CP

Chris Parnell
Actor, WriterBorn February 5, 1967 (58 years)
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).
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).
Movies & Shows on Plex
Featured Videos
Filmography
2024 | Micro Budget · as Toby |
2024 | Our Little Secret · as Veterinarian |
2024 | In Fidelity · as Lyle Ayker |
2024 | Nature Cat's Nature Movie Special Extraordinaire · as Houston |
2024 | Fallout (TV Series) · as Overseer Benjamin |
2023 | |
2023 | Krapopolis (TV Series) · as Ares (voice) |
2023 | Millennial Hunter · as John (voice) |
2023 | My Adventures with Superman (TV Series) · as Agent Slade Wilson (voice) |
2023 | Hailey's On It! (TV Series) · as Klaus Gimlet |
2022 | Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again · as Washington (voice) |
2022 | Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers · as Dave Bollinari (voice) |
2022 | Senior Year · as Jim Conway |
2021 | Hot Mess Holiday · as Mike |
2021 | Dogs in Space (TV Series) · as Ed (voice) |
2021 | Home Sweet Home Alone · as Uncle Stu |
2021 | Yung Punx: A Punk Parable · as Therapist (voice) |
2021 | Batman: The Audio Adventures (TV Series) · as Narrator (voice) |
2021 | The Mysterious Benedict Society (TV Series) · as Captain Of The Inverness |
2021 | Marvel's M.O.D.O.K. (TV Series) · as Alvin Healy / Tenpin (voice) |
2021 | Alpha Betas (TV Series) · as Darryl (voice) |
2021 | Archibald's Next Big Thing Is Here (TV Series) · as Dr. Fluffberg |
2021 | Finding 'Ohana · as Brown |
2020 | Mapleworth Murders (TV Series) · as Ben Canelli |
2020 | Close Enough (TV Series) · as Ron (voice) |
2020 | Freeze · as Dr. Holmes |
2020 | Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs the Reverend · as Junior |
2020 | Dummy (TV Series) · as Agent Chett |
2019 | I Am Woman · as Artie Mogull |
2019 | Bless the Harts (TV Series) · as Cast |
2019 | The Laundromat · as Doomed Gringo #2 |
2019 | A Name Without a Place · as Jerry Sundall |
2019 | Archibald's Next Big Thing Is Here! (TV Series) · as Dr. Fluffberg |
2019 | Love, Death & Robots (TV Series) · as The Cat (voice) |
2019 | Alien News Desk (TV Series) |
2019 | Miracle Workers (2019) (TV Series) · as God's Dad |
2019 | The Last Laugh · as Charlie Green |
2018 | Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween · as Walter |
2018 | Happy Together (TV Series) · as Wayne |
2018 | |
2018 | Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation · as Stan / Fish Man (voice) |
2018 | Life of the Party · as Mr. Truzack (wayne) |
2018 | grown-ish (TV Series) · as Dean Burt Parker |
2017 | At Home with Amy Sedaris (TV Series) · as Chug Ducey |
2017 | Battle of the Sexes · as Dj |
2017 | Will & Grace (TV Series) · as Dr. Dilorenzo |
2017 | Austin Found · as Alan Dickinson |
2017 | Great News (TV Series) · as Gerald |
2017 | Michael Bolton's Big, Sexy Valentine's Day Special · as Dr. Vince Harbert |
2016 | Elena and the Secret of Avalor · as Migs (voice) |
2016 | Rhett & Link's Buddy System (TV Series) · as Vice Chairman |
2016 | Ask the StoryBots (TV Series) |
2016 | Tween Fest (TV Series) · as Preston Stevens Sr. |
2016 | Elena of Avalor (TV Series) · as Migs (voice) |
2016 | Bajillion Dollar Propertie$ (TV Series) · as Walton Rothchild |
2015 | Dawn of the Croods (TV Series) · as Snoot (voice) |
2015 | The Better Half · as Daniel |
2015 | Sisters · as Phil |
2015 | The Ridiculous 6 · as Bank Manager |
2015 | Nature Cat (TV Series) · as Sir Galahad |
2015 | Highston (TV Series) · as Wilbur Liggetts |
2015 | The Mr. Peabody & Sherman Show (TV Series) · as Mr. Peabody (voice) |
2015 | Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! (TV Series) · as Cop |
