Ryan Gosling's Forearm Tattoo

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If you look closely at Gosling's left forearm, he has a tattoo of what appears to be a cactus — but looks can be deceiving. In a 2011 interview, Gosling admitted that the ink is actually a botched homemade tattoo, and it was originally supposed to be a monster hand dropping a bleeding heart.

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Ryan Gosling's Wrist Tattoo

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Gosling's barcode tattoo — a (slightly more successful) DIY tattoo — is displayed prominently on his left wrist, although he typically covers it up with a watch. The actor said in a 2007 interview with The Guardian, "A tattoo should never be meaningful, because at a certain point you're going to hate it, and it might as well make you laugh." His "it's not that deep" attitude is definitely at play with this ink.

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Ryan Gosling's Shoulder Tattoo

Image Source: Atsushi Nishijima/©Focus Features/Courtesy Everett Collection

While it's hard to spot under the many tattoos he's wearing in "The Place Beyond the Pines," Gosling has some ink paying homage to "The Giving Tree" on his left shoulder that you can see peeking through. He has mentioned that his mom often read the children's story when he was growing up. In 2010, though, when Gosling was asked about his tattoo in an interview with Vulture, he said, "That story's the worst . . . I don't want to be the tree."

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Ryan Gosling's Inner-Bicep Tattoo

Check out Gosling's inner left bicep: tucked under his T-shirt you'll see that he has an outline tattoo of a woman ghost posing next to a skeleton. While he has never confirmed its meaning, the design is said to be modeled after a famous photo of Hollywood actor Theda Bara, who starred in films from 1914 to 1926.

Ryan Gosling's "Esme" Hand Tattoo

Gosling has a subtle set of finger tattoos on the knuckles of his left hand that spell out "Esme" — his nickname for his daughter Esmeralda. Fans speculated that this most recent tattoo, which he got in 2015, was temporary, but others believe the ink is permanent. He has neither confirmed nor denied the rumors.

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Ryan Gosling's 5 Tattoos and Their Meanings

The Meanings Behind Ryan Gosling's 5 Known Tattoos