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New actor portraying ‘Colonel Sanders’

Three months after KFC reintroduced "Colonel Sanders," it has a new actor portraying him.

August 18, 2015

The late founder of KFC had been played over the summer by "Saturday Night Live" announcer and former cast member Darrell Hammond.

As of August 16, fellow "Saturday Night Live" alum and current "Last Comic Standing" judge Norm MacDonald is playing the role. McDonald had been the voice of the Hardee's/Carl's Jr. "star" years ago. 

In the new ads, MacDonald's Sanders claims that the one viewers have been seeing on TV these past few months is an impostor.

In a press release announcing the change, KFC pointed to the idea that the new ads would drive home KFC as being "an important part of American families."

"Other than not quite looking like him, his voice being different, and his inability to cook the world's best chicken, we thought Norm was the perfect choice to play the real Colonel. I think the fans will agree." said Kevin Hochman, the chain's chief marketing officer.

The Hammond ads were hated by one out of five people, Yum! Brands (KFC's parent company) CEO Greg Creed said in May.

KFC has also been responding on Twitter in the voice of the Colonel as part of its fall ad campaign promoting a $20 "Family Fill-Up" meal.