Ryan Gosling has said he immediately regretted a fake face tattoo applied for his role in 2012 crime drama The Place Beyond the Pines. Although he initially felt it looked ridiculous, he later said the embarrassment and discomfort helped him understand the character’s shame, strengthening his performance.

The tattoo, a blood-dripping dagger beside his eye, was chosen to make Gosling’s motorcycle stuntman character more convincing. Director Derek Cianfrance kept it despite Gosling’s objections, and Gosling later said he avoided mirrors and photographs while wearing it. The film was well received and reportedly made a profit of just over $20 million; it also introduced Gosling to his future wife, Eva Mendes.