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{{Short description|English athlete, actress, model and singer}}
{{update|date=February 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2016}}
{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
| name = Anya Major
| name = Anya Major
| image = <!-- filename only, no "File:" or "Image:" prefix, and no enclosing [[brackets]] -->
| image = <!-- filename only, no "File:" or "Image:" prefix, and no enclosing [[brackets]] -->
| alt = <!-- descriptive text for use by speech synthesis (text-to-speech) software -->
| alt = <!-- descriptive text for use by speech synthesis (text-to-speech) software -->
| caption =
| caption =
| birth_name = <!-- only use if different from name -->
| birth_name = <!-- only use if different from name -->
| birth_date = 1966
| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1966}}
| birth_place = [[United Kingdom]]
| birth_place = [[United Kingdom]]
| death_date = <!-- {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} (DEATH date then BIRTH date) -->
| death_date = <!-- {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} (DEATH date then BIRTH date) -->
| death_place =
| death_place =
| nationality =
| nationality =
| other_names =
| other_names =
| occupation =
| occupation =
| years_active =
| years_active =
| spouse = Kim Rajah
| spouse = Kim Rajah
| children = 3
| children = 3
| known_for =
| known_for =
| notable_works = [[Apple Inc.|Apple Computer's]] "[[1984 (television commercial)|1984]]" commercial
| notable_works = [[Apple Inc.|Apple Computer's]] "[[1984 (advertisement)|1984]]" commercial.<br/>[[Nikita (song)|"Nikita"]] music video (Nikita)
}}
}}
'''Anya Major''' (born 1966) is an [[English people|English]] athlete, actress, model and singer who starred in [[Apple Computer]]'s [[1984 (television commercial)|"1984" commercial]], and in 1985 appeared as "[[Nikita (song)|Nikita]]" in the video to [[Elton John]]'s song of the same name.
'''Anya Major''' (born 1966) is an English athlete, actress, model and singer who starred in [[Apple Inc.|Apple Computer]]'s [[1984 (advertisement)|"1984" commercial]] and, in 1985, appeared as "Nikita" in the video to [[Elton John]]'s [[Nikita (song)|song of the same name]].


==Career==
⚫
In 1983, the [[Chiat/Day]] advertising agency held a [[Casting (performing arts)|casting call]] in London, on behalf of their client, [[Apple Computer]], for what would prove to be a landmark [[television commercial]]. The vision of the agency and director [[Ridley Scott]] stipulated an actress capable of running up to a large video screen, spinning with a [[sledgehammer]], and releasing it at the video screen. Most of the models and actresses tested struggled to do this; one errant throw nearly struck a passerby at the [[Hyde Park, London|Hyde Park]] casting call.<ref name="LinzmayerBook">{{cite book |last=Linzmayer |first=Owen |title=The Mac Bathroom Reader |url=https://archive.org/details/macbathroomreade00linz |format=reproduction of chapter from book |access-date=2007-04-02 |date=July 1994 |publisher=Sybex Inc |location=[[San Francisco, California|San Francisco]] |isbn=978-0-7821-1531-4 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The petite Major, an experienced [[Discus throw|discus]] thrower who had been discovered at a local health club, won the role with her ability to handle the hammer convincingly.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.folklore.org/StoryView.py?project=Macintosh&story=1984.txt |title=1984 |access-date=2007-04-02 |last=Hertzfeld |first=Andy |authorlink=Andy Hertzfeld |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20070405001838/http://www.folklore.org/StoryView.py?project=Macintosh&story=1984.txt |archivedate=5 April 2007 |url-status=live}}</ref>
==="1984" advertisement===
{{Main|1984 (advertisement)}}
⚫
In 1983, the [[Chiat/Day]] advertising agency held a [[Casting (performing arts)|casting call]] in London, on behalf of their client, Apple Computer, for what would prove to be a landmark [[television commercial]]. The vision of the agency and director [[Ridley Scott]] stipulated an actress capable of running up to a large video screen, spinning with a [[sledgehammer]], and releasing it at the video screen. Most of the models and actresses tested struggled to do this; one errant throw nearly struck a passerby at the [[Hyde Park, London|Hyde Park]] casting call.<ref name="LinzmayerBook">{{cite book |last=Linzmayer |first=Owen |title=The Mac Bathroom Reader |url=https://archive.org/details/macbathroomreade00linz |format=reproduction of chapter from book |access-date=2007-04-02 |date=July 1994 |publisher=Sybex Inc |location=[[San Francisco, California|San Francisco]] |isbn=978-0-7821-1531-4 }}</ref> She won the role with her ability to handle the hammer convincingly.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.folklore.org/StoryView.py?project=Macintosh&story=1984.txt |title=1984 |access-date=2007-04-02 |last=Hertzfeld |first=Andy |authorlink=Andy Hertzfeld |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20070405001838/http://www.folklore.org/StoryView.py?project=Macintosh&story=1984.txt |archivedate=5 April 2007 |url-status=live}}</ref>


