Chris Parnell
Acting
🎂 1967-02-05
​Thomas Christopher "Chris" Parnell (born February 5, 1967) is an American comic actor best known as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1998–2006 and currently for his recurring role as Dr. Leo Spaceman on NBC's Emmy Award-winning comedy series 30 Rock. Parnell is currently one of the lead voices on the FX animated comedy Archer. In 2010, Parnell starred alongside his former SNL castmate Horatio Sanz in the Comedy Central series Big Lake. After performing as a company player with The Groundlings for a number of years, Parnell was hired to join the cast of Saturday Night Live as a featured player on September 26, 1998, and was promoted to repertory player the following season. In the summer of 2001, budget cuts and hiring four new cast members required Lorne Michaels to dismiss two cast members; he chose to lay off Parnell and Jerry Minor over Horatio Sanz, Rachel Dratch, and Maya Rudolph. While on SNL, Parnell appeared in numerous sketches, and commercial parodies, and performed memorable impressions of various celebrities. One of his most popular sketches is Lazy Sunday, a rap video he shot with Andy Samberg about buying cupcakes and going to see The Chronicles of Narnia. He has also performed raps about hosts Jennifer Garner, Britney Spears, Kirsten Dunst and Ashton Kutcher. In the summer of 2006, Lorne Michaels announced that four cast members would be fired due to budget cuts, but he did not say who. On September 22, 2006 it was announced that three cast members had been fired: Parnell, Horatio Sanz, and Finesse Mitchell. This effectively made him the only SNL performer to have been fired twice by Lorne Michaels, though Parnell did say in a 2008 interview with The Sound of Young America podcast that he was okay with being let go this time, because he was considering leaving after that season anyway, but added that he probably would have stayed one last season if he was asked back. He had been with SNL for eight seasons; at the time only four people (Darrell Hammond, Tim Meadows, Kevin Nealon, and Al Franken) have been cast members longer. He has since made uncredited cameo appearances on the show, most recently in 2008 parodying newscasters Tom Brokaw, Jim Lehrer, and Bob Schieffer. Parnell and his former SNL castmate Horatio Sanz recently starred together in Big Lake, a 2010 sitcom on Comedy Central from executive producers Will Ferrell and Adam McKay. He also recently appeared as Dr. Drummer/Santa in the SyFy Holiday Special episode from the television show Eureka, which aired on December 7, 2010 (Season 4 Episode 10).
Cast credits(191)
Self
2014
Self
2010
Book Signing
2010
HOA Ambassador
2014
Voice Over (voice)
2014
Geoffrey Hoytsman
2013
Surgeon fiancé (voice)
1989
Joe Paterno (voice)
1999
Priest / Father Raccoon (voice)
1999
Highway Man (voice)
1999
White Guy (voice)
1999
Target Manager / Veterinarian (voice)
1999
Smarmy (voice)
1999
Priest (voice)
1999
Doug (voice)
1999
Guy at Pool / Priest (voice)
1999
Card Store Owner (voice)
1999
Jerry Smith (voice)
2013
NBC Executive
1989
Doctor (voice)
2005
(voice)
2005
