Jeremy Allen White has captured audiences with his compelling performances in both Shameless and The Bear. Alongside his acting prowess, White has also become recognized for his tattoos, both the genuine articles he sports in everyday life and the meticulously crafted fake tattoos he wears for his role as Carmy in The Bear. While his on-screen persona in The Bear is heavily inked, Jeremy Allen White’s personal relationship with tattoos is more nuanced and, perhaps, evolving.
White’s journey with tattoos began long before his critically acclaimed role as the tattooed chef Carmy Berzatto. Fans who followed his early career, particularly his decade-long portrayal of Lip Gallagher in Shameless, were already familiar with some of his real-life ink. These tattoos were a part of Jeremy Allen White’s look well before he stepped into the makeup chair to become the heavily tattooed Carmy.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(999×0:0:1001×2)/jeremy-white-the-bear-073122-9-0644da8da32c4e0abafe4fa8855796be.jpg)
It’s no secret that some of Jeremy Allen White’s tattoos are dedicated to his family. He has openly spoken about tattoos as tributes to his daughters, Ezer and Dolores, and his former wife, Addison Timlin. These personal pieces offer a glimpse into the actor’s life beyond the screen and highlight the sentimental value tattoos can hold. However, despite these meaningful additions, White’s feelings about getting more tattoos seem to be shifting.
In a recent interview featured in Vanity Fair‘s Hollywood issue, Jeremy Allen White discussed his current perspective on tattoos. He admitted that his extensive time in the makeup chair for The Bear, where he’s covered in temporary tattoos to embody the character Carmy, has influenced his thoughts on getting more permanent ink. When asked about getting a tattoo to represent his year, White surprisingly revealed, “I think I’m done with tattoos, to be honest.”
This statement might come as a surprise to fans who associate him with the tattooed aesthetic of Carmy. However, White elaborated on a potential exception. He suggested that if he were to get another tattoo, it would be a tribute to his time on Shameless. Reflecting on the eleven years he spent playing Philip Gallagher, White expressed a desire to honor that significant chapter of his life, perhaps with a tattoo as a permanent reminder. He feels he hasn’t given that period “enough love in my head,” and a tattoo could be a way to physically acknowledge its importance.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(803×0:0:805×2)/jeremy-allen-white-011523-af6a5c20ced143dab968ccee06e5a3fd.jpg)
The contrast between his real, personal tattoos and the character-driven tattoos in The Bear highlights the different roles ink can play. For Carmy, the tattoos are part of his persona, contributing to his visual identity and backstory. For Jeremy Allen White, his personal tattoos are meaningful markers of his life and loved ones. His current hesitation towards new tattoos suggests a possible shift away from further body art, influenced by his professional experiences and perhaps a desire for a cleaner canvas outside of his roles.
Whether Jeremy Allen White ultimately decides to add to his tattoo collection remains to be seen. However, his openness about his evolving perspective provides an interesting insight into the changing attitudes towards tattoos and how even personal style can be influenced by unexpected factors like professional roles and hours spent in a makeup chair. For now, fans can appreciate both Jeremy Allen White’s existing tattoos and the impressive temporary artwork that transforms him into Carmy in The Bear, each telling a different story through ink, real and imagined.
