Iggy Pop Chooses Ruth Bell For New Video | Video
Photo © Iggy Pop
What was the inspiration behind the video?
I love Iggy Pop and I’m a huge boxing fan. I was listening to American Valhalla and was just reminded of this classic fight with Dick Tiger and Gene Fullmer, which took place in Nigeria. For whatever reason, I found a connection there. And there is so much history in Iggy’s voice and that seems to be a theme throughout his new record - the contender or the survivor, etc. And then it became about how we bring all of that to life as a music video and make it beautiful and exciting.
Photo © Jamie-James Medina
How did the decision to cast Ruth for Iggy’s video come about?
I knew we needed a girl to offset the fight footage, so I asked my casting director, Kalena Yiaueki, to just put together some names to pad out the treatment. I just assumed we’d figure it out later and get someone we all knew. All my work requires a level of authenticity and character - which you don’t always find with models - but Kalena saw something really unique in Ruth and very quickly she became the focus of the treatment. As soon as Iggy saw her, she was the only option and it became about how we make this happen.
Photo © Saint Laurent
Who spotted Ruth first?
I believe Kalena was in the middle of Fashion Week when we started to talk about the project and kept seeing Ruth during different shows. Kalena asked Ruth if she liked Iggy and she instantly said, “Yes!” I remember seeing her Saint Laurent ad posted at the bus stop outside my apartment. And then we shot Iggy in Miami a few weeks before we were scheduled to shoot the girl and we walked into the studio and Ruth was on the cover of 2 magazines in the lobby, so we just crossed our fingers and let the agents and producers figure it out.
Photo © Iggy Pop
Why was Ruth such a good fit?
Well, for most of the video the girl is obstructed and we’re teasing the reveal, so I needed someone that had some mystery. And when we finally meet the girl at the end, she needed to tell a story. Ruth is completely tough and completely angelic at the same time, its almost confusing. And the girl has to work alongside this archival fight footage and Iggy’s performance, which comes with so much experience and integrity. But as soon as she sat down in front of the camera, she was just perfect.
Photo © Jamie-James Medina
Do you think Ruth represents a new kind of beauty?
I think beauty is a subjective sport, but Ruth’s look is so simple and powerful - the shaved head, those huge eyes - its like a shortcut to raw beauty and character, which is incredibly exciting for a director.