What Was Angelina Jolie’s First Tattoo?
Angelina Jolie is probably best known for her incredible lips, but it’s not the only recognizable feature this actress has to flaunt.
The unmistakable Jolie has a beautiful personality, top-notch parenting skills, undeniable acting cred, and majestic overall beauty that just won’t quit…no matter how old she gets. Not to mention, this Hollywood A-lister’s advocacy makes her one of the most beloved actresses around.
Something else she’s known for among her die-hard fans is her collection of beautiful tattoos. The Mr. and Mrs. Smith actress doesn’t just have one or two either. Like many other celebrities, she’s acquired well over a dozen throughout her life!
What is the meaning behind Angelina Jolie’s large back tattoo?
One of Jolie’s most eye-catching body mods is her impressive upper back tattoo. The tatt is actually three separate pieces that were done by former Thai monk Ajarn Noo Kanpai.
The pieces are so jaw-dropping they made headlines around the world when she debuted them during a movie premiere back in 2017.
What makes these pieces special, other than the unique artist, is the way they were applied. Forget a tattoo gun. Kanpai etched the intricate designs into Jolie’s delicate skin with steel rods and a surgical needle.
Think a manual tattoo gun handled with slow and deliberate precision. Can you imagine that pain? The tattoo was supposed to symbolically bind Jolie with her husband at the time, Brad Pitt.
Sadly the ink wasn’t strong enough to do its job, but that doesn’t detract from its beauty.
What other tattoos does Angelina Jolie have?
The beautiful (and tragic) tatt is far from her only one though. Here’s a list of some of Jolie’s other gorgeous body art!
- Gothic lettering between her shoulder blades that reads “know your rights.”
- Khmer tattoo with an incantation from Buddhist Pali on her left shoulder blade
- Determination in Arabic on her right forearm
- Roman numerals along with bits of a popular Winston Churchill speech also adorn her left forearm
- A Holy Cross
- A rune representing the letter “H” on her wrist.
- The latitude and longitude of the places her adopted children were born.
- A Bengal tiger has its place on her lower back
- Abstract lines on her right arm which were also covered up
- Japanese symbol for death on her left shoulder blade
- Tribal tattoo, a blue window, and a tribal dragon also call her back home
- Oh, and she’s also had some removed, like that awful Billy Bob Thornton name tattoo.
What was Angelina Jolie’s first tattoo?
For the December issue of Harper’s Bazaar, Jolie bared more than just her body. She also shed light on her wild-child phase — one that’s left her body with one of her many identifiable marks.
During the interview, the beloved activist brought up one of her phrase tattoos. It reads: “A prayer for the wild at heart kept in cages.” What could have inspired Jolie to get such beautiful words “permanently” etched onto her body?
While on a ride with her mother, Marcheline Bertrand, the senior actress brought up playwright Tennessee Williams, the man behind the quote. It resonated with Jolie so much that she asked her mom to get her to a parlor straight away. As any good mother would, she obliged.
“We drove to a tattoo parlor and I got it inked on my left arm. What she did for me that night was remind me that the wild within is all right and a part of me.” – Angelina Jolie / Harper’s Bazaar
Without a doubt, Jolie has made it a point to stay true to herself throughout the years. While she may not be as wild as she was in her youth, she’s still making waves in everything she gets into, from acting to advocating work — all the while adding more beautiful art to her body along the way.
