
Chris Parnell
Personal Info
Known for
Acting
Gender
Male
Birthday
1967-02-05 (58 years old)
Place of Birth
Memphis, Tennessee, USA
Chris Parnell
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
Acting
Mimics
as Jack Conrad
(2025)
(2025)
(2024)
Our Little Secret
as Veterinarian
(2024)
Micro Budget
as Toby
(2024)
In Fidelity
as Lyle Ayker
(2023)
(2023)
Millennial Hunter
as John (voice)
(2022)
Senior Year
as Jim Conway
(2022)
Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again
as Washington (voice)
(2022)
Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers
as Dave Bollinari (voice)
(2021)
Home Sweet Home Alone
as Uncle Stu
(2021)
Finding ʻOhana
as Brown
(2021)
Hot Mess Holiday
as Mike
(2021)
Yung Punx: A Punk Parable
as therapist (voice)
(2020)
(2020)
I Am Woman
as Artie Mogull
(2019)
The Laundromat
as Doomed Gringo #2
(2019)
The Last Laugh
as Charlie Green
(2018)
Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation
as Stan / Fish Man (voice)
(2018)
Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween
as Walter
(2018)
Life of the Party
as Mr. Truzack (Wayne)
(2018)
Slice
as Mayor Tracy
(2017)
Battle of the Sexes
as DJ
(2017)
Michael Bolton's Big, Sexy Valentine's Day Special
as Dr. Vince Harbert
(2017)
Austin Found
as Alan Dickinson
(2017)
Elena of Avalor: Realm of the Jaquins
as Migs (voice)
(2016)
Elena and the Secret of Avalor
as Migs (voice)
(2016)
Electric City
as Voice Actor (voice)
(2015)
Hotel Transylvania 2
as Fly (voice)
(2015)
Sisters
as Phil
(2015)
The Ridiculous 6
as Bank Manager
(2015)
(2015)
The Better Half
as Daniel
(2014)
Break Point
as Jay LaRoche
(2014)
The Maya Rudolph Show
as Self
(2014)
AJ's Infinite Summer
as Dad (voice)
(2013)
Turbo
as Announcer #2 (voice)
(2013)
Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues
as Garth Holliday
(2012)
Hotel Transylvania
as Mr. Fly (voice)
(2012)
21 Jump Street
as Mr. Gordon
(2012)
The Dictator
as News Anchor
(2012)
Escape from Planet Earth
as Hammer (voice)
(2012)
The Five-Year Engagement
as Bill
(2012)
(2011)
Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice
as Mr. Thistleton (voice)
(2011)
Answer This!
as Brian Collins
(2011)
Hollywood & Wine
as Peter West
(2010)
The Women of SNL
as Various (archive footage)
(2010)
Kung Fu Magoo
as Cole Fusion / Ninja (voice)
(2010)
The Dogfather
as Brian Franks
(2009)
Labor Pains
as Jerry Steinwald
(2009)
Paper Man
as Peter
(2009)
Saturday Night Live: The Best of Amy Poehler
as Edward Turlington (archive footage)
(2008)
Eavesdrop
as Terrence
(2008)
Harold
as Coach Vanderpool
(2007)
Hot Rod
as Barry Pasternack
(2007)
(2007)
The Grand
as Harold Melvin
(2007)
Kabluey
as Frank
(2007)
I'm Reed Fish
as Ralph
(2007)
Sunny and Share Love You
as Kevin Keith Baker
(2006)
Ira & Abby
as Dr. Ronald Silverberg
(2006)
(2004)
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
as Garth Holliday
(2004)
Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie
as Garth Holliday
(2004)
Looking for Kitty
as Guy Borne
(2003)
Down with Love
as TV Emcee
(2003)
Barely Legal
as Mr. Ronald Greitzer
(2003)
Evil Alien Conquerors
as Du-ug
(2003)
Farm Sluts
as Larry
(2002)
Saturday Night Live: The Best of Will Ferrell
as Self / Various (archive footage)
(2002)
(2002)
(2000)
The Ladies Man
as Phil Swanson
(1996)
Jingle All the Way
as Toy Store Sales Clerk