“Ready Player One,” Steven Spielberg’s take on our pop- and video-game obsessed culture, features something rarely seen in movies: A heroic character with a facial birthmark. Usually, birthmarks are used in movies to ID villains. “The Phantom of the Opera” is a classic example of a benign birthmark used as a sign of/reason for evil. Yet Art3mis / Samantha, the kickass video-playing rebel, has a large red blotch over her forehead, temple and eye visible in both real life and on eventually her avatar. FYI, actress Olivia Cooke was not born with a scarlet spot, the mark was applied by makeup/cgi.
The Port Wine Stain birthmark (PWS) is a patch of skin that over-expresses small superficial blood vessels, hence the red to purple color. Over a lifetime, raised nodules can form in the area, but unlike some other birthmarks there is no risk of converting to skin cancer. PWS may sometimes be associated with other health issues. Samantha, once done saving the world for more gaming, should undergo testing. PWS on the face can occur with glaucoma and convulsions, called Sturge Weber Syndrome. In 2018, lasers can reduce the appearance of PWS, though it is medically safe for most to be left alone. This is why former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, actress Paige Lauren Billiot and singer/actress Tina Turner display their birthmarks.
Of note, early in the film, Samantha’s avatar does not show the PWS. After her lesion is accepted in real life, she then wears it proudly as Art3mis. Birthmarks are not contagious or dangerous. By removing the mystique, society may recognize that birthmarks may be chic and unique not a streak that needs to be critiqued and tweaked. More on celebrity birthmarks at Skinema.com...