Some of Hollywood’s most beloved leading ladies, including Angelina Jolie, Scarlett Johansson, and Megan Fox, have a pretty impressive tattoo collection. Is Natalie Portman also a part of this group?
Natalie Portman doesn’t have any known tattoos. She had a prominent tattoo on her left forearm in Alex Garland’s film Annihilation, but it wasn’t permanent.
Stick around to learn why Portman’s tattoo in Annihilation left so many people puzzled, and check out some amazing body art inspired by her characters.
Annihilation Tattoos
If you’re wondering if Natalie Portman has any tattoos, it’s probably because you’re still trying to crack the mystery of her movie Annihilation. This sci-fi thriller centered on a team of scientists exploring a mysterious zone known as the Shimmer, where rules of nature don’t apply.
Annihilation left viewers with more questions than answers, and one of the biggest mysteries was the tattoo that appeared on Portman’s left arm after her character Lena entered the Shimmer.
At first glance, her body art resembles number eight, but it actually shows a snake eating its own tail. This symbol is known as Ouroboros (a Greek word for tail swallower) and it symbolizes continuous renewal and the cycle of life and death.
In the context of Annihilation, this symbol is also connected to the movie’s central theme of self-destruction, but that doesn’t explain how it got there. There are a couple of hints that could clarify this phenomenon, but it’s up to each viewer to decide what it means for themselves.
Annihilation is Portman’s only movie where she played a character with prominent tattoos, but she was very close to starring in another. She was considered for the role of Lisbeth Salander in David Fincher’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, but Rooney Mara was eventually cast.
Tattoos of Natalie Portman
Natalie Portman doesn’t have any visible tattoos, but you’ll stumble upon some pretty great search results if you Google words “Natalie Portman Tattoos”. The Oscar-winning actress delivered a fair share of amazing performances, which served as inspiration for tattoo artists.
Her first movie Léon: The Professional went on to become a cult classic, and many fans paid homage to her character Mathilda with their body art. She’s often shown on her own, but matching tattoos of Léon and Mathilda are also common.
Closer, Black Swan, and V for Vendetta are also popular with tattoo artists, but fans of the last movie usually ask for the Guy Fawkes ink. Padmé Amidala tattoos can also be found online, but she’s not as sought-after as some other Star Wars heroines.
Actors and Tattoos
Tattoos are no longer a rarity in Hollywood, but they can present an obstacle for actors who don’t have enough star power. Backstage.com tackled this issue by talking to several industry professionals, who discussed the ups and downs of being a working actor with tattoos.
Most of them agreed that tattoos are not a problem if they’re not too visible and match the actor’s personality. Some mentioned that body art may limit the range of roles an actor is going for because they can be difficult to cover and don’t fit in certain projects.
Natalie Portman never had to worry about losing movie roles because of tattoos. She was too young to get inked when she made her film debut, and tattoos wouldn’t derail her career if she wanted to get them later in life, because everyone in Hollywood already knew her name.
Other Signature Traits?
Natalie Portman doesn’t have any tattoos that make her instantly recognizable, but what about other signature traits? One of the first things that people notice are birthmarks on her cheeks, and the actress admitted there was a time when people didn’t consider them beautiful.
“When I did photoshoots, they would Photoshop it out. No one ever said anything to my face, but I felt like I was being told it was ugly. Finally, I had to say, ‘No, this is part of me,’” Portman told Allure.