Chris Parnell
Acting
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
Acting174
tvBreaking Bear
2026
(voice)
tvThe Hawk
2026
Anton
movieStop! That! Train!
2026
Conductor Davenport
movieLorne
2026
Narrator
movieMimics
2026
Jack Conrad
movieA Loud House Christmas Movie: Naughty or Nice
2025
Gerald (voice)
movieLadies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music
2025
Self (archive footage)
movieOur Little Secret
2024
Veterinarian
movieIn Fidelity
2024
Lyle Ayker
tvFallout
2024
Overseer Benjamin
tvRock, Paper, Scissors
2024
Parchment Paper (voice)
movieAs We Know It
2023
Ted Sommers
tvKrapopolis
2023
Ares (voice)
movieMillennial Hunter
2023
John (voice)
tvMy Adventures with Superman
2023
Agent Slade Wilson (voice)
movieNight at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again
2022
Washington (voice)
movieChip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers
2022
Dave Bollinari (voice)
movieSenior Year
2022
Jim Conway
tvDogs in Space
2021
Ed (voice)
movieYung Punx: A Punk Parable
2021
therapist (voice)
movieHome Sweet Home Alone
2021
Uncle Stu
tvMarvel's M.O.D.O.K.
2021
Alvin Healy / Tenpin (voice)
tvName That Tune
2021
Self - Contestant
movieI Am Woman
2020
Artie Mogull
tvClose Enough
2020
Ron (voice)
tvDummy
2020
Agent Chett
movieThe Laundromat
2019
Doomed Gringo #2
tvLove, Death & Robots
2019
The Cat (voice) / Sanchez (voice)
tvMiracle Workers
2019
God's Dad
movieThe Last Laugh
2019
Charlie Green
tvHappy Together
2018
Wayne
movieSlice
2018
Mayor Tracy
movieHotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation
2018
Stan / Fish Man (voice)
movieLife of the Party
2018
Mr. Truzack (Wayne)
tvgrown-ish
2018
Dean Burt Parker
tvWill & Grace
2017
Dr. DiLorenzo
movieElena of Avalor: Realm of the Jaquins
2017
Migs (voice)
movieAustin Found
2017
Alan Dickinson
tvGreat News
2017
Gerald
movieMichael Bolton's Big, Sexy Valentine's Day Special
2017
Dr. Vince Harbert
movieElena and the Secret of Avalor
2016
Migs (voice)
tvRhett & Link's Buddy System
2016
Vice Chairman
tvElena of Avalor
2016
Migs (voice)
tvMatch Game
2016
Self - Panelist
tvBajillion Dollar Propertie$
2016
Walton Rothchild
tvDawn of the Croods
2015
Snoot / Dub (voice) / Snoot / Evil Egg (voice) / Snoot (voice)
movieSisters
2015
Phil
movieThe Better Half
2015
Daniel
movieThe Ridiculous 6
2015
Bank Manager
tvHighston
2015
Wilbur Liggetts
tvThe Mr. Peabody & Sherman Show
2015
Mr. Peabody (voice)
tvBe Cool, Scooby-Doo!
2015
Dustin Wallswreath / Jim McCoy / Cop (voice)
movieHotel Transylvania 2
2015
Fly (voice)
tvThe Spoils Before Dying
2015
Bebop Jones
tvAnother Period
2015
Dr. Sigmund Freudas
tvPenn Zero: Part-Time Hero
2014
Judge Blort Clooney (voice)
tvBenched
2014
Mitch
tvBad Judge
2014
Douglas Riller
tvblack-ish
2014
Dean Parker
tvBoJack Horseman
2014
Klaus / News Reporter (voice)
movieAJ's Infinite Summer
2014
Dad (voice)
tvLast Week Tonight with John Oliver
2014
HOA Ambassador / (voice)
tvThe Tom and Jerry Show
2014
Narrator (voice)
movieBreak Point
2014
Jay LaRoche
tvLate Night with Seth Meyers
2014
Self - Guest
movieAnchorman 2: The Legend Continues
2013
Garth Holliday
tvRick and Morty
2013
Jerry Smith (voice)
tvThe Goldbergs
2013
Harrison Whitby
tvBrooklyn Nine-Nine
2013
Geoffrey Hoytsman
movieTurbo
2013
Announcer #2 (voice)
tvDrunk History
2013
Thomas Edison / Jim Bowie / King Charles II / Carl Sagan
movieEscape from Planet Earth
2013
Hammer (voice)
movieHotel Transylvania
2012
Mr. Fly (voice)
tvGravity Falls
2012
Host (voice) / Additional Voices (voice)
tvComedy Bang! Bang!
2012
Poseidon / Stephendorff
movieThe Dictator
2012
News Anchor
movie21 Jump Street
2012
Mr. Gordon
moviePrep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice
2011
Mr. Thistleton (voice)
movieAnswer This!
2011
Brian Collins
tvSuburgatory
2011
Fred Shay
tvLove Bites
2011
Chad Banks (segment "A Sexual Haunting")
movieHollywood & Wine
2011
Peter West
tvWorkaholics
2011
Bruce Benson
tvMad Love
2011
Officer Barrett
tvBob's Burgers
2011
Warren Fitzgerald (voice)
tvConan
2010
Self / Book Signing
movieThe Women of SNL
2010
Various (archive footage)
tvT.U.F.F. Puppy
2010
Caped Cod (voice)
tvFish Hooks
2010
Announcer / Allibut (voice)
tvBig Lake
2010
Chris Henkel
movieKung Fu Magoo
2010
Cole Fusion / Ninja (voice)
movieThe Dogfather
2010
Brian Franks
tvArcher
2009
Cyril Figgis (voice) / Siegbert Fuchs (voice)
movieLabor Pains
2009
Jerry Steinwald
moviePaper Man
2009
Peter
tvGlee
2009
Mario
movieSaturday Night Live: The Best of Amy Poehler
2009
Edward Turlington (archive footage)
tvBetter Off Ted
2009
Walter
tvChildrens Hospital
2008
Ron Pippin
tvThe Life & Times of Tim
2008
William (voice)
movieEavesdrop
2008
Terrence
movieHarold
2008
Coach Vanderpool
tvMiss Guided
2008
Bruce Terry
movieHot Rod
2007
Barry Pasternack
movieSunny and Share Love You
2007
Kevin Keith Baker
movieKabluey
2007
Frank
movieThe Grand
2007
Harold Melvin
tv30 Rock
2006
Dr. Leo Spaceman
tvEureka
2006
Dr. Noah Drummer
movieIra & Abby
2006
Dr. Ronald Silverberg
tvRobot Chicken
2005
Scooter / Major Nelson (voice)
tvAmerican Dad!
2005
Doctor (voice) / (voice) / Valet / Borax Employee (voice) / Francine's Drinking Buddy (voice) / Book on Tape (voice) / Kidnapper (voice) / Dr. Moe Munney (voice) / James Garfield / Mint Worker (voice) / Co-Worker (voice) / James Garfield (voice) / Train Actor (voice) / Funeral Speaker (voice)
movieWake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie
2004
Garth Holliday
movieAnchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
2004
Garth Holliday
movieLooking for Kitty
2004
Guy Borne
movieBarely Legal
2003
Mr. Ronald Greitzer
movieDown with Love
2003
TV Emcee
movieSaturday Night Live: The Best of Will Ferrell
2002
Self / Various (archive footage)
tvTV Funhouse
2000
James Brolin (voice)
movieThe Ladies Man
2000
Phil Swanson
tvEd
2000
DJ Curtis Morris
tvFamily Guy
1999
Joe Paterno (voice) / Priest / Father Raccoon (voice) / Highway Man (voice) / White Guy (voice) / Target Manager / Veterinarian (voice) / Smarmy (voice) / Priest (voice) / Doug (voice) / Guy at Pool / Priest (voice) / Card Store Owner (voice)
tvConrad Bloom
1998
Simpson
movieJingle All the Way
1996
Toy Store Sales Clerk
tvSuddenly Susan
1996
Waiter / Phil
tvThe Jamie Foxx Show
1996
Director
tvHope and Gloria
1995
Howard
tvLate Night with Conan O'Brien
1993
Self - Guest
tvThe Simpsons
1989
Surgeon fiancé (voice)
tvSeinfeld
1989
NBC Executive
tvSaturday Night Live
1975
Self - Various Characters / Self - Cameo (uncredited) / Self / Tom Brokaw (voice)