Mickey Rourke’s 17 Tattoos & Their Meanings

Philip Andre “Mickey” Rourke Jr. is an American actor, screenwriter, and former boxer. Rourke started his acting career in the 80s and took to it full time, ending his boxing career in 1994 after a fight record of 27 wins out of 30 as an amateur. He has starred in many famous films over the years such as Diner, Sin City, The Wrestler, Iron Man 2, Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man, The Expendables and many more. Like most boxers of today, Mickey also has many tattoos on his body from his time. Let us take a look at the ones he has and the meanings behind them.Mickey Rourke

Chest Tattoos

1. Birds Tattoo

Mickey Rourke birds tattoo

Tattoo: Both the shoulders of the actor contain a little sparrow bird tattooed on them.

Meaning: The two sparrows are a  symbol of the hardships endured and feats accomplished. Rourke got these birds during his fighting days to represents his great fighting record. Mickey loves boxing so much that after retiring in 1994, he made a comeback as a fighter in 2014.

2. Crown and Owl Tattoos

Mickey Rourke owl crown tattoo

Tattoo: Mickey’s left pec contains a tattoo of the face of an owl with a crown tattooed just above its head. There are also two arrows tattooed below the face of the owl, in the shape of a cross.

Meaning: Rourke likes the design of owls as they are really pretty and represent knowledge and wisdom. This is not the only tattoo of an owl on his body as you’ll read further.

3. Tribal Tattoo

Mickey Rourke tribal tattoo

Tattoo: The right side of Rourke’s body contains a large tattoo of a tiger done in tribal designs. Its body stretches all over the actor’s ribcage and ends with the beasts’ upper body, covering Rourke’s right pec.

Stomach Tattoos

4. Fleur De Lis Tattoo

Mickey Rourke fleur de lis tattoo

Tattoo: The middle part of Mickey’s stomach contains the symbol of the Fleur de Lis tattooed on it which is a stylized lily flower.

5. Words Tattoo

Mickey Rourke words tattoo2

Tattoo: There are a few words tattooed on the left side of his body, just below his left pec that have remained a mystery as the tattoo has rarely been seen.

Back Tattoos

6. Jesus, Mary, and Flower Tattoos

Mickey Rourke jesus mary flower tattoo

Tattoo: The back of the actor contains three tattoos on it. The left side of his upper back contains a tattoo of the face of Saint Mary. The middle of his back contains the face of Jesus Christ tattooed on it and the right side of his upper back is covered in a tattoo of flowers around a heart with a banner wrapped around the heart that contains a name written on it.

Meaning: The tattoo of Jesus Christ and Saint Mary represent the religious views of the actor. The name on the banner is in memory of a loved one. These are not the only religious tattoos on his body as there is another tattoo of Jesus on his arm as you’ll soon find out.

Right Arm Tattoos

7. Design Tattoo

Mickey Rourke design tattoo2

Mickey Rourke design tattoo3

Tattoo: The right shoulder and upper arm of the former boxer contains a design of different shapes tattooed on it.

8. Owl Tattoo

Mickey Rourke owl tattoo

Tattoo: The inner side of his right forearm contains a tattoo of another owl on it but this one has its whole body too, unlike the one on Rourke’s chest. There is also a tattoo of an eagle on the upper side of his right forearm.

Meaning: Rourke got this owl tattooed on his body because of the same reason that he got the other one as he really adores the animals. What many people do not know is that Rourke is an activist for animal rights and has is also a member of PETA. The eagle tattoo represents his love for his homeland as it is the emblem of the United States.

9. Phoenix Tattoo

Tattoo: The upper side of his right forearm contains a tattoo of the phoenix bird on it. There are a few words tattooed above and below the bird too.

Meaning: Mickey got this matching tattoo along with his former spouse, Carre Otis, who has the same phoenix bird tattoo on her left forearm.

10. Design Tattoo

Mickey Rourke design tattoo

Tattoo: The upper side of both his wrists contains a square design tattooed on it. There are also bands of the cross tattooed around both of his wrists.

Meaning: The tattoo of the greek crosses around his wrist represents his religious views.

Left Arm Tattoos

11. Cheetah Tattoo

Mickey Rourke cheetah tattoo

Tattoo: The left shoulder of the actor contains the face of a cheetah tattooed on it.

Meaning: The cheetah tattoo is another one from his boxing days which he got as he wanted to be the fastest, just like the beast.

12. Carre Forever Tattoo

Mickey Rourke carre forever tattoo

Tattoo: Mickey’s left upper arm contains the words, “CarrE Forever” tattooed on it.

Meaning: Mickey got this tattoo to show his love and affection for his former spouse, Carre Otis.

13. Jesus Tattoo

Mickey Rourke jesus tattoo

Tattoo: The inner side of his left forearm contains another tattoo of the face of Jesus Christ.

Meaning: This is another one of the tattoos of his body that represents his religious views.

Hand Tattoos

14. JOE Tattoo

Mickey Rourke joe tattoo

Tattoo: The right middle finger of the actor contains the name, “JOE” tattooed on it.

15. Silhouette Tattoo

Mickey Rourke silhouette tattoo

Tattoo: The left hand, near his thumb, contains a silhouette of a design tattooed on it.

Leg Tattoos

16. Tribal Tattoo

Mickey Rourke tribal tattoo 1

Tattoo: Mickey’s right thigh contains a tattoo of a tribal design on it.

17. Club Tattoo

Mickey Rourke club tattoo

Tattoo: The outer side of Rourke’s lower right leg contains the symbol of clubs which is a three-leaf clover tattooed on it.

Meaning: This is another one of the early tattoos that he got during his boxing career as the three-leaf clover is a bringer of good luck.

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  1. Larry Canonga

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