Inside the long, strange history of KFC's Colonel Sanders as a spokesperson, character, and romantic lead
Mary Meisenzahl
Christy Radecic/AP Images
- Colonel Harland Sanders founded KFC and created the original recipe.
- Since then, Sanders has become an icon associated with KFC.
Colonel Harland Sanders famously founded KFC and developed its original fried chicken recipe.
Colonel Harland Sanders, the founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken. Getty Images
He's also a symbol of the brand, and a larger pop culture figure.
Omar Marques/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Sanders received the title of colonel in 1950 from Kentucky's governor and began dressing in a white suit and growing a signature goatee, making him a perfect, recognizable mascot and logo.
YouTube/harlandsanders11
Source: Time
Sanders remained a symbol of the brand long after he sold it in 1964.
A KFC store is seen in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in February 2018. Gene J. Puskar/AP
Source: Food and Wine
After Sanders died in 1980, the company waited over a decade to fill his shoes in TV commercials.
KFC Facebook
In 1994, actor Henderson Forsythe was chosen from more than 200 competitors to play the colonel in a $18.4 million ad campaign.
CBS via Getty Images
Source: Entertainment Weekly
Forsythe reportedly watched old film and read Sanders' books to prepare for the role.
Getty
In 1998, KFC tapped Randy Quaid to voice an animated character called The Colonel, which continued through 2001.
Toni Anne Barson Archive/WireImage
Source: The Tampa Bay Times
The animated ads were used to introduce popcorn chicken at the chain.
KFC fried chicken. Patcharaporn Puttipon 636/Shutterstock
It wasn't until 2015 that KFC brought back The Colonel again, this time in live-action form played by SNL alum Darrell Hammond.
KFC
But just three months later, comedian Norm MacDonald debuted as The Colonel.
KFC
MacDonald's ads even referenced Hammond's ad campaign, calling him an impostor.
KFC
This became a period of many Colonel Sanders portrayals, with the next played by comedian Jim Gaffigan.
KFC
At this point, some actors started riffing on the original image.
KFC
George Hamilton played the "Extra Crispy Colonel."
KFC
Rob Riggle played The Colonel as coach of the fictional Kentucky Buckets in September 2016.
KFC
The series of ads was a success, and the Extra Crispy Colonel in particular was credited with boosting sales of Extra Crispy Chicken.
A bucket of KFC Extra Crispy fried chicken is displayed October 30, 2006 in San Rafael, California. Justin Sullivan/Getty
Source: Insider
KFC executives touted their "distinctive and disruptive advertising and positioning," even though 20% of customers reportedly hated the campaigns.
KFC
Colonel Sanders ad spots grew more outlandish in 2017 with "Titanic" actor Billy Zane playing the Golden Colonel to promote Georgia Gold Chicken.
KFC
Source: Insider
A few months later, Rob Lowe played the part of The Colonel doing an homage to former President John F Kennedy to launch the chain's Zinger sandwich.
KFC
Source: Insider
2017 was also the year KFC released a romance novella featuring The Colonel, called "Tender Wings of Desire."
Kate Taylor
Source: Insider
The Colonel has appeared in three promotional DC comics alongside The Justice League.
DC Comics
Source: DC
KFC got meta with the next Colonel in 2018, hiring a relatively unknown actor to play the "Value Colonel."
KFC
Source: QSR
The ads were all about showing new deals at KFC, which said it wasn't wasting extra money on hiring celebrity spokespeople.
The KFC $20 Family Fill Up. KFC
It wasn't long before the celebrities were back though, with Reba McEntire as the first female Colonel.
KFC
Source: Insider
Jason Alexander, best known for playing George Costanza on "Seinfeld," was next in August 2018 to promote family-sized buckets.
KFC
Source: Insider
Colonel Sanders made an appearance on the soap opera "General Hospital" as a friend of one of the main characters.
ABC
Source: TV Guide
Later in 2018, Craig Fleming appeared as The Colonel alongside Mrs. Butterworth in an ad promoting KFC's chicken and waffles.
KFC
Sean Astin, best known for starring in the titular role in "Rudy", played Colonel Rudy in a nod to the famous 1993 film as the chain introduced chicken wings.
Irene Jiang / Business Insider
Source: Insider
The pop culture referenced continued with "Game of Thrones" actor Hafþór Júlíus "Thor" Björnsson advertising the Double Crispy Colonel Sandwich.
"Game of Thrones" actor Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson is KFC's latest Colonel Sanders. KFC
Source: Insider
KFC debuted Colonel RoboCop in 2019 as the "latest and most enhanced security measure taken to date to protect and preserve its founder's secret blend of 11 herbs and spices."
KFC
Source: KFC
Next up was one of KFC's most bizarre uses of The Colonel to date: "I Love You Colonel Sanders: A Finger Licking Good Dating Simulator."
"I Love You Colonel Sanders"/KFC
Players took a cooking class with Colonel Sanders while also trying to win his love, according to Insider's Kevin Webb.
"I Love You Colonel Sanders"/KFC
Source: Insider
The next year, Lifetime made a movie starring Mario Lopez as The Colonel in "Recipe for Seduction."
A + E
Source: Insider
Things have been quiet on the Colonel Sanders front recently, but it's a safe bet that KFC will keep bringing him back around in some form.
A mannequin of Colonel Sanders wears a mask at Kentucky Speedway in July 2020. Christopher Hanewinckel/USA Today Sports via Reuters
Do you have a story to share about a retail or restaurant chain? Email this reporter at mmeisenzahl@businessinsider.com.
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