Pre-Fame Kevin Costner Seen In One Of First Apple Computer TV Commercials

Mac History/YouTube

Kevin Costner is one of the few actors who has seen success on the small and large screens for nearly four decades. From critically-acclaimed roles in movies such as Dances with Wolves and Field of Dreams in the late 1980s to his current hit cable show Yellowstone, Costner has a fan base that spans generations. Like many actors getting their career off the ground, some of Costner’s first screen appearances included starring roles in television commercials.

Thanks to YouTube, these commercial gems can be enjoyed again and again. For instance, one of Costner’s first roles was an appearance in a television commercial for Apple Lisa, the first Apple computer with a mouse to hit the market. In the ad, which aired in 1983, Costner portrays a business man who rides his bike to work after hours, accompanied by his trusty pup. Costner casually parks his bike in the company lobby and he and his dog make their way to his office. A slightly disheveled-looking Costner parks himself in front of the now-prehistoric-looking Apple computer and gets to work.

“Soon there may be just two kinds of people,” the narrator says. “Those who use computers and those who use Apples.”

Rumor has it that a failed movie audition led to Kevin Costner getting the role in the Apple commercial.

“[The commercial] was directed by Jonathan Lyne, who had auditioned [Kevin] for Flashdance, wherein he had to be slapped repeatedly by one actress after another. And he still didn’t get the gig,” a comment on YouTube reads. “Lyne remembered him and insisted on him being cast in the ad, even though [Kevin] showed up on set unshaven and not too bothered. Lyne told him, ‘This thing’s worth twenty grand, Kev, and you show up like a bum!’ Costner said he’d rather go fishing. Long story short–the ad was shot the next day. Just goes to show that there are kind people in Hollywood, and it must have rubbed off on Costner because he too has a reputation as a decent man.”

It’s worth noting that the Apple Lisa was a commercial failure for Apple and sold only 10,000 units over the span of two years, with each unit costing a whopping $10,000!

Watch the Apple Lisa commercial starring Kevin Costner below.