Chris Parnell has made a career out of playing characters who have absolutely no idea how funny they are. From 30 Rock’s Dr. Spaceman (sorry, Spuh-CHEM-in) to Anchorman’s brick-in-a-suit, to literally any of his voice roles (Rick and Morty, Archer, Family Guy), his comedic specialty is a perfect blend of sincerity and absurdity. But in Senior Year, his latest role, he plays a different kind of dad—the kind who isn’t in on the joke at all.
“I don’t get called upon to do stuff that’s more dramatic very often,” Parnell admits, “so it was really fun to do that.” In Senior Year, he plays Rebel Wilson’s father, navigating the odd predicament of his daughter waking up from a 20-year coma and deciding to finish high school like no time has passed. “I’ve got a couple of boys of my own, so I can definitely relate to being a dad,” he says, before clarifying, “I don’t know that I’d let either of them jump out of a moving car, though.”
Which brings us to the moment in the film where Wilson’s character literally flings herself out of a vehicle in pursuit of a lost teenage dream, and Parnell’s fatherly instincts kick in... offscreen. “You don’t know that we didn’t check on her,” he deadpans. “We just cut from there.” Fair enough.
Parnell’s ability to deliver absurd lines with complete sincerity is part of what makes him such a staple in modern comedy. When asked whether he approaches comedy from a dramatic perspective, he considers. “I mean, Spaceman is a nutball. I don’t know that we ever see him show too much real human emotion. But the dad in Senior Year is sincere, he really cares about his daughter. So, yeah, I guess I’m playing it straight, but it’s still funny because of the situation.”
Even so, Senior Year gave him moments to lean into full comedy—especially opposite Veep’s Sam Richardson. “That scene where I’m grilling him on the couch like he’s still 12? That was fun. He’s such a great scene partner.”
And despite being surrounded by some of the funniest people working today, Parnell insists the set was surprisingly chill. “People assume a set like this is a circus, but honestly, comedic actors are usually just nice, normal people who are fun to work with. They don’t have too crazy of an ego.” Then again, he did come up through SNL—where his co-stars included Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, and Andy Samberg—so maybe his threshold for comedy chaos is just higher than most.
Parnell’s SNL tenure gave him some truly legendary moments, but none have aged quite as well as The Natalie Portman Rap. The SNL Digital Short, in which an Amidala-era Portman unleashes a filthy, aggressive rap while Parnell plays her overly sincere interviewer, still holds up nearly two decades later.
“Yeah, that one was fun,” he says casually, as if he didn’t just bring up one of the greatest moments in SNL history. “We recorded the whole thing in an office before we filmed it, including my parts. It was just me, Andy [Samberg], Akiva [Schaffer], Jorma [Taccone], and Natalie in a room. And I was just thinking, ‘Huh. I’m in a room with Natalie Portman.’”
For a guy who once spit bars about the Star Wars prequels, Parnell’s musical taste leans a little different. “I was big into R.E.M. and U2 in high school,” he says, glancing at the R.E.M. poster behind me. “Still am, honestly.” These days, he keeps up with some current artists too. “I like Snail Mail, some Phoebe Bridgers. I’m not super up on the latest music, but I try to stay open.” He also reveals a surprising past as a country radio DJ. “I worked at a station one summer during college. Played a lot of Rodney Crowell.” Did he like country? “I didn’t really listen to it before that, but I do now.”
Parnell is self-aware about the kind of roles he gravitates toward. “Look, I’m not Daniel Day-Lewis. I’m not disappearing into a role. But I do try to be specific with every character. Even if it’s something close to me, I want to find what makes this guy tick.”
At this stage, he’s accepted that his comedic persona is pretty well established. “There is a brand, I guess. I can try different things, but it’s probably going to be within that Chris Parnell lane—whatever that means to people.”
That doesn’t mean he’s not open to change. “I don’t want to get complacent. You always want to stretch a little, you know? But let’s be real—I’m not shaving my head and pulling a There Will Be Blood anytime soon.”
Between Rick and Morty, Archer, and countless other voice roles, Parnell stays busy. Archer is heading into its 13th season, though they’re having to move forward without the late, great Jessica Walter. “There’s a plan for season 13, and if we get a season 14, there are some good ideas in the works.”
He’s also got a small part in the Chippendale movie with Andy Samberg and John Mulaney. “I don’t know much about the whole movie,” he shrugs. “I just shot my little scene and that was it. But I’m sure it’ll be hilarious.”
Parnell may not be reinventing himself as the next big dramatic actor, but honestly, who needs to? He’s found his lane, and he’s driving in it with pinpoint precision. Besides, if you can turn the phrase “Dr. Spaceman” into a decade-spanning comedy goldmine, you’re probably doing something right.
Watch the interview above and then check out the trailer below.
