Mark Mahoney

Mark Mahoney is an American actor and a professional tattoo artist. He was born in 1957 in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. He is the husband of Nicole Mahoney. After studying at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, he decided to become a tattoo artist. He is known as the founding father of Black and grey art tattoo style with a single needle, and he is an inspiration for the aspiring young generation artists.

Mark started his tattooing career in 1977 as a teenager when he used to tattoo ‘Hell’s Angels,’ Massachusetts motorcycle club, when tattooing was mostly illegal. Then he moved to Manhattan, where he set up his shop ‘The Pike’ at the bohemian Chelsea Hotel and worked with Bob Shaw and Col. Todd. From there he moved to East LA and decided to pursue his true passion, which is black and grey ink, to introduce this style to Hollywood.  

Mark's clients range from working-class individuals to rock musicians and notable film actors, and he treats them all with equal respect, consideration, and discretion. David Beckham is one the most popular clients of Mahoney, who has been covered in a fine-line tattoo style using only black-and-grey ink known as “single needle.”  Other clients include Adele, Angelina Jolie, Rihanna, Jared Leto, and Lana Del Rey. In the past, Mark has also offered services to renowned rappers like 2Pac and The Notorious B.I.G. Interestingly, one of his longest-standing clients is Johnny Depp, with whom he has been associated since the time when he used to work in L.A.’s South Bay.  Since then, Mark and Depp have become good friends and share a brotherly bond.

As an actor, Mahoney started to work in the film industry in 2007. Since then, he has acted in several movies, TV shows, and Music Videos, such as American Gigolo, Pam & Tommy, Sorry or What Could Have Been, Criminal Minds, Land, White Famous, Twin Peaks, Black Mass, Lana Del Rey: Shades of Cool, Lana Del Rey: West Coast, Blood Ties, Americano, and I'm Calling Frank. Mark has also worked as a tattoo artist in the makeup department for the movies Unstoppable, The Taking of Pelham 123, Deja Vu, and Domino.