Name
Chris Parnell
Known For
Acting
Birthday
1967-02-05 (59 years old)
Place of Birth
Memphis, Tennessee, USA
Biography
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).
Known For
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- 2003 Down with Love as TV Emcee
- 2007 Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story as Theo
- 2003 Evil Alien Conquerors as Du-ug
- 2004 Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy as Garth Holliday
- 2004 Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie as Garth Holliday
- 2013 Turbo as Announcer #2 (voice)
- 2007 I'm Reed Fish as Ralph
- 2021 Yung Punx: A Punk Parable as therapist (voice)
- 2008 Eavesdrop as Terrence
- 2009 Paper Man as Peter
- 2013 Escape from Planet Earth as Hammer (voice)
- 2022 Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers as Dave Bollinari (voice)
- 2011 Answer This! as Brian Collins
- 2011 Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice as Mr. Thistleton (voice)
- 2023 Millennial Hunter as John (voice)
- 2014 Break Point as Jay LaRoche
- 2023 As We Know It as Ted Sommers
- 2021 Hot Mess Holiday as Mike
- 2017 Austin Found as Alan Dickinson
- 2002 Saturday Night Live: The Best of Will Ferrell as Self / Various (archive footage)
- 2010 Kung Fu Magoo as Cole Fusion / Ninja (voice)
- 2006 Saturday Night Live: The Best of Commercial Parodies
- 2009 Saturday Night Live: The Best of Amy Poehler as Edward Turlington (archive footage)
- 2024 Our Little Secret as Veterinarian
- 2022 Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again as Washington (voice)
- 2006 Ira & Abby as Dr. Ronald Silverberg
- 2015 The Ridiculous 6 as Bank Manager
- 2007 The Grand as Harold Melvin
- 2015 Jeff Dunham: Unhinged in Hollywood as Self
- 2012 Hotel Transylvania as Mr. Fly (voice)
- 2000 The Ladies Man as Phil Swanson
- 2015 Sisters as Phil
- 1996 Jingle All the Way as Toy Store Sales Clerk
- 2009 Labor Pains as Jerry Steinwald
- 2002 The Religetables
- 2026 Micro Budget as Toby
- 2008 Harold as Coach Vanderpool
- 2007 Kabluey as Frank
- 2017 Michael Bolton's Big, Sexy Valentine's Day Special as Dr. Vince Harbert
- 2016 Elena and the Secret of Avalor as Migs (voice)
- 2004 Looking for Kitty as Guy Borne
- 2012 The Five-Year Engagement as Bill
- 2003 Barely Legal as Mr. Ronald Greitzer
- 2018 Life of the Party as Mr. Truzack (Wayne)
- 2014 AJ's Infinite Summer as Dad (voice)
- 2011 Hollywood & Wine as Peter West
- 2017 Battle of the Sexes as DJ
- 2012 The Dictator as News Anchor
- 2015 The Better Half as Daniel
- 2018 Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween as Walter
- 2012 21 Jump Street as Mr. Gordon
- 2018 Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation as Stan / Fish Man (voice)
- 2015 Hotel Transylvania 2 as Fly (voice)
- 2018 Slice as Mayor Tracy
- 2019 The Laundromat as Doomed Gringo #2
- 2013 Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues as Garth Holliday
- 2019 The Last Laugh as Charlie Green
- 2007 Sunny and Share Love You as Kevin Keith Baker
- 2010 The Women of SNL as Various (archive footage)
- 2014 The Maya Rudolph Show as Self
- 2002 A Freezerburnt Christmas
- 2020 Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend as Junior
- 2012 WordGirl: The Rise of Miss Power
- 2021 Home Sweet Home Alone as Uncle Stu
- 2020 I Am Woman as Artie Mogull
- 2003 Farm Sluts as Larry
- 2021 Finding ʻOhana as Brown
- 2022 Senior Year as Jim Conway
- 2010 The Dogfather as Brian Franks
- 2017 Elena of Avalor: Realm of the Jaquins as Migs (voice)
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- 2026 The Dink as Neil
- 2025 SNL50: The Homecoming Concert as Self
- 2025 Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music as Self (archive footage)
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- Soon Harry and the Mutant Mid-Century Furniture
