The Untold Truth Of The Popeyes Chicken Lady

If someone says "Popeyes," what's the first thing that pops into your mind? If you're reading this anytime in the latter half of 2019, your first-word association would obviously be "sandwich," as in the viral sensation that launched the Great Chicken Sandwich War which has been quite eye-opening. 

Before all this craziness, however, you might have called to mind the Popeyes chicken lady, that sweet (yet sassy) Louisiana lady who spends her time dreaming up new dishes for her favorite restaurant to feature on its menu. This lady, who goes by the name of Annie, is a complete work of fiction — she's basically Popeyes' version of Betty Crocker or Flo from Progressive.

The actress who plays Annie is actually not from Louisiana at all — Deidrie Henry was born in Barbados, raised in Atlanta, and currently lives in Los Angeles. And while Annie's life seems to revolve around fast food research and development, Henry has a long list of TV credits stretching back over 20 years, with roles in numerous series including The Handmaid's Tale, MacGyver, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service. 

What's more, as Henry revealed in an interview with the Lafayette Daily Advertiser, she has a degree in aeronautical science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and is an enthusiastic amateur pilot. She also does not subsist solely off fried chicken, shrimp, and biscuits, as Annie appears to do, preferring to maintain a healthier regime. She does like to cook, however, particularly West Indian specialties, and she and her husband will occasionally indulge in fast food — including Popeyes.

While Henry has apparently not gone on record with her opinion on Popeyes' chicken sandwich mania, Annie herself did star in a commercial promoting this menu item. Oddly enough, judging from the comments thread on iSpot.tv, the commercial appeared to have aired as early as April 2019, some four months before the sandwich itself made its first brief appearance. In the commercial, Annie is visiting a therapist, perhaps to ease some of the tension she feels from having to select the perfect sandwich bun to showcase Popeyes' delicious chicken, but he doesn't exactly provide her with much stress relief. Instead of listening to her woes, the therapist is far too involved in chowing down on the sandwich in question, thus being the first person (fictional or real) to be driven to distraction by 2019's most famous fast food.