How Chris ‘Iceman’ Parnell Never Broke During an ‘SNL’ Sketch

When it comes to people named “The Iceman,” there’s Val Kilmer’s character in Top Gun, a founding mutant of the X-Men and a rather prolific hitman for the mafia. There’s another famous Iceman, however, and he didn’t have to fly an F-14, battle Magneto or whack anyone to earn the moniker. 

SNL alum Chris Parnell had a reputation for never, ever breaking during a sketch. Even when everyone else was giggling themselves into oblivion around him, he wouldn’t crack. But while that commitment has been associated with the nickname, as Parnell explains below, he actually earned it far earlier than you’d think.

How did you get “The Iceman” nickname?

Colin Quinn gave it to me. It was based on my first sketch in my first show, which was a cold open. Cameron Diaz was the host, and The Smashing Pumpkins were the musical guest. John Goodman also came on. The sketch was called something like “Oprah 2000.” This was 1998, and it was an imagining of what the relationships would be like with Kenneth Star, Monica Lewinsky and Bill Clinton two years later. 

John Goodman was Linda Tripp, Molly Shannon was Monica Lewinsky and, of course, Darrell Hammond was Bill Clinton. I came on as Kenneth Star, who not too many people had a sense of at that time — he was a name, but he wasn’t a very visible presence. Apparently, Colin saw me standing, ready to go onstage and was impressed by the fact that I didn’t look nervous. He said to somebody, “He’s the freakin’ Iceman.” Then it kind of came to relate to me not breaking during sketches.

How did you feel about the name?

I always associated it with Top Gun. I wasn’t embarrassed by it or anything, but it wasn’t like I hung my hat on it either. 

When it comes to not breaking, did you have tricks to make sure you didn’t break, especially when people were cracking up around you?

I think it just has to do with my personality — for better and for worse — with trying to get it right and trying to be a professional. The idea of breaking wouldn’t fit with the character. The character is taking it all very seriously during the scene, so that was how I tried to approach it.

Definitely the hardest scene was the cowbell scene. That was very, very hard to not break during. I just tried to stay focused and stay in the mode of that guy. There was another sketch with Tim Meadows and Molly and Will Ferrell where Will’s a doctor, his name is Beverly and Tim comes in and does the robot. 

Everybody was kind of breaking during that sketch. I might have broken if not for the fact that I had just done a Tom Brokaw sketch, and when I did Brokaw, I’d wear these brown contacts. Normally, it wasn’t an issue, but that night, maybe they hadn’t been cleaned or whatever, and my eyes were burning after the sketch. So I was sitting there with my eyes on fire while everyone was laughing around me. The pain helped me keep it together and not laugh.

You were in so many sketches, were there times that you did break that maybe people just don’t remember?

I don’t think so. During the cowbell sketch, there was a moment when the camera was off me where I looked down at my guitar and I let a tiny smile crack, but it wasn’t on camera thankfully.

In other interviews, you’ve joked that, because you took your performance so seriously, maybe you didn’t have as much fun as everyone else. Is there any truth in that?

Somewhat, yeah, but I wasn’t there to have fun. I was there to do the sketches to the best of my ability. I was a little uptight, I guess. I wasn’t in therapy then. I wasn’t on any antidepressants or anti-anxiety medication. So, yeah, I might have been holding on a little tight. I’m glad I didn’t break, but I could have been a little looser and been more available performance-wise at times had I been able to let go a little.