⚫
The commercial officially aired only twice on American television. It was first screened in December 1983, right before the 1:00&nbsp;am sign-off on [[KMVT]] in [[Twin Falls, Idaho]], so that it would be eligible for advertising industry awards for that year.<ref name=legend>{{cite web |url=http://www.curtsmedia.com/cine/1984.html |title=1984 Apple Commercial: The making of a legend |access-date=7 July 2008 |work=The Mac Bathroom Reader |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080705224912/http://www.curtsmedia.com/cine/1984.html |archivedate=5 July 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Pogue |first=David |authorlink=David Pogue |author2=Joseph Schorr |title=Macworld Macintosh SECRETS |publisher=IDG Books Worldwide |location=San Mateo, California |year=1993 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/macworldmacintos00pogu/page/251 251] |isbn=1-56884-025-X |url=https://archive.org/details/macworldmacintos00pogu/page/251 }}</ref> In addition, starting on January&nbsp;17, 1984 it was screened prior to previews in movie theaters for a few weeks.<ref name=legend/> Its best-known appearance was just after half-time of [[Super Bowl XVIII]] on 22 January 1984.<ref name="LinzmayerBook" /> Even with these limited appearances, the ad created such a media frenzy that it gained many subsequent free TV airings and print mentions, as it was discussed in the media.
=="1984"==
⚫
The commercial officially aired only twice on American television. It was first screened in December 1983, right before the 1:00&nbsp;am sign-off on [[KMVT]] in [[Twin Falls, Idaho]], so that it would be eligible for advertising industry awards for that year.<ref name=legend>{{cite web |url=http://www.curtsmedia.com/cine/1984.html |title=1984 Apple Commercial: The making of a legend |access-date=7 July 2008 |work=The Mac Bathroom Reader |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080705224912/http://www.curtsmedia.com/cine/1984.html |archivedate=5 July 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Pogue |first=David |authorlink=David Pogue |author2=Joseph Schorr |title=Macworld Macintosh SECRETS |publisher=IDG Books Worldwide |location=San Mateo, California |year=1993 |pages=251 |isbn=1-56884-025-X |url=https://archive.org/details/macworldmacintos00pogu }}</ref> In addition, starting on January&nbsp;17, 1984 it was screened prior to previews in movie theaters for a few weeks.<ref name=legend/> Its best-known appearance was just after half-time of [[Super Bowl XVIII]] on 22 January 1984.<ref name="LinzmayerBook" /> Even with these limited appearances, the ad created such a media frenzy that it gained many subsequent free TV airings and print mentions, as it was discussed in the media.


==="Nikita" music video===
⚫
Major later portrayed "[[Nikita (song)|Nikita]]" in the [[Elton John]] 1985 [[music video]] of the same name. As a spin-off, she released a single named "Moscow Nights" using the name Anya, and with that name, in 1987, she released another song named "One Word".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.discogs.com/artist/454839-Anya-2 |title=Anya (2) Discography |publisher=[[Discogs]] |date= |access-date=2014-07-26}}</ref>
{{Main|Nikita (song)}}
⚫
Major later portrayed "Nikita" in the [[Elton John]] 1985 [[music video]] for his song of the same name. As a spin-off, she released a single named "Moscow Nights" using the name Anya, and with that name, in 1987, she released another song named "One Word".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.discogs.com/artist/454839-Anya-2 |title=Anya (2) Discography |publisher=[[Discogs]] |date= |access-date=2014-07-26}}</ref>


==Later life==
In 2006, [[Andy Hertzfeld]] of the Macintosh development team incorrectly stated that Major had died of breast cancer in 2000.<ref>{{cite video |people=[[Andy Hertzfeld|Hertzfeld, Andy]] (speaker) |date=2006-03-15 |title=Andy Hertzfeld at Google New York |url=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8134536071712056670 |publisher=[[Google]] |access-date=2007-04-02}}</ref> As of 2009, she lives in England with her husband Kim Rajah and their three children.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.magicvalley.com/news/local/article_d6982634-38ba-5483-b38e-4faf8dae3455.html |date=27 January 2009 |title=How KMVT launched Apple's Macintosh |work=[[Times-News (Idaho)|Times-News]] |location=[[Twin Falls, Idaho|Twin Falls]], [[Idaho]] |first=Steve |last=Crump |quote=The 42-year-old British mother of three still gets fan mail... |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120115051632/http://magicvalley.com/news/local/article_d6982634-38ba-5483-b38e-4faf8dae3455.html |archivedate=15 January 2012 |access-date=15 March 2012 |url-status=live |df=dmy }}</ref>
In 2006, [[Andy Hertzfeld]] of the Macintosh development team incorrectly stated that Major had died of breast cancer in 2000.<ref>{{cite video |people=[[Andy Hertzfeld|Hertzfeld, Andy]] (speaker) |date=2006-03-15 |title=Andy Hertzfeld at Google New York |url=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8134536071712056670 |publisher=[[Google]] |access-date=2007-04-02 |archive-date=22 May 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060522033429/http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8134536071712056670 |url-status=dead }}</ref> As of 2009, she was living in England with her husband Kim Rajah and their three children.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.magicvalley.com/news/local/article_d6982634-38ba-5483-b38e-4faf8dae3455.html |date=27 January 2009 |title=How KMVT launched Apple's Macintosh |work=[[Times-News (Idaho)|Times-News]] |location=[[Twin Falls, Idaho|Twin Falls]], [[Idaho]] |first=Steve |last=Crump |quote=The 42-year-old British mother of three still gets fan mail... |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120115051632/http://magicvalley.com/news/local/article_d6982634-38ba-5483-b38e-4faf8dae3455.html |archivedate=15 January 2012 |access-date=15 March 2012 |url-status=live |df=dmy }}</ref> More recently in 2016, she starred in the documentary "Silicon Cowboys<ref>{{Cite web |title=Silicon Cowboys | website=[[IMDb]] |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4938484/?ref_=nm_flmg_arf_1}}</ref>" produced by Jason Cohen, to represent her involvement in the Macintosh commercial.


