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).
SNL50: The Homecoming Concert
Self
2025
Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music
Self
2025
Our Little Secret
Veterinarian
2024
In Fidelity
Lyle Ayker
2024
Micro Budget
Toby
2024
As We Know It
Ted Sommers
2023
Millennial Hunter
John (voice)
2023
Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again
Washington (voice)
2022
Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers
Dave Bollinari (voice)
2022
Senior Year
Jim Conway
2022
Hot Mess Holiday
Mike
2021
Yung Punx: A Punk Parable
therapist (voice)
2021
Home Sweet Home Alone
Uncle Stu
2021
Marvel's M.O.D.O.K.
Alvin Healy / Tenpin (voice) · (1 episode)
2021
Alpha Betas
Darryl (voice) · (5 episodes)
2021
Finding ʻOhana
Brown
2021
I Am Woman
Artie Mogull
2020
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend
Junior
2020
The Laundromat
Doomed Gringo #2
2019
The Last Laugh
Charlie Green
2019
Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween
Walter
2018
Slice
Mayor Tracy
2018
Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation
Stan / Fish Man (voice)
2018
Life of the Party
Mr. Truzack (Wayne)
2018
Battle of the Sexes
DJ
2017
Elena of Avalor: Realm of the Jaquins
Migs (voice)
2017
Austin Found
Alan Dickinson
2017
Michael Bolton's Big, Sexy Valentine's Day Special
Dr. Vince Harbert
2017
Elena and the Secret of Avalor
Migs (voice)
2016
Electric City
Voice Actor (voice)
2016
Dawn of the Croods
Snoot / Dub (voice) · (5 episodes)
2015
Dawn of the Croods
Snoot / Evil Egg (voice) · (1 episode)
2015
Sisters
Phil
2015
The Better Half
Daniel
2015
The Ridiculous 6
Bank Manager
2015
Hotel Transylvania 2
Fly (voice)
2015
Jeff Dunham: Unhinged in Hollywood
Self
2015
The Maya Rudolph Show
Self
2014
AJ's Infinite Summer
Dad (voice)
2014
Break Point
Jay LaRoche
2014
Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues
Garth Holliday
2013
Turbo
Announcer #2 (voice)
2013
Escape from Planet Earth
Hammer (voice)
2013
Hotel Transylvania
Mr. Fly (voice)
2012
Gravity Falls
Host (voice) · (1 episode)
2012
Gravity Falls
Additional Voices (voice) · (1 episode)
2012
The Dictator
News Anchor
2012
The Five-Year Engagement
Bill
2012
21 Jump Street
Mr. Gordon
2012
WordGirl: The Rise of Ms. Power
2012
Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice
Mr. Thistleton (voice)
2011
Answer This!
Brian Collins
2011
Hollywood & Wine
Peter West
2011
The Women of SNL
Various (archive footage)
2010
Kung Fu Magoo
Cole Fusion / Ninja (voice)
2010
The Dogfather
Brian Franks
2010
Archer
Cyril Figgis (voice) · (132 episodes)
2009
Labor Pains
Jerry Steinwald
2009
Paper Man
Peter
2009
Saturday Night Live: The Best of Amy Poehler
Edward Turlington (archive footage)
2009
Better Off Ted
Walter · (1 episode)
2009
Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday
(9 episodes)
2008
Eavesdrop
Terrence
2008
Harold
Coach Vanderpool
2008
Miss Guided
Bruce Terry · (7 episodes)
2008
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
Theo
2007
Hot Rod
Barry Pasternack
2007
Kabluey
Frank
2007
The Grand
Harold Melvin
2007
I'm Reed Fish
Ralph
2007
Sunny and Share Love You
Kevin Keith Baker
2007
30 Rock
Dr. Leo Spaceman · (24 episodes)
2006
Ira & Abby
Dr. Ronald Silverberg
2006
Saturday Night Live: The Best of Commercial Parodies
2006
American Dad!
Doctor (voice) · (2 episodes)
2005
Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie
Garth Holliday
2004
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
Garth Holliday
2004
Looking for Kitty
Guy Borne
2004
Evil Alien Conquerors
Du-ug
2003
Barely Legal
Mr. Ronald Greitzer
2003
Down with Love
TV Emcee
2003
Farm Sluts
Larry
2003
A Freezerburnt Christmas
2002
The Religetables
2002
Saturday Night Live: The Best of Will Ferrell
Self / Various (archive footage)
2002
The Ladies Man
Phil Swanson
2000
Jingle All the Way
Toy Store Sales Clerk
1996
The Dink
Mimics
Jack Conrad
Oh My God... Yes! A Series of Extremely Relatable Circumstances
Ted (voice) · (1 episode)
2025
SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night
Self · (4 episodes)
2025
Fallout
Overseer Benjamin · (2 episodes)
2024
Krapopolis
Ares (voice) · (2 episodes)
2023
My Adventures with Superman
Agent Slade Wilson (voice) · (7 episodes)
2023
Dogs in Space
Ed (voice) · (20 episodes)
2021
Name That Tune
Self - Contestant · (1 episode)
2021
Close Enough
Ron (voice) · (1 episode)
2020
Dummy
Agent Chett · (1 episode)
2020
Love, Death & Robots
The Cat (voice) · (2 episodes)
2019
Love, Death & Robots
Sanchez (voice) · (1 episode)
2019
Alien News Desk
(1 episode)
2019
Miracle Workers
God's Dad · (1 episode)
2019
Happy Together
