Warning: Spoilers for Don't Look Up
Despite the many pertinent political and sociological questioned posed by Netflix's darkly comedic Don't Look Up, many viewers have been most transfixed by Meryl Streep's back tattoo. The movie, which is a satirical parable about a comet on track to hit Earth with the size and ability to extinguish life on earth, features a star-studded cast, including Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence. However, it is Streep's turn as the inked President Janie Orlean that is proving a real talking point.
In the final scene of Don't Look Up, once it's clear Earth and its inhabitants are doomed, 2000 of Earth's most prominent people are cryogenically frozen and sent to the nearest Earth-like planet. Upon arrival, everyone is nude due to the cryogenic process and in these moments President Orlean's back tattoo is revealed. This revelation in turn raises questions about whether or not this is an artistic choice concerning her character, or whether Streep herself actually has a similar tattoo in real life.
The answer is somewhat up in the air, but one important detail that has been revealed is that a body double was used in this final scene meaning audiences are not actually seeing Meryl Streep's nude back. Another consideration is that this isn't the first time audiences have seen such a thing. That honor goes to Ricki and The Flash which came out in 2015. In that movie, she rocks an upper back tattoo of an American flag. So while that character choice didn't garner as much attention, it does show a history of the actress' propensity to don a fake tattoo for a role. It also shows that, at least as of 2015, Meryl Streep herself did not have the lower back tattoo from Don't Look Up.
While it's hard to imagine Meryl Streep with a back tattoo in real life, it feels like a logical choice in portraying her character, President Orlean. In Don't Look Up, Orlean is quite the opposite of a typical movie president. Rather than the regal and reserved archetype, President Orlean is an outspoken, anti-science, anti-intellectualism, former reality star. She defines cronyism with her son, Jason Orlean (Jonah Hill), as her Chief of Staff, pushing through a vile and inexperienced sheriff as a SCOTUS nomination, and ultimately being in the pockets of big corporations, the latter of which is the virtual cause of Earth's mass extinction. Given this background, while never actually stated, the tattoo feels more like an insincere, insignificant decision of President Orlean, rather than one of Hollywood royalty ready to portray anyone.
Ultimately, there is no confirmation that the tattoo garnering more attention than Don't Look Up's message does not belong to Meryl Streep herself, it does seem like a weird decision for Streep. However, many facts surrounding the tattoo in Don't Look Up showcase the unlikelihood that the tattoo does actually belong to Streep. So while fans can't know for certain at this time, whether the tattoo really belongs to Streep's body double or was added on, it does seem the tattoo itself is meant to belong to President Orlean.