Hey Bonnie!

Noelle Spayer

Thanks, Noelle. I’m so glad that the info from our previous Your Turn encounter is proving useful to you. I re-read that exchange today and thought, “Wow! That’s a lot of good information about what to do before moving to Los Angeles.” So, thank you for having posed the question in the first place! I hope lots of folks are getting something out of that.

Now, when I first received your email about tattoos, I checked the archives because I thought I had already covered this issue, and could just send you a link to my thoughts on the matter. But it turns out, what I covered previously was the issue of piercings. Still, some of what I wrote five years ago stands, for the issue of tattoos, in terms of typing and submitting.

Definitely, if you have tattoos that are going to be visible in almost any sort of wardrobe you’d expect for the character and the project in which you’re hoping to be cast, you should make sure the decision-makers know before they get too crazy about you in the auditioning process. That means, if you’re an actor with visible tats, they should be visible (when practical) in your headshot. I’ve seen guys with tribal band tattoos shoot their headshots in a manner that shows a bit of the ink peeking out from underneath the short sleeve. Girls with ankle tattoos submitting 3/4 headshots in which they’re seated and shot from above, so the ankle (and therefore the tattoo) shows. That sort of thing. And having these headshots as alternate shots in your bank of a few, in the submission profile you’re using, will often suffice (so at least the info is out there). Some actors also mention in the Special Skills section of their resumes that they have some tattoos, just so it doesn’t come as a surprise.

But if most of your tattoos are in places that wouldn’t be seen in most of the roles you’d be going out for (this is where your dominant type comes into play), do you want to draw attention to the fact that you have tattoos, by mentioning it on your resume? Probably not. Because while what you have may be an itty-bitty ladybug on your shoulder blade, we may envision a hissing viper spiraling up the length of your entire left leg. And if the only reason we’d ever even see your tattoos would be if there’s a bikini scene in the project (something you would hopefully know before getting too close to booking the gig), you could assume in a project involving bikini-wearing or nudity, that there would be what we call a “body check” during the casting process. This is for exactly the reason you’d imagine. We don’t want to cast you and then be surprised by what we’re seeing, when you’re in a state of “less dress” on the set. This takes place at the very last stage of the casting process. And if the project won’t involve you showing that much skin, the whole thing could be a non-issue.

Because makeup artists absolutely can cover up your tattoos when necessary, many producers won’t be too worried about casting you in a role in which your tattoos wouldn’t be appropriate. If you’re the right actor for the role — the one they love the most for it — they’re going to find a way to make it work, even at great expense. Unless we’re talking about a micro-budget indie where the filmmakers are already cutting every corner possible, it’s unlikely that someone would go with the “less right for it” actor in order to save a few bucks on the makeup artistry required to cover up your tattoos. That said, this is assuming you’re a “slam dunk” for the role otherwise. And way beyond the second choice. Because if we’re being honest about how it more likely happens (on any budget project), it’s down to two actors and both are fine for the role, there’s no one who has a major edge over the other. And your tattoos, in that case, absolutely could keep you from booking the job, as it’s a money-saving issue. And everyone likes to save money.

Basically, if you’re submitting to roles within your primary type, the tattoos shouldn’t be an issue, because they should go along with that type if they’re openly visible, and when they’re not usually visible, they shouldn’t have much impact on your castability unless we’re dealing with a period piece or a role involving nudity or something close to it.

Certainly, über-famous people can do lots of things that might have caused them to have a harder time booking those first breakthrough roles earlier, once they’re famous. So, I’d never use the example of celebs or name actors doing something as making it “okay” for you, in your journey as an up-and-coming actor. Absolutely, there are roles you might lose due to your decision to get tattooed. But there are others — probably many others — where the ink will make no difference whatsoever.

I’d say just err on the side of professionalism, every time. If you want to be sure they know, going in, what you’ve got, then put it out there on your resume. But on roles where it’s never even going to be an issue, you’re fine just keeping it to yourself.

Wanna be sure your tools *and* your mindset are in peak form? Let us get you in gear with some FREE training right now!

Woo HOO!

Bonnie Gillespie is living her dreams by helping others figure out how to live theirs. Wanna work with Bon? Start here. Thanks!

Originally published by Actors Access at http://more.showfax.com/columns/avoice/archives/001070.html. Please support the many wonderful resources provided by the Breakdown Services family. This posting is the author’s personal archive.