- 2026 Wake
- 2010 Saturday Night Live in the 2000s: Time and Again as Self
- 2025 A Loud House Christmas Movie: Naughty or Nice as Gerald (voice)
- 2026 Stop! That! Train! as Conductor Davenport
- 2026 Lorne as Self - Narrator (voice)
- Soon Crohnie
- 1986 Shadows on the Wall as Charlie
- 2024 An SNL Thanksgiving as (archive footage)
- 2014 WordGirl: Earth Day Girl as The Narrator
- 2013 WordGirl Vs. The Energy Monster as The Narrator
- 2014 Wordgirl: Monkey Business as The Narrator
- 2026 Hexed as (voice)
- 1989 Seinfeld ( 1 episode ) as NBC Executive
- 1975 Saturday Night Live ( 146 episodes ) as Self - Various Characters
- 1994 Friends ( 1 episode ) as Bob
- 1996 The Jamie Foxx Show ( 1 episode ) as Director
- 2000 Ed ( 1 episode ) as DJ Curtis Morris
- 1988 Murphy Brown ( 1 episode )
- 2006 30 Rock ( 24 episodes ) as Dr. Leo Spaceman
- 2015 Dawn of the Croods ( 1 episode ) as Snoot / Evil Egg (voice)
- 2015 Dawn of the Croods ( 5 episodes ) as Snoot / Dub (voice)
- 1993 Late Night with Conan O'Brien ( 1 episode ) as Self - Guest
- 2008 Miss Guided ( 7 episodes ) as Bruce Terry
- 2008 Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday ( 9 episodes )
- 2009 Better Off Ted ( 1 episode ) as Walter
- 2005 American Dad! ( 2 episodes ) as Doctor (voice)
- 2012 Gravity Falls ( 1 episode ) as Host (voice)
- 2012 Gravity Falls ( 1 episode ) as Additional Voices (voice)
- 2009 Archer ( 132 episodes ) as Cyril Figgis (voice)
- 2021 Marvel's M.O.D.O.K. ( 1 episode ) as Alvin Healy / Tenpin (voice)
- 2009 Glenn Martin, DDS ( 1 episode )
- 2007 WordGirl ( 183 episodes )
- 2010 Conan ( 1 episode ) as Self
- 2014 Last Week Tonight with John Oliver ( 1 episode ) as HOA Ambassador
- 2010 Big Lake ( 10 episodes ) as Chris Henkel
- 2011 Suburgatory ( 45 episodes ) as Fred Shay
- 2015 Another Period ( 1 episode ) as Dr. Sigmund Freudas
- 1975 Saturday Night Live ( 1 episode ) as Self - Cameo (uncredited)
- 2011 I Just Want My Pants Back ( 12 episodes ) as JB
- 2013 Rick and Morty ( 91 episodes ) as Jerry Smith (voice)
- 2014 Benched ( 1 episode ) as Mitch
- 1999 Family Guy ( 1 episode ) as Joe Paterno (voice)
- 1999 Family Guy ( 1 episode ) as Priest / Father Raccoon (voice)
- 1999 Family Guy ( 1 episode ) as Highway Man (voice)
- 1997 Union Square ( 1 episode ) as Don
- 2006 Eureka ( 2 episodes ) as Dr. Noah Drummer
- 2013 Drunk History ( 1 episode ) as Thomas Edison
- 2005 American Dad! ( 2 episodes ) as (voice)
- 2005 American Dad! ( 1 episode ) as Valet / Borax Employee (voice)
- 2021 Dogs in Space ( 20 episodes ) as Ed (voice)
- 2005 American Dad! ( 1 episode ) as Francine's Drinking Buddy (voice)
- 2005 American Dad! ( 1 episode ) as Book on Tape (voice)
- 2005 American Dad! ( 1 episode ) as Kidnapper (voice)
- 2015 Highston ( 1 episode ) as Wilbur Liggetts
- 2000 Curb Your Enthusiasm ( 1 episode ) as Hank
- 2015 The Spoils Before Dying ( 6 episodes ) as Bebop Jones
- 2017 Great News ( 1 episode ) as Gerald
- 2023 My Adventures with Superman ( 14 episodes ) as Agent Slade Wilson (voice)
- 2016 Elena of Avalor ( 81 episodes ) as Migs (voice)
- 2019 Alien News Desk ( 1 episode )
- 2016 Ask the Storybots ( 1 episode )
- 2015 The Mr. Peabody & Sherman Show ( 52 episodes ) as Mr. Peabody (voice)
- 2014 The Tom and Jerry Show ( 1 episode ) as Narrator (voice)
- 2014 BoJack Horseman ( 1 episode ) as Klaus / News Reporter (voice)
- 2010 Conan ( 1 episode ) as Book Signing
- 2014 Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero ( 1 episode ) as Judge Blort Clooney (voice)
- 2010 Fish Hooks ( 1 episode ) as Announcer / Allibut (voice)
- 2008 Childrens Hospital ( 1 episode ) as Ron Pippin
- 2014 Late Night with Seth Meyers ( 1 episode ) as Self - Guest
- 1999 Family Guy ( 1 episode ) as White Guy (voice)
