Chris Parnell Reveals Shocking SNL Firing and Rehire Mystery!

Former Saturday Night Live star Chris Parnell recently shared that the reasoning behind his firing from the iconic sketch comedy show remains unclear to him, even after his subsequent rehiring.

Speaking on The Patrick LabyorSheaux podcast while promoting the new Season 8 of Adult Swim’s Rick and Morty, Parnell revealed, “I truly have no idea why it all went down like that. It came as a major surprise. Each summer, we’d typically find out by the end of June if we were returning for another season, but there was always a delay, so we ended up getting updates from our agents who would say, ‘Lorne hasn’t made a decision yet, can you hold on a bit longer?'”

At that time, he was in regular contact with fellow cast members such as Rachel Dratch, and there seemed to be no indication that anyone would be leaving the show.

“Then, out of the blue, I got a call from my manager who told me, ‘I don’t know how to say this, but they’re not bringing you back,'” Parnell, who was part of the SNL cast from 1998 to 2001, recounted. “It was a huge blow, and it immediately made me realize how much of my identity was tied to being a part of Saturday Night Live.”

Luckily, Parnell had strong support, including Will Ferrell and Chris Kattan, who approached Lorne Michaels on his behalf. Additionally, T. Sean Shannon, a writer for the show at the time, wrote a pointed sketch that criticized the firing decision. In the sketch, Parnell was portrayed as an exceptional chef at Benihana who was inexplicably let go, much to the puzzlement of his colleagues. According to Ferrell, the sketch was met with silence during a table read.

Parnell also heard rumors that an NBC executive who was acquainted with him might have been involved, or that it could have been due to budget cuts. “I never pursued a clear explanation. Maybe deep down, I didn’t really want to know,” he admitted. (Parnell’s departure coincided with Jerry Minor’s exit, while Molly Shannon left voluntarily.)

After his initial firing, Parnell was informed that the possibility of returning to the show wasn’t entirely off the table. However, he was left in uncertainty for a while and had already relocated to Los Angeles when he was invited back, missing 12 episodes of what would have been his fourth season on SNL.

“Returning to the show was exhilarating. I was delighted to be back,” he expressed. The experience of being rehired, participating in new sketches, and receiving a warm welcome from the cast and crew helped rebuild his confidence. He also temporarily took over Will Ferrell’s role as the impersonator of George W. Bush.

Describing his relationship with Michaels, Parnell likened it to “a distant father,” noting that they have always had a good rapport, even after his firing and rehiring. “After I was brought back, Lorne admitted to me in his office, ‘I made a mistake,’ which I believe is quite rare for him to acknowledge,” he added.

While Jim Belushi also experienced being fired and rehired, Parnell is unique in that he was fired twice. His second departure in 2006, alongside Rachel Dratch and Horatio Sanz, was attributed to budgetary reasons.

“Technically, I was let go again. By then, I was prepared for it and was okay with the possibility,” he concluded.