subject: Tattoos Can Really Get In The Way [print this page] Michael is an actor from TorontoMichael is an actor from Toronto. He and one of my cousins went to school together as teenagers and they often keep in touch even though they now live in different cities. My cousin, Chris called me the other day with some interesting news that he had recently received from Michael.
He's getting rid of his tattoos! Chris exclaimed. I was actually quite surprised. Michael had begun his tattoo craze back in high school. He seemed quite taken with the concept of inking himself up. Trying to cultivate what he believed to be a cool image, Michael began receiving a number of tattoos on his arms and shoulders over the course of his twenties.
Now, in his early 30s, Michael has taken to acting quite seriously. After contacting him through Facebook recently, I discovered that Michael had been in a number of commercials over the past year (I actually remember seeing at least two of them), and that he is now preparing for his first role in a full-length film.
So why the decision to remove the tattoos? I asked him. His explanation was essentially what my cousin had tried to explain, but wasn't able to as eloquently. I play an athlete in this flick, Michael explained, and I was lucky to get the role because I need to spend hours in makeup to cover up all of my ink.
It sucks, he said frankly, I can't go through this for every part I get. If I want to take my acting career seriously, I'll need to get my tattoos removed. Many actors have done the same thing. And after doing a bit of research, I realized that Michael was, in fact, not alone. Apparently, acting and tattoos aren't a popular mix.
Mark Wahlberg, who currently appears in the hit comedy, Ted , is no stranger to laser tattoo removal. Not at all embarrassed to remove his shirt in front of the camera, movie watchers have also seen Wahlberg play a boxer in the Academy Award winning motion picture, The Fighter.
Anyone who saw that film knows that Wahlberg wasn't covered in tattoos. But as People.com explains, this is because of the actor's choice to have his six or seven tattoos permanently removed. In his interview with People, Wahlberg explained having experiences much the same as Michael.
I dont want my kids getting tattoos, he was quoted as saying, And I wanted them to be (removed) by the time I did The Fighter because putting make-up on and covering them up has always been a pain in the butt. Evidently, having a body covered in tattoos isn't so cool after all! To learn more about laser tattoo removal, consult a physician or skin care specialist.