- 2011 Bob's Burgers ( 1 episode ) as Warren Fitzgerald (voice)
- 2014 Last Week Tonight with John Oliver ( 1 episode ) as (voice)
- 1999 Family Guy ( 1 episode ) as Target Manager / Veterinarian (voice)
- 2009 Archer ( 8 episodes ) as Siegbert Fuchs (voice)
- 2012 Comedy Bang! Bang! ( 1 episode ) as Poseidon
- 2018 grown-ish ( 13 episodes ) as Dean Burt Parker
- 2005 American Dad! ( 2 episodes ) as Dr. Moe Munney (voice)
- 2018 Happy Together ( 13 episodes ) as Wayne
- 2010 T.U.F.F. Puppy ( 1 episode ) as Caped Cod (voice)
- 2021 Name That Tune ( 1 episode ) as Self - Contestant
- 2008 The Life & Times of Tim ( 1 episode ) as William (voice)
- 2019 Love, Death & Robots ( 2 episodes ) as The Cat (voice)
- 2016 Bajillion Dollar Propertie$ ( 1 episode ) as Walton Rothchild
- 2019 Miracle Workers ( 1 episode ) as God's Dad
- 1995 Hope and Gloria ( 1 episode ) as Howard
- 1996 Suddenly Susan ( 1 episode ) as Waiter
- 2023 Krapopolis ( 3 episodes ) as Ares (voice)
- 2016 Match Game ( 3 episodes ) as Self - Panelist
- 2013 Brooklyn Nine-Nine ( 2 episodes ) as Geoffrey Hoytsman
- 2009 Glee ( 1 episode ) as Mario
- 2014 black-ish ( 1 episode ) as Dean Parker
- 2024 Fallout ( 2 episodes ) as Overseer Benjamin
- 1975 Saturday Night Live ( 1 episode ) as Self
- 2017 Will & Grace ( 2 episodes ) as Dr. DiLorenzo
- 2016 The $100,000 Pyramid ( 1 episode ) as Self
- 2013 The Goldbergs ( 2 episodes ) as Harrison Whitby
- 2000 TV Funhouse ( 1 episode ) as James Brolin (voice)
- 2005 American Dad! ( 1 episode ) as James Garfield / Mint Worker (voice)
- 1999 Family Guy ( 1 episode ) as Smarmy (voice)
- 2013 Drunk History ( 1 episode ) as King Charles II
- 2013 Drunk History ( 1 episode ) as Jim Bowie
- 2015 Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt ( 1 episode ) as Junior
- 2020 Dummy ( 1 episode ) as Agent Chett
- 2012 Comedy Bang! Bang! ( 1 episode ) as Stephendorff
- 2016 Rhett & Link's Buddy System ( 1 episode ) as Vice Chairman
- 2020 Close Enough ( 1 episode ) as Ron (voice)
- 2005 American Dad! ( 2 episodes ) as Co-Worker (voice)
- 1996 Suddenly Susan ( 1 episode ) as Phil
- 2014 Garfunkel and Oates ( 1 episode ) as Stan
- 1995 Caroline in the City ( 1 episode ) as Gene
- 2005 American Dad! ( 7 episodes ) as James Garfield (voice)
- 1998 Conrad Bloom ( 2 episodes ) as Simpson
- 1999 Family Guy ( 3 episodes ) as Priest (voice)
- 2005 American Dad! ( 1 episode ) as Train Actor (voice)
- 2015 Adam Ruins Everything ( 1 episode )
- 1999 Family Guy ( 12 episodes ) as Doug (voice)
- 1999 Family Guy ( 1 episode ) as Guy at Pool / Priest (voice)
- 1999 Family Guy ( 1 episode ) as Card Store Owner (voice)
- 1989 The Simpsons ( 1 episode ) as Surgeon fiancé (voice)
- 2015 Dawn of the Croods ( 22 episodes ) as Snoot (voice)
- 2014 Bad Judge ( 1 episode ) as Douglas Riller
- 2005 American Dad! ( 1 episode ) as Funeral Speaker (voice)
- 2025 Oh My God... Yes! A Series of Extremely Relatable Circumstances ( 1 episode ) as Ted (voice)
- 2019 Love, Death & Robots ( 1 episode ) as Sanchez (voice)
- 2011 Workaholics ( 1 episode ) as Bruce Benson
- 2013 Drunk History ( 1 episode ) as Carl Sagan
- 2005 Robot Chicken ( 1 episode ) as Scooter / Major Nelson (voice)
- 2015 Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! ( 1 episode ) as Dustin Wallswreath / Jim McCoy / Cop (voice)
- 1998 The Hughleys ( 1 episode ) as Rick
- 2025 SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night ( 1 episode ) as Self
- 1975 Saturday Night Live ( 1 episode ) as Tom Brokaw (voice)
- 2024 Rock, Paper, Scissors ( 1 episode ) as Parchment Paper (voice)
- 2011 Mad Love ( 2 episodes ) as Officer Barrett
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- 1975 Saturday Night Live ( 1 episode ) as Jim Lehrer (uncredited)
- 1975 Saturday Night Live ( 1 episode ) as Self (uncredited)
