KFC just revealed a new Colonel Sanders
To accompany the launch of the new Georgia Gold chicken, KFC has hired a new Colonel Sanders: actor and producer Billy Zane.
Zane, who is best known to many for his role in 'Titanic' as the villainous Cal, appears in marketing for Georgia Gold completely covered in gold, a slightly bizarre nod to the chicken's name. According to KFC, Zane was tapped because the chain was looking for an "established actor who knows you don't have to be a millionaire to eat like one."
As the new Colonel Sanders, Zane follows in the footsteps of a number of other comedians who have taken on the role since Darrell Hammond brought the founder back from the dead in May 2015. Other Colonel Sanders include Norm Macdonald, Jim Gaffigan, and, most recently, Mad Men star Vincent Kartheiser.
When KFC reintroduced the Colonel in 2015, many customers were skeptical or disgusted that the chain would revive its founder - a real person - from the dead.
However, the move has paid off for the chain. In October, KFC hit its ninth consecutive quarter of same-store sales growth, after a period of slumping sales.