==References==
==References==
Line 36: Line 41:


==External links==
==External links==
* {{IMDb name|6937143}}
* [http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/02/02/eye.ent.commercials CNN article]
* [http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/02/02/eye.ent.commercials CNN article]


Latest revision as of 20:05, 14 October 2024

Anya Major
Born1966 (age 58–59)
United Kingdom
Notable workApple Computer's "1984" commercial.
"Nikita" music video (Nikita)
SpouseKim Rajah
Children3

Anya Major (born 1966) is an English athlete, actress, model and singer who starred in Apple Computer's "1984" commercial and, in 1985, appeared as "Nikita" in the video to Elton John's song of the same name.

Career

[edit]

"1984" advertisement

[edit]
Main article: 1984 (advertisement)

In 1983, the Chiat/Day advertising agency held a casting call in London, on behalf of their client, Apple Computer, for what would prove to be a landmark television commercial. The vision of the agency and director Ridley Scott stipulated an actress capable of running up to a large video screen, spinning with a sledgehammer, and releasing it at the video screen. Most of the models and actresses tested struggled to do this; one errant throw nearly struck a passerby at the Hyde Park casting call.[1] She won the role with her ability to handle the hammer convincingly.[2]

The commercial officially aired only twice on American television. It was first screened in December 1983, right before the 1:00 am sign-off on KMVT in Twin Falls, Idaho, so that it would be eligible for advertising industry awards for that year.[3][4] In addition, starting on January 17, 1984 it was screened prior to previews in movie theaters for a few weeks.[3] Its best-known appearance was just after half-time of Super Bowl XVIII on 22 January 1984.[1] Even with these limited appearances, the ad created such a media frenzy that it gained many subsequent free TV airings and print mentions, as it was discussed in the media.

"Nikita" music video

[edit]
Main article: Nikita (song)

Major later portrayed "Nikita" in the Elton John 1985 music video for his song of the same name. As a spin-off, she released a single named "Moscow Nights" using the name Anya, and with that name, in 1987, she released another song named "One Word".[5]

Later life

[edit]

In 2006, Andy Hertzfeld of the Macintosh development team incorrectly stated that Major had died of breast cancer in 2000.[6] As of 2009, she was living in England with her husband Kim Rajah and their three children.[7] More recently in 2016, she starred in the documentary "Silicon Cowboys[8]" produced by Jason Cohen, to represent her involvement in the Macintosh commercial.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Linzmayer, Owen (July 1994). The Mac Bathroom Reader (reproduction of chapter from book). San Francisco: Sybex Inc. ISBN 978-0-7821-1531-4. Retrieved 2 April 2007.
  2. ^ Hertzfeld, Andy. "1984". Archived from the original on 5 April 2007. Retrieved 2 April 2007.
  3. ^ a b "1984 Apple Commercial: The making of a legend". The Mac Bathroom Reader. Archived from the original on 5 July 2008. Retrieved 7 July 2008.
  4. ^ Pogue, David; Joseph Schorr (1993). Macworld Macintosh SECRETS. San Mateo, California: IDG Books Worldwide. pp. 251. ISBN 1-56884-025-X.
  5. ^ "Anya (2) Discography". Discogs. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
  6. ^ Hertzfeld, Andy (speaker) (15 March 2006). Andy Hertzfeld at Google New York. Google. Archived from the original on 22 May 2006. Retrieved 2 April 2007.
  7. ^ Crump, Steve (27 January 2009). "How KMVT launched Apple's Macintosh". Times-News. Twin Falls, Idaho. Archived from the original on 15 January 2012. Retrieved 15 March 2012. The 42-year-old British mother of three still gets fan mail...
  8. ^ "Silicon Cowboys". IMDb.
[edit]
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