We Got Rid Of Angelina Jolie's Back Tattoos & She Looks So Different
Beyond her acting career, which has seen Angelina Jolie become not just a superstar but a cultural icon, the "Maleficent" star is also known for her love of body art. As of August 2024, Jolie's collection includes at least 17 tattoos on her chest, arms, torso, hand, and back, ranging from scripture to tribal and delicate designs, each of which has a deep, personal meaning for the Oscar winner. Jolie's most recent ink, at the time of writing, is the bird on her chest, which Jolie debuted at the Tony Awards in June 2024. Per People, the dainty design was done by celebrity tattoo artist Mark Mahoney, who has inked many other famous types including Rihanna and David Beckham. In addition, Jolie also has a giant tiger inked on her lower back and a series of coordinates on her left arm that indicate the birthplaces of each of the actor's six kids with ex-husband Brad Pitt.
Perhaps her most iconic tattoos, though, are the ones dotted across her upper back. These include a set of seemingly random tattoos which the actor has accumulated over at least two decades, from a Buddhist piece on her left shoulder blade that she got in honor of her son Maddox, to text that reads simply "know your rights," which is located at the top of Jolie's spine. We were curious to see what the "Girl, Interrupted" star would look like if she didn't have all this ink on her back, so we asked our talented photo editors at Static Media to remove them. Suffice it to say, the effect is shocking.
It's a strikingly different look for Jolie
Is it just us or does Angelina Jolie actually look even better without her trademark tattoos? In this particular photo we used to reimagine the "Eternals" star sans her signature ink, we can see that Jolie's world-famous beauty stands out more clearly without her back tattoos distracting from it. Moreover, there's something alluring and sophisticated about her appearance in this image that makes it more captivating than her actual tattooed look. And with her ink gone, we're also able to take a better glimpse at Jolie's impressive muscles — who knew the actor had such a defined back?! Although, to be fair, it's not like we haven't seen Jolie without her iconic tats before.
The Oscar winner is, in fact, no stranger to covering them up for films and magazine shoots either through the use of clothing or cosmetics. For instance, none of her ink was on display when Jolie starred in 2005's "Mr & Mrs. Smith" opposite her then-soon-to-be-boyfriend Brad Pitt. She reportedly used the full-coverage cream foundation from CoverFX to hide her arm and back tattoos in the movie. According to their website, this industry-favorite brand provides wide-ranging coverage to conceal "dark circles, redness, acne blemishes, birthmarks and dark spots, discoloration, and even tattoos with ease."
Model Paris Jackson, who has a similarly extensive collection of body ink, also relied on CoverFX products to cover up her signature tats ahead of the Grammy Awards in February 2024. Indeed, they work like magic!
Angelina Jolie got her first tattoo at 20
Angelina Jolie is easily one of the most heavily tattooed Hollywood stars, and her love of body art dates back to the actor and activist's early days in showbiz, when she got her first tattoo at just 20 years old. It was a short quote from legendary playwright and screenwriter Tennessee Williams: "A prayer for the wild at heart kept in cages," which Jolie got inked on the inside of her left arm during an impromptu visit to a tattoo parlor with her mom, Marcheline Bertrand. She shared the story with Harper's Bazaar in 2019. "I was with my mom one evening, and I was feeling lost. I was restless — always. I still am," Jolie recalled. "We were driving to dinner, and she talked about spending time with Tennessee Williams and how much she loved his words. She told me he wrote that, about the wild at heart."
It's an experience the "Salt" star will never forget. "What [my mom] did for me that night was to remind me that the wild within me is alright and a part of me," Jolie gushed. From there, her collection of body art grew exponentially to include many more designs, with Jolie defending her love of tattoos during a 2010 interview with Australia's Post-Modern Ink. "I love them. They're body art," she stressed (via Marie Claire), adding, "I don't think it's abnormal that someone who spends their life in other skins wants to claim their own by marking things on it that matter to them."