We talked to Ashleigh Chavis about working with actors’ real ink in The Bikeriders.
The Bikeriders was released in theaters this weekend, and it is based on a photography book by Danny Lyon that follows a motorcycle club in the 1960s. The film was helmed by Jeff Nicholes (Take Shelter, Midnight Special) and stars Austin Butler (Dune: Part Two) as Benny, Tom Hardy (Venom) as Johnny, Michael Shannon (Midnight Special) as Zipco, Norman Reedus (The Walking Dead) as Funny Sonny, and Boyd Holbrook (Logan) as Cal, who are all members of the gang. The film also features Mike Faist (Challengers) as Danny Lyon and Jodie Comer (Killing Eve) as Kathy, Benny’s wife. In the film, you can spot some of Hardy’s real-life tattoos, which the actor spoke about in a recent interview with ComicBook. We also had the chance to chat with the film’s Makeup Department Head, Ashleigh Chavis, who also talked about Hardy’s ink and how it fit into the period piece.
“Jeff was, and along with my own research and everything between the two of us, we were at an understanding of what was not common in the ’60s and ’50s and everything for men to have as far as tattoos goes,” Chavis explained. “So a lot of tattoos that these guys walk into the trailer with today are just way too modern. They just don’t work for that. I do think that definitely Tom and some of the other guys, the ink that they have could completely compliment a character, but for this one, it just didn’t really seem to really work. And Tom has a makeup artist named Audrey Doyle that he’s worked with for I think over a decade. And so between the two of us and then Tom and Jeff, I think we all came to a pretty good understanding fairly easily.”
“But costumes, they worked so well and did such an amazing job with the guys that were really inked up or had full sleeves. They put them in long sleeves and it didn’t compromise the characters at all. So that really helped us out,” she continued. “But yeah, I think actors like Tom who have a lot on them, depending on the character, it could absolutely work. But this one, I feel like we just kind of agreed and Jeff kind of signed off on the things that he would approve to be on camera, and maybe those weren’t the right styles for this one, but he still looked so badass in every thing that he was in.”
Tom Hardy Breaks Down His Character From The Bikeriders:
Austin Butler and Tom Hardy in The Bikeriders.
– Focus Features)
In The Bikeriders, Hardy plays Johnny, the leader of The Vandals. While chatting with ComicBook, Hardy spoke about how layered his character is in the film.
“Well, a vulnerability to somebody who externally projects themselves as being something that internally they’re not,” Hardy explained. “I think that’s true of all people. They’re a paradox of conflicting drivers. So it is just something that I’ve noticed for me. Some people, the more exterior, they seem to be frosty or whatever, but lies, sometimes, a much softer and vulnerable sensitive center. Those who disport themselves as sensitive may fall foul of the complete opposite.”
The Bikeriders is now playing in theaters. Stay tuned for more from our interview with Ashleigh Chavis.