Valet / Borax Employee (voice)
2005
Francine's Drinking Buddy (voice)
2005
Book on Tape (voice)
2005
Kidnapper (voice)
2005
Dr. Moe Munney (voice)
2005
James Garfield / Mint Worker (voice)
2005
Co-Worker (voice)
2005
James Garfield (voice)
2005
Train Actor (voice)
2005
Funeral Speaker (voice)
2005
Narrator (voice)
2014
Snoot / Evil Egg (voice)
2015
Snoot / Dub (voice)
2015
Snoot (voice)
2015
Hank
2000
Self - Guest
1993
Ron Pippin
2008
Bob
1994
The Cat (voice)
2019
Sanchez (voice)
2019
Mario
2009
Announcer / Allibut (voice)
2010
Migs (voice)
2016
Caped Cod (voice)
2010
Cyril Figgis (voice)
2009
Siegbert Fuchs (voice)
2009
Gene
1995
Warren Fitzgerald (voice)
2011
Klaus / News Reporter (voice)
2014
Walton Rothchild
2016
Harrison Whitby
2013
Overseer Benjamin
2024
Host (voice)
2012
Additional Voices (voice)
2012
Dr. Leo Spaceman
2006
Director
1996
Walter
2009
1988
2007
Dr. Noah Drummer
2006
Dean Parker
2014
Self - Various Characters
1975
Self - Cameo (uncredited)
1975
Self
1975
Thomas Edison
2013
King Charles II
2013
Jim Bowie
2013
Dr. DiLorenzo
2017
Poseidon
2012
Stephendorff
2012
Alvin Healy / Tenpin (voice)
2021
Ares (voice)
2023
Howard
1995
Dean Burt Parker
2018
Fred Shay
2011
Junior
2015
Mr. Peabody (voice)
2015
Ron (voice)
2020
DJ Curtis Morris
2000
Self - Panelist
2016
Self
2016
God's Dad
2019
Dr. Sigmund Freudas
2015
Ted (voice)
2025
William (voice)
2008
Judge Blort Clooney (voice)
2014
Mitch
2014
2015
Don
1997
Douglas Riller
2014
Agent Chett
2020
Gerald
2017
Bebop Jones
2015
2016
James Brolin (voice)
2000
Ed (voice)
2021
Self - Contestant
2021
Agent Slade Wilson (voice)
2023
Vice Chairman
2016
Wayne
2018
2009
2011
News Anchor
2012
Mr. Fly (voice)
2012
2008
2019
Darryl (voice)
2021
Stan / Fish Man (voice)
2018
Fly (voice)
2015
Announcer #2 (voice)
2013
Stan
2014
Waiter
1996
Phil
1996
Walter
2018
Mr. Gordon
2012
Self
2025
Bank Manager
2015
Dave Bollinari (voice)
2022
Jim Conway
2022
Toy Store Sales Clerk
1996
Bruce Terry
2008
Mr. Truzack (Wayne)
2018
Garth Holliday
2004
Simpson
1998
Phil
2015
Barry Pasternack
2007
TV Emcee
2003
Washington (voice)
2022
Theo
2007
Hammer (voice)
2013
Bill
2012
Veterinarian
2024
Garth Holliday
2013
Brown
2021
DJ
2017
Doomed Gringo #2
2019
Uncle Stu
2021
Junior
2020
Mayor Tracy
2018
Harold Melvin
2007
Mr. Thistleton (voice)
2011
Jerry Steinwald
2009
Phil Swanson
2000
Self
2025
Self
2025
Chris Henkel
2010
Wilbur Liggetts
2015
Migs (voice)
2016
Peter
2009
Mr. Ronald Greitzer
2003
Garth Holliday
2004
Frank
2007
Artie Mogull
2020
Various (archive footage)
2010
Ted Sommers
2023
Terrence
2008
Dr. Vince Harbert
2017
Edward Turlington (archive footage)
2009
Jay LaRoche
2014
Peter West
2011
Charlie Green
2019
2006
Ralph
2007
Cole Fusion / Ninja (voice)
2010
Self / Various (archive footage)
2002
Dr. Ronald Silverberg
2006
Voice Actor (voice)
2016
Alan Dickinson
2017
Daniel
2015
Brian Franks
2010
Brian Collins
2011
Toby
2024
Self
2014
Coach Vanderpool
2008
2012
Mike
2021
Jack Conrad
Larry
2003
John (voice)
2023
Du-ug
2003
Lyle Ayker
2024
Dad (voice)
2014
Kevin Keith Baker
2007
Migs (voice)
2017
Self
2015
Guy Borne
2004
2002
2002
therapist (voice)
2021