2015 | Adam Ruins Everything (TV Series) |
2015 | Hotel Transylvania 2 · as Fly (voice) |
2015 | The Spoils Before Dying (TV Series) · as Bebop Jones |
2015 | The Adventures of OG Sherlock Kush (TV Series) · as The Prime Minister |
2015 | Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (TV Series) · as Junior |
2014 | We Bare Bears (TV Series) · as Additional Voices (voice) |
2014 | Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero (TV Series) · as Judge Blort Clooney (voice) |
2014 | Saturday Night Live: Thanksgiving Special · as Paul (segment "bird Family") |
2014 | Benched (TV Series) · as Mitch |
2014 | Blaze and the Monster Machines (TV Series) · as Cousin Ken |
2014 | Bad Judge (TV Series) · as Douglas Riller |
2014 | black-ish (TV Series) · as Dean Parker |
2014 | BoJack Horseman (TV Series) · as Klaus / News Reporter (voice) |
2014 | Garfunkel and Oates (TV Series) · as Stan |
2014 | Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (TV Series) · as Hoa Ambassador |
2014 | TripTank (TV Series) · as Bill |
2014 | Break Point · as Jay Laroche |
2013 | Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues · as Garth Holliday |
2013 | Rick and Morty (TV Series) · as Jerry Smith (voice) |
2013 | Filthy · as Sean Hastings |
2013 | The Goldbergs (2013) (TV Series) · as Harrison Whitby |
2013 | Brooklyn Nine-Nine (TV Series) · as Geoffrey Hoytsman |
2013 | We Need Help (TV Series) · as Chris |
2013 | Rick and Morty: Comic-Con Panel 2013 · as Cast |
2013 | Turbo · as Announcer #2 (voice) |
2013 | Drunk History (TV Series) · as King Charles Ii |
2013 | Another Period (TV Series) · as Dr. Sigmund Freudas |
2013 | Inside Amy Schumer (TV Series) · as Hr Manager Bob |
2012 | Electric City · as Voice Actor (voice) |
2012 | Sofia the First (TV Series) · as Zacharias |
2012 | Escape from Planet Earth · as Hammer (voice) |
2012 | Hotel Transylvania · as Mr. Fly (voice) |
2012 | Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja (TV Series) · as Charlie Clucker |
2012 | Electric City (TV Series) · as God Nation Judge |
2012 | Gravity Falls (TV Series) · as Host (voice) |
2012 | Comedy Bang! Bang! (TV Series) · as Stephendorff |
2012 | The Dictator · as News Anchor |
2012 | The Five-Year Engagement · as Bill |
2012 | 21 Jump Street · as Mr. Gordon |
2012 | Excavating the 2000 Year Old Man · as Narrator |
2012 | |
2012 | I Just Want My Pants Back (TV Series) |
2011 | Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice · as Mr. Thistleton (voice) |
2011 | Answer This! · as Brian Collins |
2011 | Suburgatory (TV Series) · as Fred Shay |
2011 | Jon Benjamin Has a Van (TV Series) · as Area 51 Scientist |
2011 | Love Bites (2011) (TV Series) · as Chad Banks (segment "a Sexual Haunting") |
2011 | Hollywood & Wine · as Peter West |
2011 | Mad Love (TV Series) · as Officer Barrett |
2011 | The Tom and Jerry Show (2014) (TV Series) · as Narrator (voice) |
2011 | Bob's Burgers (TV Series) · as Warren Fitzgerald (voice) |
2011 | Workaholics (TV Series) · as Bruce Benson |
2010 | The Problem Solverz (TV Series) · as The Mayor |
2010 | Conan (2010) (TV Series) · as Book Signing |
2010 | The Women of SNL · as Various (archive Footage) |
2010 | T.U.F.F. Puppy (TV Series) · as Caped Cod (voice) |
2010 | Fish Hooks (TV Series) · as Announcer / Allibut (voice) |
2010 | Big Lake (TV Series) · as Chris Henkel |
2010 | Kung-Fu Magoo · as Cole Fusion / Ninja (voice) |
2010 | The Dogfather · as Brian Franks |
2009 | Archer (2009) (TV Series) · as Cyril Figgis (voice) |
2009 | Glenn Martin DDS (TV Series) |
2009 | Labor Pains · as Jerry Steinwald |
