Eagle-eyed Netflix obsessives might have spotted Peter Sutherland has a scar on his neck, and a mysterious tattoo reaching down to his lower back. The actor Gabriel Basso really does have that scar and tattoo. They’re not make-up. Here’s a thorough explanation of what the tattoo means, and how exactly Gabriel Basso managed to acquire so many scars.

Peter’s neck scar and tattoo in The Night Agent are very real

Yes, all Peter Sutherland’s magnificent tattoos in The Night Agent are the actor Gabriel Basso’s real tattoos. The showrunners thought his tattoos fitted the vibe of the show.

He told Mystery and Suspense: “What helped is that I have been hit in real life, so I know what it is like. The tattoos are real; the scars are real. I am real. I did all the fighting and most of the other stuff. Except where insurance thought it too risky so the stunt coordinator would do it.” He’s definitely dedicated to the craft.

You can tell from Gabriel Basso’s Instagram that he’s had this neck tattoo since at least March 2021.
 

Gabriel Basso’s neck tattoo is in an ancient Celtic script

Gabriel Basso’s neck tattoo isn’t a random set of lines. It’s actually Ogham – an early medieval Celtic and Irish script you might have written your name in during a primary school history lesson. Each letter is named after a different tree, so it’s sometimes called Celtic tree script.

You’re supposed to read Ogham bottom to top, in which case the tattoo reads “rehto” and makes no sense in English or Irish. It might be that Gabriel envisioned the tattoo being read top to bottom, so it spells out “other”. Because the scar is at the top of the tattoo, it might be hiding another letter. Perhaps he wanted “mother” tattooed in Ogham on his neck?

How did Gabriel Basso get the scar on his neck?

Gabriel Basso had the neck scar since at least November 2021 – a few months before season one was filmed. The actor hasn’t explained precisely how he got this scar. But Gabriel Basso has a very adventurous life – his hobbies include axe throwing, boxing, wall-building, martial arts, skydiving and mountaineering. He does most of his own stunts for acting roles. Before he started working with  Luciane Buchanan (who plays Rose) he insisted they go bungee jumping together in order to bond. Really, when you put it like that, it’s surprising he doesn’t have more scars.

Gabriel Basso’s real tattoos are hidden in season two of The Night Agent

There’s an in-universe explanation for why his tattoos have seemingly vanished in the season two premiere. In season two episode two of The Night Agent, Catherine mentions that Peter had to have all his tattoos removed in Germany before he was sent to Bangkok as a proper field agent. Presumably this is because super secret spies aren’t so secret if they can be recognised by distinctive tattoos.

You’ll notice Peter wears a lot more long-sleeved t-shirts in season two of the Night Agent than he did in season one. I’m guessing this is to save all the make-up artists from waking up extra early to they can smear foundation all over Gabriel Basso’s arms and neck.