from the world of comedy though! We're less sure about why there seems to be a fox (or is that a deer?) peering over his shoulder, though. We'll just assume that's a separate and unrelated tattoo.
Carey Mulligan may not be as big a star in the conventional sense as many of the other names who've appeared on this list, but the delicate English beauty still has her fair share of admirers. She's a fantastic character actress, whether she's playing a down-on-her luck mother in 'Drive' or a quirky amateur investigator in 'Doctor Who'.
It's her role as Daisy in 'The Great Gatsby' that's being celebrated in this tattoo, though; a part she played with bags of quirky enthusiasm and a lot of fun. She suits the 1920s look perfectly, and the artist has done a great job of detailing her hair and jewelry. It looks like something went slightly awry when they were laying down the liner for the chin, although that's nothing that a quick trip back to the studio for a re-hit wouldn't fix.
It's taken us until quite late in the list to get here, but we finally have an entrant from the world of politics. Who could possibly be more deserving than the legendary civil rights activist, Dr. Martin Luther King? King, his dedication to peaceful protest, his inspiring words and his famous 'I Have A Dream' speech played a huge part in bringing around a revolution in race relations in America, and he ultimately laid down his life for the freedoms that many take for granted today.
King's dream wasn't for those of his race to violently rise up, or to take control. It was simply to be accepted and viewed as equals. There may be no greater testament to his success than this; we can't say for sure, but we're fairly certain that this tattoo tribute to him has been etched on the skin of a white man.
A sultry, beautiful actress who's made a career out of not only being a sex symbol, but also proving that having good lucks doesn't mean that you don't also have brains. As an actress, as an activist and as a mother, Jolie may have been a wild child at times in her life, but she's also set a powerful example to others with her charity work and philanthropy.
As we've already seen with Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn and others, actresses who have era-defining beauty often find their way into the world of tattoos, and this is no different. It's a striking representation on the actress, capturing her giving one of her trademark smoldering looks to an unseen admirer. As something of a tattoo enthusiast herself, we expect that Jolie would be flattered by the tribute.
The line 'surprisingly well adjusted' in this tattoo comes from the show that Charlie Day is most famous for: "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia". Some may know him as well, if not better, from his parts in the 'Pacific Rim' movies, but the sitcom is probably where most people saw him first. It's a good comment on the tattoo as well; Day has adjusted surprisingly well to life as a tattoo on someone else's body. Look how happy he is about it!
This is definitely a tattoo that belongs in the 'super lifelike' category. The work that the artist has done with light and shade to bring the image to life is incredible. Every line, crease and feature of Day's face has been captured perfectly. If it wasn't for the fact that it was in black and white (and clearly on somebody's upper leg), this could have been mistaken for an actual photo of the performer.
Whitney Houston had one of the greatest natural voices in the history of recorded music, and anybody who argues against that statement is factually incorrect. There should be no debate to be had about it! From 'I Wanna Dance with Somebody' to 'It's Not Right but It's OK', Houston gave the world some of its greatest pop songs and ballads in a career that spanned twenty years and might still be going today, had she not passed away in 2012 at the age of 48.
What better way to say 'I Will Always Love You' to Houston than by getting her permanently inked onto your skin? It's a great representation of her as well; capturing her in the flush of her youth before her troubles began and gazing up to the heavens with a smile on her face. That's how we'd all like to remember her best, and that's the way this person will remember her every time they look into a mirror.
Getting a tattoo of an actor or actress playing one of their film roles is always a risky move. Who's to say that the film will be remembered a couple of years on from when it's first shown? It can give the tattoo a shelf life and render it meaningless further down the line. That won't be the case for this inking of Margot Robbie though. The Australian will probably always be best known for her career-defining role as Harley Quinn in 'Suicide Squad'.
The movie itself wasn't well received by critics, even though it made a stack of money at the box office. None of that mattered for Robbie though; even people who'd never seen it knew the part she played, such was the instantly-iconic nature of her look and costume. You only need to look at Halloween parties that have happened in the years since to see exactly how influential her portrayal has been.
There's a lot going on in this picture. We want to focus on the tattoo, but we really can't. We should give it a try though, because it really is an interesting piece. It's obviously been done tongue in cheek; Cage is captured in a Christ-like pose, as if he was a religious icon, with a halo around his head and a contented smile on his face. It's also neatly framed, as if it were hanging on a wall. It's quirky and unusual, and we like it.
We need more information about the person who has the tattoo though. Where are they going if they need a bouquet of flowers, with a bunch of photos of Cage on sticks distributed throughout them? It looks like a floral tribute, but Cage is still alive! What's going on?
Chalk another one up for the 'gone before their time' collection of tribute tattoos. Aaliyah, who tragically passed away in a plane crash aged only 22 in 2001, achieved a lot in her young life. She was already well established in the world of rap and hip hop at the time she passed, having been produced by and worked with some of the brightest and best names in the industry.
The look that you can see Aaliyah wearing in the tattoo is one you'll see regularly on young women now, but all looks started somewhere, and this one can probably be attributed to her. The flower and the quote are a nice touch to the tribute. The artist could perhaps have spent a little more time working on her face; but it's a small detail really when you take into account the sentimental nature of the piece.
