Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle

Detective Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle
Detective Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle (Gene Hackman) in The French Connection.
First appearance	The French Connection (1971)
Last appearance	Popeye Doyle (1986)
Portrayed by	Gene Hackman (films) Ed O'Neill (TV pilot)
In-universe information
Full name	James "Jimmy" Doyle
Nickname	Popeye
Gender	Male
Title	Detective
Occupation	Police officer

Detective Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle is a fictional character portrayed by actor

The French Connection

In the 1971 movie The French Connection, Popeye is a rough police detective who routinely breaks the rules in an effort to catch criminals, in this case a group of French drug smugglers. On an individual basis, Popeye has many negative qualities; he is a racist, womanizing alcoholic who is often disrespectful to his superiors. Nevertheless, he is a dedicated officer leading the New York City Police Department's narcotics squad in drug arrests and is willing to do whatever it takes to lock up known drug dealers, even if it involves civilians. Near the end of the movie, Popeye accidentally kills Bill Mulderig (Bill Hickman), a federal agent with whom he previously had an argument. Undeterred by Mulderig's death, Popeye continues in pursuit of his foe.

French Connection II

The 1975 sequel French Connection II follows Popeye as he pursues drug smuggler Alain Charnier (Fernando Rey) back to Marseille. Gene Hackman and Fernando Rey — the only two cast members to appear in both movies — reprised their roles as Popeye and Charnier. While the original movie was based on a true story, the sequel was entirely fictional.

Legacy

• Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits founder Al Copeland claimed that he named his fast-food chain after Popeye Doyle.^[3]