Actors including Rob Lowe, Norm Macdonald and Jim Gaffigan have all taken turns playing KFC’s iconic Colonel Sanders, but the latest man to land the role is one who’s still waiting for his big break.
The fried chicken chain has purposely cast someone who lacks star power to play the mascot in its latest TV push, which is promoting KFC’s “value” meals, like its $5 Fill Up combos and $3.99 pot pies.
According to a tongue-in-cheek press release, KFC strategically decided to save money on the campaign by casting “unknown actor” Christopher Boyer as the Value Colonel instead of a celebrity, a move that’s allowing it to “continue to offer complete meals that won’t break the bank.”
A quick glance at Boyer’s IMDb page shows that he’s played scene-stealing roles like “Man at Mattress Store,” “Older Seasoned Farmer” and “FBI Agent #1” throughout his acting career. KFC claims that Boyer actually auditioned for the role of Colonel Sanders back in 2015 when the chain initially started casting for the campaign.
“After casting a wide net to find our next Colonel – everywhere from big shot Hollywood agents to postings on job boards and even Craigslist – we were pleasantly surprised when we found Boyer,” said KFC US director of advertising George Felix in a statement. “Much like the Colonel, he’s held a lot of forgettable roles before becoming the world’s most famous chicken salesman. Heck, he even auditioned for the role of the Colonel several years ago, and we didn’t remember him.”
Despite making such a fuss about not having a household name front its latest spots, it looks as though KFC couldn’t resist adding in at least some degree of fame to the effort: Seinfeld fans will notice Wayne Knight, aka Newman, makes a cameo appearance in one of the spots.