Anya Major

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Anya Major in the 1984 commercial.

Anya Major is an athlete and model who starred in Apple Computer's famous "1984" commercial.

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, swinging a sledgehammer in a wide spin, and releasing it at the video screen. Unfortunately, most of the models and actresses tested could not wield the clumsy hammer, much less throw it; in fact, one errant throw nearly struck a passerby at the Hyde Park casting call^{[citation needed]}. The petite Major, an experienced discus thrower who had been discovered at a local health club, won the role with her ability to handle the hammer convincingly.^[1]

The commercial aired only twice on American national television, just after half-time of Super Bowl XVIII on January 22, 1984 and Chiat/Day paid $10 to run 1984 in the 1:00 A.M. sign-off slot on December 15, 1983, at a small television station (KMVT, Channel 11) in Twin Falls, Idaho, thereby ensuring that the commercial would qualify for that year's advertising awards**.

Major later portrayed "Nikita" in the Elton John 1986 music video of the same name^{[citation needed]}.

Although Andy Hertzfeld of the Macintosh development team stated that Major died of breast cancer in 2000^[2], she is alive and well^{[citation needed]}. She lives in England with her husband Kim Rajah and their three children.

Major is an alumna of the United World College of South East Asia and was in attendance for the 30th anniversary Reunion in December 2005^{[citation needed]}.