The FX animated series Archer, created by Adam Reed, revolves around ISIS, a private espionage company populated exclusively by venal, self-centered sociopaths and degenerates.  On any other series, the character of Cyril Figgis would be the butt of every joke, nothing more than a sweater-vest-wearing do-gooder.  Even in the comedy's first season, the unadventurous accountant and comptroller showed himself to be in their league as a betrayal-prone sex addict with serious Freudian issues.  With the series in its third season, Cryil, voiced by Chris Parnell, has been promoted to Field Agent, allowing Parnell to play whole new levels of awkwardness. 

Even if you don't know Parnell by name, it's almost guaranteed that he has made you laugh repeatedly over the years. A veteran of the improv institution The Groundlings, Parnell was a castmember on Saturday Night Live from 1998 to 2006, where he threw down regular recurring characters and notable impressions.  At the show, he became inextricably associated with the emergence of the viral video thanks to "Lazy Sunday," the insanely-popular SNL Digital Short starring Parnell and Andy Samberg.  In addition to Archer and Saturday Night Live, Parnell's extensive television credits include series such as Suburgatory, Big Lake, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and 30 Rock, on which he appears as the beloved Dr. Leo Spaceman.  On the cinematic side, he has appeared in films such as Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Hot Rod, and Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. 

As Cyril on Archer, though, Parnell is now an indispensable part of television's most delightfully deranged series.  IAR and a number of other outlets were lucky enough to participate in an interview with Chris Parnell, who discussed his relationship to the character, SNL, table reads, Funny or Die, screenwriting, and what's coming up on Archer.

Even at the start of its first season, the FX series Archer had a clear, well-defined identity and an irreverent sensibility, but it was over the thirteen episodes of the second season that the animated show became one of the very best and funniest series on television, animated or not.  Created by Adam Reed, Archer takes place in the familiar world of espionage, following the unabashedly selfish, vain, libidinous, and inconsiderate staff of the International Secret Intelligence Serice (ISIS).

A talented voice cast that includes Aisha Tyler, Jessica Walter, Chris Parnell, Judy Greer, Amber Nash, and Reed himself all do superb work as the ISIS crew, but the honor of voicing the title character, Agent Sterling Archer (codenamed Duchess) falls to H. Jon Benjamin.  You might just recognize Benjamin from his Comedy Central series Jon Benjamin Has a Van or his appearances on Human Giant, Important Things With Demetri Martin, or Parks and Recreation.  While some folks might not be able to immediately identify him by his face, odds are they'd know his voice.  Benjamin's deadpan delivery has been featured prominently on many an animated series, from Adult Swim fare like Home Movies, Venture Bros., and Aqua Teen Hunger Force to Fox shows Bob's Burgers and Family Guy.

With the third season of Archer set to premiere tonight, January 19th, at 10:00 pm on FX, Benjamin engaged in a conference call with entertainment journalists from all over the place.  Throughout, Benjamin maintained his unique sense of humor, practically declaring his intent by mocking the moderator during his introduction.  Read on for the interview in which H. Jon Benjamin discussed the series, his relationship with Sterling Archer, obscure allusions, wearing black turtlenecks, and the perils of pretending to cry.

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Over the course of its second season, the already-enjoyable FX series Archer went from an undeniably sharp comedy set in the world of international espionage to – no hyperbole – one of the best shows on television.  The animated show follows the exploits of the staff at International Secret Intelligence Service, aka ISIS, a private spying company.  Though there is an element of the spy spoof to the show, its more focused on the ensemble of characters, pretty much all of whom are unrepentantly self-involved, petty, and mercenary. The voice cast, led by certifiable national treasure H. Jon Benjamin as the reckless, libidinous Sterling Archer (codename: Duchess), along with Jessica Walter, Aisha Tyler, Chris Parnell, Amber Nash, and series creator Adam Reed, all do fantastic work ranging from deadpan to wildly broad. 

The second season only got more fittingly outrageous as it went on, and a recent arc of three new episodes served to bridge the gap between season two and the upcoming third, while also giving Archer the chance to inadvertently become a pirate king.  Today, five new promotional clips serve to show that very little has changed at ISIS and remind us all that the third season begins on January 19th.