Saturday Night Live is the Mount Everest of sketch comedy careers. Going on 51 years with its current 2026 television scheduled season, the series has become an institution. But, even after making it on the show, nerves never fully settle, just ask SNL vet Chris Parnell. In a new interview, he explains what it feels like not knowing if you’ll be invited back to the iconic show.
Chris Parnell was a regular cast member for eight years, spanning 1998 to 2006, and during that time, there was nothing he couldn’t do. He was the Swiss Army Knife of impressionists, doing every character from Tom Brokaw to a plethora of political and news personalities. And even though he was often a "got to" on screen presence during his time on the show, he was eventually fired. Twice. Which, if you ask him, was the most humbling experience during his tenure. As he explained to LateNighter in a recent interview, saying:
