Dominic Monaghan and Orlando Bloom both chose to have their tattoos on the arm with which they did most of their weapon work. Dominic’s is on the shoulder of his sword arm. His left arm features the line "Living is easy with eyes closed" from the Beatles' song "Strawberry Fields Forever." He also sports a pair of stars (one black, one white) on his right foot. Bloom, who portrays Elf archer Legolas, has his Rings tattoo on his right forearm, his bow arm. If you watch the fashion magazine photo layouts you can sometimes spot it (that is, if the tattoo hasn't been airbrushed out). In this picture, it's just visible on the inside of his right forearm. Orlando had gotten one tattoo prior to his Fellowship tat: a tribal sun design below his navel. You can get a few quick glimpses of Orlando's Elvish tattoo if you watch the DVD of PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN. Watch for it on his right forearm during the sword fight when Sparrow (Depp) taunts Will (Bloom) about being a eunuch and again when Elizabeth (Keira Knightly) and Will talk about how she took the medallion from him when they were children. (photo of Dominic Monaghan: Pauline Neal)

Sean Astin and Billy Boyd both had their tattoos placed on their ankles. They felt this was significant to their experiences as hobbits and all the time spent in “Feet,” the two hour process by which the faux hairy feet were glued over their own every morning. Both men have remarked in interviews that they inadvertently added to their own discomfort in that they were still making the movie when they got tattooed and then had to have hobbit feet glued onto their healing ankles.

The Men of the Fellowship also had tattoos prior to this commemorative one. Viggo Mortensen has a few tattoos, most notably a design that combines the initials of himself, ex-wife Exene Cervenka and son Henry. Only recently he revealed that his Elvish nine is on one of his shoulders. It made sense for Sean Bean to place his Fellowship tattoo on his right arm like some of the others, especially since his left upper arm sports his famous “100% Blade” tattoo in support of his beloved Sheffield United Football Club. Bean had already finished filming and left New Zealand when the tattoo idea arose and he was the last member of the group to be tattooed. He got his ink in New York City, accompanied by Orlando Bloom and Elijah Wood. Those who saw him perform on the stage this fall got to see it for themselves.


For more on THE LORD OF THE RINGS, you might enjoy the books listed below.
The visual companion books are the ones to get if you are after character pictures.