Dave Bautista (Filipino American actor) explains the meaning of his tattoos that are Filipino-inspired in a video posted on Wednesday.
Bautista is a Filipino mother and father. GQ He shows his pride by getting three tattoos on his upper left arm, including the flags from the Philippines and Greece.
The sun from the Philippine flag is also visible on his left elbow. His chest was also covered with the Eye of Providence, which is a black-colored Philippine sun.
“I was always really just taught to be proud of my heritage,” Bautista said. “I didn’t really have close ties to my family, but my mom made me aware of who I was, what my background was [and] To be proud of it. So I kind of accepted my Filipino heritage and embraced it. [I’m] always very proud of my roots, and I display it on my body.”
The former wrestler traveled to Manila in 2006 for an international World Wrestling Entertainment event. He claims that he has truly embraced his Filipino roots.
“I think I really embraced it when I was older and when I got to visit the Philippines,” Bautista told GQ. “I’m only half Filipino from the United States, but they embraced me like I was 100-percent Filipino and I was born and raised there. You know, that experience is never gonna make me feel anything less in my life.”
“It’s just a dream,” he added. “It’s just so surreal to go to a country and have them just treat you like you’re the prodigal son.”
Bautista gave a rundown of his tattoos from when he was 18 years old to those he got after becoming an actor, including the “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Avengers” logos on his thumbs.
The logo of the fictional criminal organization Spectre is also on his right thumb. It’s a nod at the Bond film of the same name (2015).
He loves tattoos of his three dogs, and he has them on his right thigh. On his left thigh, he has actor Cillian Murphy’s character Thomas Shelby from the British drama series “Peaky Blinders” surrounded by the phrase “Gentleman Hooligan.”
He also described his hidden tattoos, including names of ex-girlfriends and ex-wives, as well as the one that was covered. “a friend” made homophobic remarks and his first-ever tattoo — a cement heart with the words “heart of stone” on his buttocks.
The actor also spoke out about his tattoos, and the piercing shops he has in Tampa, Florida.
“I do have a tattoo shop because it’s always been a dream of mine to own a tattoo shop, just because I love the culture. The atmosphere is very special to me. I love being in tattoo shops. I love the conversation that goes on, the camaraderie,” Bautista told GQ.
Bautista decided to name his shop “DC Society Ink” for his hometown in Washington, DC and for Dream Chaser, a hashtag he has used on his social media for many years.
“That’s kind of the way I look at my life,” he says. “I’ve just chased my dreams no matter what they were, how crazy they seemed.”
Bautista’s latest tattoos include a signature crown of his favorite artist Jean-Michel Basquiat and the silver unicorn origami from the 2017 sci-fi action film “Blade Runner 2049,” which he starred in.
Bautista plays men’s rights streamer Duke Cody in Rian Johnson’s 2022 film “Glass Onion.” He is slated to star in the 2023 films “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” “A Knock at the Cabin” and “Dune: Part Two.”
