‘Yellowjackets’ star Melanie Lynskey reveals rule she has for body tattoos

Melanie Lynskey might star in a series packed with emotional scars and survival drama, but when it comes to permanent ink, she keeps it strictly sentimental—not professional.

At the Yellowjackets Season 3 FYC event on April 10 in North Hollywood, the actress chatted exclusively with PEOPLE and cleared up any speculation about whether she'd ever get a tattoo inspired by the fan-favorite Showtime series. 

Her answer? A casual but firm nope.

“I haven’t,” said Lynskey, 47, when asked if she'd ever considered it. “I've never gotten a tattoo for a job.”

That said, she’s not opposed to marking her skin with meaning—just not the Hollywood kind. 

“I got one with my co-star on a movie I did in New Zealand, because I loved her so much. We got matching tattoos,” she shared, though she kept the project and co-star a mystery. 

“But no, I've never gotten one to commemorate. It was more for people that I love.”

Fans who’ve been following the Tattooist of Auschwitz star know she’s no stranger to ink—just the meaningful kind. 

Back in May 2024, she opened up about her body art on The Kelly Clarkson Show, telling the host she has “like eight, I don’t have that many.” 

One of the most precious? A hand-drawn cat design on her forearm courtesy of her young daughter’s imagination.

“I’m so happy to be bringing this adorable tattoo into 2024 with me,” she captioned a January Instagram post revealing the sweet sketch. 

“It’s a meticulous recreation of a drawing my 5 year old daughter did, and it reminds me even in the most challenging moments that there is true joy in my life and fills me with deep gratitude.”

She also gave a shout out to her tattoo artist, adding, “My thanks to the incredibly kind and talented @graeme.allan at @sacredtattoonz for doing this for me while I was in Aotearoa.”

So while Melanie may not be inking any Yellowjackets symbolism on her arm anytime soon, she's got the kind of tattoos that last longer than any series run—the ones with heart.