Trying to decipher the meanings behind celebrity tattoos can be fun, especially when celebs maintain a sense of mystery around their ink. We’re definitely curious about Michael J. Fox’s first tattoo, which he revealed on Instagram Thursday. It’s a unique piece of art that’s meaningful for Fox.
Fox, 57, chose a sea turtle with a chunk missing from one of its fins and a noticeable scar on its face, swimming down the inside of his forearm. To demonstrate movement, there are small ripples around the turtle’s shell and back fins. The tattoo is in black and gray, rather than color, and it’s moderately small.
In his Instagram caption, Fox wrote, “First tattoo, sea turtle, long story.” That doesn’t reveal any details, but his tattoo artist, Bang Bang, who frequently tattoos celebrities, told Inked Magazine a version of the story that Fox told him about the scarred sea turtle.
Bang Bang told Inked, “He was telling me that there was a transformation for him with his career decisions when he was swimming in Saint John. He spotted this turtle with a chunk missing from its fin and a scar on his face. And that turtle let him swim with him for about a half an hour. He made a transcending decision right after that. So that turtle was pretty significant to him.”
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Of course, we don’t know how true all of those details are, but the story makes sense. Bang Bang also posted Fox’s ink on his Instagram page, including a posed photo where he and fellow tattoo artist Mr. K hold up signed Back to the Future merchandise.
“For @realmikejfox thank you for the trust as well as letting us fan out a bit after!” he captioned his slideshow of images from the meeting. “Thank you for sharing the story of your tattoo with me. Keep following that turtle.”
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This just goes to show that it’s never too late to change your life, follow your dreams or get a tattoo. We hope Fox keeps following that turtle, too.
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