When fans think about Suicide Squad (2016), images of high‑octane action, wild costumes, and unforgettable characters like Harley Quinn come to mind. But behind the DC spectacle was a far more quirky — and permanently marked — slice of cast life: Margot Robbie turned into an on‑set tattoo artist, leaving her co‑stars with more than just shared memories.
Long before promotional tours and blockbuster press junkets, Robbie’s tattoo adventure began on the Suicide Squad set, where downtime between takes turned into creative (and somewhat chaotic) bonding experiences. While she is now best known as an Oscar‑nominated actor, Robbie once wielded a tattoo gun she bought online — using it to ink co‑stars and crew alike.
From Harley Quinn to Tattoo Apprentice
Margot Robbie’s tattooing started as a hobby. According to interviews from the film’s press cycle, she brought a tattoo machine onto the Suicide Squad set and offered to give her friends and fellow actors small, inside‑joke tattoos to commemorate their time together.
The vibe was casual and fun — far from a professional tattoo parlor. As Robbie herself joked during discussions about the experience, the artwork was often reminiscent of simple doodles: “Picture what a 4‑year‑old would draw and stick on your fridge — that’s kind of what one of my tattoos looks like,” she said, highlighting the playful, amateur nature of her ink.
“SKWAD”: A Bonding Tattoo Craze
Among the most iconic of Robbie’s tattoos was a simple yet meaningful abbreviation: “SKWAD.” Inspired by the movie’s title and the crew’s shared experience, many on set opted to get this ink as a keepsake of their time working together.
The tattoos were deliberately low‑key — almost childish in design — and made all the more memorable for being spontaneous. Even Suicide Squad director David Ayer got one on his forearm, proudly displaying Robbie’s handiwork.
Interestingly, not every tattoo went perfectly. There are stories about a misspelled “SKWAD” — where the initial “S” inadvertently led straight into the “W” — earning a chuckle from cast and crew alike.
Toemojis and Other Creative Ink
Beyond the SKWAD tattoos, Robbie and her friends also experimented with playful designs. One of the more unusual ideas was “toemojis” — tiny emoji‑like faces tattooed on the bottoms of toes. While these won’t be visible with every step, they stood as sweet — and silly — tokens of camaraderie among certain cast members.
Model‑actor Cara Delevingne, who played Enchantress in Suicide Squad, was one of Robbie’s willing recipients. Both women tattooed each other’s toes, delighting in a shared moment of off‑script fun.
Of course, not everyone was on board. Will Smith, who portrayed Deadshot, notably declined Robbie’s offer, humorously quipping that he was “a grown‑ass man” and opting out of the inking fiesta.
Beyond the Set: A Tattoo Hobby That Grew… Too Much
Robbie’s tattoo interest didn’t fade immediately after filming wrapped. For a time, she continued tattooing friends outside of the movie, citing that she enjoyed the creative process even though she had no formal training and freely admitted she wasn’t especially skilled.
However, her unofficial tattoo career hit a turning point when one of her creations nearly became a real‑life wedding disaster. Appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Robbie recounted a bachelorette‑party tattoo mishap where a bridesmaid received a permanent design on her back that was, to put it kindly, unexpected by the wearer. The ink turned red and raw the next day at the wedding, much to the dismay of the bride’s mother — and Robbie realized she might need to hang up the tattoo gun.
Laughing about the incident on TV, Robbie revealed that despite her enjoyment of tattooing, she ultimately gave it up after a few too many “mishaps.” Her impromptu tattoo studio — once a source of shared laughter and bonding — became something she no longer felt comfortable pursuing without proper skills and training.
A Lasting Legacy of Ink and Friendship
In the years since Suicide Squad, Robbie’s tattoo adventures have become a beloved anecdote among fans and media alike — a quirky footnote in her rise to stardom. They reveal a side of Hollywood that’s spontaneous, creative, and deeply human: actors finding ways to connect beyond scripts and sets.
For fans of Robbie and Suicide Squad alike, these tattoos represent more than ink on skin. They are emblems of the friendships forged during long shoots, the joy of creativity untethered from professionalism, and the sometimes messy beauty of making memories along the way.
So next time you watch Harley Quinn leap into action, remember: off camera, Margot Robbie was leaving her own mark — one “SKWAD” at a time.