Wayne · (13 episodes)
2018
grown-ish
Dean Burt Parker · (13 episodes)
2018
Will & Grace
Dr. DiLorenzo · (2 episodes)
2017
Great News
Gerald · (1 episode)
2017
Rhett & Link's Buddy System
Vice Chairman · (1 episode)
2016
Ask the Storybots
(1 episode)
2016
Elena of Avalor
Migs (voice) · (81 episodes)
2016
The $100,000 Pyramid
Self · (1 episode)
2016
Match Game
Self - Panelist · (3 episodes)
2016
Bajillion Dollar Propertie$
Walton Rothchild · (1 episode)
2016
Dawn of the Croods
Snoot (voice) · (22 episodes)
2015
Highston
Wilbur Liggetts · (1 episode)
2015
The Mr. Peabody & Sherman Show
Mr. Peabody (voice) · (52 episodes)
2015
Adam Ruins Everything
(1 episode)
2015
The Spoils Before Dying
Bebop Jones · (6 episodes)
2015
Another Period
Dr. Sigmund Freudas · (1 episode)
2015
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Junior · (1 episode)
2015
Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero
Judge Blort Clooney (voice) · (1 episode)
2014
Benched
Mitch · (1 episode)
2014
Bad Judge
Douglas Riller · (1 episode)
2014
black-ish
Dean Parker · (1 episode)
2014
BoJack Horseman
Klaus / News Reporter (voice) · (1 episode)
2014
Garfunkel and Oates
Stan · (1 episode)
2014
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
HOA Ambassador · (1 episode)
2014
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
Voice Over (voice) · (1 episode)
2014
The Tom and Jerry Show
Narrator (voice) · (1 episode)
2014
Late Night with Seth Meyers
Self · (1 episode)
2014
Rick and Morty
Jerry Smith (voice) · (81 episodes)
2013
The Goldbergs
Harrison Whitby · (2 episodes)
2013
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Geoffrey Hoytsman · (2 episodes)
2013
Drunk History
Thomas Edison · (1 episode)
2013
Drunk History
Jim Bowie · (1 episode)
2013
Drunk History
King Charles II · (1 episode)
2013
Comedy Bang! Bang!
Poseidon · (1 episode)
2012
Comedy Bang! Bang!
Stephendorff · (1 episode)
2012
Suburgatory
Fred Shay · (45 episodes)
2011
I Just Want My Pants Back
(12 episodes)
2011
Bob's Burgers
Warren Fitzgerald (voice) · (1 episode)
2011
Conan
Self · (1 episode)
2010
Conan
Book Signing · (1 episode)
2010
T.U.F.F. Puppy
Caped Cod (voice) · (1 episode)
2010
Fish Hooks
Announcer / Allibut (voice) · (1 episode)
2010
Big Lake
Chris Henkel · (10 episodes)
2010
Archer
Siegbert Fuchs (voice) · (8 episodes)
2009
Glenn Martin, DDS
(1 episode)
2009
Glee
Mario · (1 episode)
2009
Childrens Hospital
Ron Pippin · (1 episode)
2008
The Life & Times of Tim
William (voice) · (1 episode)
2008
WordGirl
(209 episodes)
2007
Eureka
Dr. Noah Drummer · (1 episode)
2006
American Dad!
(voice) · (2 episodes)
2005
American Dad!
Valet / Borax Employee (voice) · (1 episode)
2005
American Dad!
Francine's Drinking Buddy (voice) · (1 episode)
2005
American Dad!
Book on Tape (voice) · (1 episode)
2005
American Dad!
Kidnapper (voice) · (1 episode)
2005
American Dad!
Dr. Moe Munney (voice) · (1 episode)
2005
American Dad!
James Garfield / Mint Worker (voice) · (1 episode)
2005
American Dad!
Co-Worker (voice) · (2 episodes)
2005
American Dad!
James Garfield (voice) · (6 episodes)
2005
American Dad!
Train Actor (voice) · (1 episode)
2005
American Dad!
Funeral Speaker (voice) · (1 episode)
2005
TV Funhouse
James Brolin (voice) · (1 episode)
2000
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Hank · (1 episode)
2000
Ed
DJ Curtis Morris · (1 episode)
2000
Family Guy
Joe Paterno (voice) · (1 episode)
1999
Family Guy
Priest / Father Raccoon (voice) · (1 episode)
1999
Family Guy
Highway Man (voice) · (1 episode)
1999
Family Guy
White Guy (voice) · (1 episode)
1999
Family Guy
Target Manager / Veterinarian (voice) · (1 episode)
1999
Family Guy
Smarmy (voice) · (1 episode)
1999
Family Guy
Priest (voice) · (3 episodes)
1999
Family Guy
Doug (voice) · (12 episodes)
1999
Family Guy
Guy at Pool / Priest (voice) · (1 episode)
1999
Family Guy
Card Store Owner (voice) · (1 episode)
1999
Conrad Bloom
Simpson · (2 episodes)
1998
Union Square
Don · (1 episode)
1997
Suddenly Susan
Waiter · (1 episode)
1996
Suddenly Susan
Phil · (1 episode)
1996
The Jamie Foxx Show
Director · (1 episode)
1996
Caroline in the City
Gene · (1 episode)
1995
Hope and Gloria
Howard · (1 episode)
1995
Friends
Bob · (1 episode)
1994
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Self - Guest · (1 episode)
1993
The Simpsons
Surgeon fiancé (voice) · (1 episode)
1989
Seinfeld
NBC Executive · (1 episode)
1989
Murphy Brown
(1 episode)
1988
Saturday Night Live
Self - Various Characters · (146 episodes)
1975
Saturday Night Live
Self - Cameo (uncredited) · (3 episodes)
1975
Saturday Night Live
Self · (1 episode)
1975