Ridley Scottrecalls his experience hiring 200 real skinheads to shoot Apple’s iconic “1984” Macintosh Super Bowl commercial. Directed by Scott, who was fresh offthe dystopian sci-fi classicBlade Runner,the “1984” commercial debuted during Super Bowl XVIII and introduced Apple’s Macintosh personal computer. Inspired by George Orwell’sNineteen Eighty-Four,it portrays a dystopian world in which a crowd of uniformed, bald men passively watch a Big Brother-like figure ranting on a giant screen, until a lone runner, wearing a white tank top featuring an illustration of Apple’s new product, hurls a sledgehammer at the screen.
In an interview withGQ,Scott recounted his experience filming the ad, which he shot with 200 real skinheads as extras.Scott sought a visually striking audience locked into an oppressive gaze to juxtapose with athlete Anya Major’s vibrant, rebellious presence. The director wanted to avoid the expense of shaving a woman’s head, so the already shaven men made for cheap, easy extras. Here’s what he had to say:
Well, [Anya Major] was a great looking athlete, why not? Jesus Christ, she was good.
I like that we invented the hammer - like the hammer and sickle and all that stuff - so we’re underscoring the possibility of oppression from there. So the guy on screen, we shot him in that morning, ranting… And she destroyed this oppression.
And I had 200 skinheads there because I couldn’t afford to shave a woman’s head. So, I told the skinheads, I said, “Listen, you get breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I’m going to throw this thing at the screen. I’m going to then blow you, cover [you] with talcum powder, and I want you all to go, ‘Ohhh.’” And they did. [Laughs].
What Ridley Scott’s “1984” Casting Choice Means
The Unintended Layers In Apple’s Macintosh Commercial
Scott’s decision to use skinheads in Apple’s award-winning “1984” ad introduces a striking tension within its intended message of oppression and empowerment.The dystopian sci-fi adportrays the Macintosh as a revolutionary tool that could enable individuals to break free from control and foster creativity by granting them computing power once reserved for corporations. However, the choice to employ a group of skinheads from the National Front—a far-right, fascist political party in the U.K.—to cut production costschallenges the ad’s idealized message of individuality and liberation(viaNYT).
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As Apple has evolved into a multinational giant and misinformation thrives across the hand-held Apple devices billions rely on,the Macintosh ad takes on a hauntingly ironic undertone—a cautionary tale not unlikethe sci-fi masterpieceof Scott’sBlade Runner.Even Scott seems to recognize this. In the same interview withGQ, he begins his discussion of the ad by calling out the smartphone as a piece of dystopian tech:
We’re basically going to be controlled by Nineteen Eighty-Four, by a hierarchy. And I think the hierarchy is this [raises an iPhone]. This is genius, and a f**king disaster. Get your kid to go climb a tree and leave this at home, alright?
Our Take On Ridley Scott’s “1984” Revelation
Ridley Scott’s decision to cast about 200 skinheads in Apple’s “1984” ad adds a fascinating, if controversial, layer to its legacy. What began as a cost-saving measure inadvertently introduced a subculture with its own fraught history into a narrative about freedom and empowerment. This choice amplifies the ad’s intrigue as its message has grown into a complex cultural footnote at the intersection of oppression, control, and technology.
Decades later, the commercial remains a cultural touchstone, and Scott’s unconventional decision reminds us that the line between art and reality is often far messier—and more compelling—than one ever set out to create.