2009 | Paper Man · as Peter |
2009 | Glee (TV Series) · as Mario |
2009 | Saturday Night Live: The Best of Amy Poehler · as Edward Turlington (archive Footage) |
2009 | Kröd Mändoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire (TV Series) · as Narrator |
2009 | Better Off Ted (TV Series) · as Walter |
2009 | Saturday Night Live Sports Extra '09 · as Carnie |
2008 | Childrens Hospital (TV Series) · as Ron Pippin |
2008 | I.O.U.S.A. · as Budget Book Author |
2008 | Saturday Night Live Presidential Bash '08 · as Tom Brokaw |
2008 | Weekend Update (TV Series) |
2008 | The Life & Times of Tim (TV Series) · as William (voice) |
2008 | |
2008 | Harold · as Coach Vanderpool |
2008 | Miss Guided (TV Series) · as Bruce Terry |
2007 | Funny or Die Presents (TV Series) · as Soccer Dad (segment "lady Refs") |
2007 | Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story · as Theo |
2007 | WordGirl (TV Series) |
2007 | Hot Rod · as Barry Pasternack |
2007 | Kabluey · as Frank |
2007 | The Grand · as Harold Melvin |
2007 | Sunny & Share Love You · as Kevin Keith Baker |
2006 | I'm Reed Fish · as Ralph |
2006 | 30 Rock (TV Series) · as Dr. Leo Spaceman |
2006 | Curious George (TV Series) · as Rowan Hawthorne |
2006 | Eureka (TV Series) · as Dr. Noah Drummer |
2006 | Ira & Abby · as Dr. Ronald Silverberg |
2006 | |
2005 | SNL Digital Shorts (TV Series) · as Chris |
2005 | Saturday Night Live: The Best of Alec Baldwin · as Various Characters |
2005 | American Dad! (TV Series) · as James Garfield (voice) |
2004 | Wake Up, Ron Burgundy · as Garth Holliday |
2004 | Saturday Night Live: Presidential Bash 2004 · as Jim Lehrer |
2004 | Saturday Night Live: The Best of Christopher Walken · as Various Characters |
2004 | |
2004 | Saturday Night Live: The Best of Tracy Morgan · as Director |
2004 | Saturday Night Live: The Best of Cheri Oteri · as Various Characters |
2004 | Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy · as Garth Holliday |
2004 | Looking for Kitty · as Guy Borne |
2003 | Evil Alien Conquerors · as Du-Ug |
2003 | Saturday Night Live: The Best of Chris Kattan · as Various Characters |
2003 | Down with Love · as Tv Emcee |
2003 | Barely Legal · as Mr. Ronald Greitzer |
2003 | Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Halftime Special · as Simon Cowell |
2001 | Samurai Jack (TV Series) · as Additional Voices |
2001 | VH1 Divas Live: The One and Only Aretha Franklin · as Eminem |
2001 | Saturday Night Live: The Best of Molly Shannon · as Kevin Aquarius |
2001 | Robot Chicken (TV Series) · as Major Nelson |
2000 | T.V. Funhouse (TV Series) · as James Brolin (voice) |
2000 | As Told By Ginger (TV Series) · as Radio Announcer |
2000 | Curb Your Enthusiasm (TV Series) · as Hank |
2000 | The Ladies Man · as Phil Swanson |
2000 | Ed (TV Series) · as Dj Curtis Morris |
1999 | Family Guy (TV Series) · as Doug (voice) |
1998 | The Hughleys (TV Series) · as Rick |
1998 | Will & Grace (TV Series) · as Dr. Dilorenzo |
1998 | Conrad Bloom (TV Series) · as Simpson |
1997 | Union Square (TV Series) · as Don |
1996 | Jingle All the Way · as Toy Store Sales Clerk |
1996 | Suddenly Susan (TV Series) · as Waiter |
1996 | Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher (TV Series) · as Announcer |
1996 | The Jamie Foxx Show (TV Series) |
1996 | Shooting Lily · as Phone Company Salesman |
1995 | Caroline in the City (TV Series) · as Gene |
1995 | Hope and Gloria (TV Series) · as Howard |
1994 | Friends (TV Series) · as Bob |
1989 | The Simpsons (TV Series) · as Surgeon Fiancé (voice) |
1989 | Seinfeld (TV Series) · as Nbc Executive |
1988 | Murphy Brown (TV Series) |