Some actors avoid getting tattoos, worried that they’ll limit their offers for new roles, while others get them to remember past roles or even add to new characters that they’re playing. But which category is Leonardo DiCaprio in?
Leonardo DiCaprio used to have a single, small tattoo on his ankle but has since had it removed. It was the only tattoo that DiCaprio ever had, and he doesn’t have plans to get another one any time soon.
Read more below to find out about DiCaprio’s old tattoo, his involvement with the Wolf Pack, and his bet with Tom Hardy.
DiCaprio’s Tattoo
Leonardo DiCaprio is one of the best actors there is, known for his dedication to the craft and for playing unorthodox roles in biographical films or period pieces. The actor has often talked about keeping his private life separate from his work as an actor, film producer, and environmentalist–but in his private life, he seems to be the exact opposite of his public image.
His old tattoo was based on this image, showing the fangs of a wolf with a drop of blood. The sketch is a reference to the Wolf Pack, which is what DiCaprio’s friend group calls itself.
Other members of the Wolf Pack include Tobey Maguire, Kevin Connolly, Lukas Haas, Vincent Laresca, Richie Akiva, and more. The Wolf Pack has existed for decades, having been started even before DiCaprio’s stardom.
Allegedly, members of the group decided to solidify their involvement with the above tattoo, and DiCaprio got his on his right ankle. The tattoo itself is so small, it’s hard to make out, even in images like this one.
The reason why DiCaprio had the tattoo removed is unknown, as the Wolf Pack still seems to be going strong.
Fake Tattoos and Bets
DiCaprio–rather, his characters–are the star of many fan tattoos like this one featuring him as Jay Gatsby from The Great Gatsby or this one with him as Romeo from Romeo + Juliet. Despite appearing in many tattoos, the actor doesn’t have any himself.
Many people originally believed that DiCaprio had a small tattoo on his shoulder since his character, Richard, from the movie The Beach had it. The tattoo in the film looked like this and was a simple claw mark design.
In reality, the tattoo was fake, either a temporary tattoo or a design that someone painted on him. Makeup artists have gotten very, very good at both covering up existing tattoos or creating new, temporary ones, so it’s hard to tell if an actor’s tattoo is real or fake.
Also leading people to question if DiCaprio had tattoos was his bet about the movie The Revenant with Tom Hardy, one of his co-stars. The bet was about the 2016 Oscar nominations.
Apparently, Hardy was sure that he wouldn’t be nominated, and DiCaprio was convinced that he would be. The rules of the bet were that if Hardy was nominated, he would have to get whatever tattoo DiCaprio decided on, and if he wasn’t, DiCaprio would have to get a tattoo that Hardy picked out.
DiCaprio won, and chose a simple tattoo–just the words “Leo knows everything.” Hardy actually did follow through with the bet, saying, “I’m covered in… tattoos anyway, so it doesn’t make any difference to me… It’s just that, isn’t it? You bet a tattoo, you lose. That’s what happens.”
While Hardy did get DiCaprio’s chosen tattoo, it’s debatable whether DiCaprio would’ve followed through if he had lost the bet. “He would never get a tattoo if he lost that bet! It was just one-way,” Hardy said.
So, how did Hardy’s tattoo actually turn out? He decided to place it right on his bicep in bold lettering, which you can check out in this Instagram post.
Watch the YouTube video below to learn more about the bet between Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy.