Chris Parnell

59 years old Memphis, Tennessee, USA

​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).

Recent movies

# Name Character Rating
1 SNL50: The Homecoming Concert (2025) Self 8
2 Our Little Secret (2024) Veterinarian 6
3 As We Know It (2023) Ted Sommers 5
4 Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers (2022) Dave Bollinari (voice) 6.7
5 Senior Year (2022) Jim Conway 5.5
6 Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again (2022) Washington (voice) 6
7 Home Sweet Home Alone (2021) Uncle Stu 4.4
8 Finding ʻOhana (2021) Brown 6.3
9 I Am Woman (2020) Artie Mogull -
10 Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend (2020) Junior 6.7
11 The Last Laugh (2019) Charlie Green 7
12 The Laundromat (2019) Doomed Gringo #2 6.8
13 Slice (2018) Mayor Tracy 5.4
14 Life of the Party (2018) Mr. Truzack (Wayne) 6
15 Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween (2018) Walter 6.6
16 Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation (2018) Stan / Fish Man (voice) 6.7
17 Austin Found (2017) Alan Dickinson 6.5
18 Michael Bolton's Big, Sexy Valentine's Day Special (2017) Dr. Vince Harbert 4.5
19 Battle of the Sexes (2017) DJ 7.3
20 Elena and the Secret of Avalor (2016) Migs (voice) -
21 Sisters (2015) Phil 6.3
22 Jeff Dunham: Unhinged in Hollywood (2015) Self 8
23 The Ridiculous 6 (2015) Bank Manager 5.3
24 Hotel Transylvania 2 (2015) Fly (voice) 7.2
25 Break Point (2014) Jay LaRoche 6.5
26 Turbo (2013) Announcer #2 (voice) 7
27 Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013) Garth Holliday 6.4
28 Escape from Planet Earth (2013) Hammer (voice) 6.1
29 The Five-Year Engagement (2012) Bill 6.2
30 Hotel Transylvania (2012) Mr. Fly (voice) 7.3
31 21 Jump Street (2012) Mr. Gordon 7.2
32 The Dictator (2012) News Anchor 6.3
33 Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice (2011) Mr. Thistleton (voice) 7.3
34 Hollywood & Wine (2011) Peter West -
35 Kung Fu Magoo (2010) Cole Fusion / Ninja (voice) 1
36 The Dogfather (2010) Brian Franks 4
37 The Women of SNL (2010) Various (archive footage) -
38 Labor Pains (2009) Jerry Steinwald 5.7
39 Paper Man (2009) Peter 7.2
40 Saturday Night Live: The Best of Amy Poehler (2009) Edward Turlington (archive footage) -
41 Harold (2008) Coach Vanderpool 5.3
42 Kabluey (2007) Frank -
43 Sunny and Share Love You (2007) Kevin Keith Baker -
44 The Grand (2007) Harold Melvin 6.7
45 I'm Reed Fish (2007) Ralph 6.2
46 Hot Rod (2007) Barry Pasternack 6.8
47 Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007) Theo 7.2
48 Ira & Abby (2006) Dr. Ronald Silverberg 7
49 Saturday Night Live: The Best of Commercial Parodies (2006) - 10
50 Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) Garth Holliday 6.9
51 Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie (2004) Garth Holliday 5.8
52 Looking for Kitty (2004) Guy Borne -
53 Evil Alien Conquerors (2003) Du-ug -
54 Barely Legal (2003) Mr. Ronald Greitzer 4.5
55 Down with Love (2003) TV Emcee 7.1
56 Saturday Night Live: The Best of Will Ferrell (2002) Self / Various (archive footage) -
57 The Ladies Man (2000) Phil Swanson 8
58 Jingle All the Way (1996) Toy Store Sales Clerk 6.7