# Corin Nemec
**Corin Nemec** (born 1971) is an American actor, producer, and screenwriter whose birth name is Joseph Charles Nemec IV. He is best known for playing the title character in the teen sitcom *Parker Lewis Can't Lose* (Fox, 1990–1993) and the alien Jonas Quinn in *Stargate SG-1* (2002–2004).[1](https://stargate.fandom.com/wiki/Corin_Nemec) His professional name comes from "Corky", a nickname his grandmother gave him as a child.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005269/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | Joseph Charles Nemec IV, 1971, Little Rock, Arkansas; raised in Atlanta, Georgia[3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/corin-nemec/) |
| Breakthrough role | Parker Lewis in *Parker Lewis Can't Lose* (Fox, 1990–93), a fast-paced teen sitcom in the style of *Ferris Bueller's Day Off*[3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/corin-nemec/) |
| Emmy nomination | For the 1989 NBC miniseries *I Know My First Name Is Steven*, in which he played a kidnapped teen[3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/corin-nemec/) |
| Stargate role | Jonas Quinn, a regular in season six of *Stargate SG-1* (2002–2004), filling in for Michael Shanks's Daniel Jackson[4](https://www.stargate-project.de/corin-nemec-calmah-2018) |
| Later work | Screenwriter and producer as well as actor; co-wrote the western *Dead Man's Hand* (2023) with director Brian Skiba[5](https://www.stargate-project.de/corin-nemec-interview-2023) |
## Early life and start in acting
Nemec was born in [Little Rock, Arkansas](https://www.edgepedia.org/little-rock-arkansas), and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. He began acting in television commercials at age 13 and made his television debut in 1986 on an episode of *Sidekicks*. During the 1987–88 season he played the recurring role of [Alex Karras](https://www.edgepedia.org/alex-karras)'s nephew on the ABC series *Webster*.[3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/corin-nemec/)
His first feature film was [Francis Ford Coppola](https://www.edgepedia.org/francis-ford-coppola)'s *Tucker: The Man and His Dream* (1988), in which he played [Jeff Bridges](https://www.edgepedia.org/jeff-bridges)'s son.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005269/) In 1989 he starred in the NBC miniseries *I Know My First Name Is Steven*, portraying a real-life kidnapped teenager, a performance that brought him an Emmy nomination.[3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/corin-nemec/) After that success he signed with Eddie Murphy Productions for the CBS pilot *What's Alan Watching?*, which did not go to series.[3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/corin-nemec/)
## Parker Lewis Can't Lose
Nemec's breakthrough came in 1990 with the lead role in *Parker Lewis Can't Lose*, a Fox teen sitcom shot in a quick-paced, highly visual style with unusual camera angles. The show ran three seasons, from 1990 to 1993, and was a success with teen audiences.[3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/corin-nemec/) In a 1991 Los Angeles Times interview during the show's run, the then-19-year-old actor said he wanted to move toward film roles earned on their merits rather than his television fame.[6](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-11-09-ca-1222-story.html)
During the 1990s he took on longer-form television roles, including the good son to Rick Schroder's bad boy in *My Son Johnny* (CBS, 1991) and Harold Lauder in the ABC miniseries of [Stephen King](https://www.edgepedia.org/stephen-king)'s *The Stand* (1994).[3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/corin-nemec/) His feature credits from the decade include *Drop Zone* (1994) and *Operation Dumbo Drop* (1995).[3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/corin-nemec/)
## Stargate SG-1 and Jonas Quinn
Nemec joined *Stargate SG-1* at the end of season five as Jonas Quinn, a Langaran who joins the SG-1 team after Daniel Jackson's departure. He has said he did not have to audition for the part; he happened to be at MGM for preliminary work on another project and encountered the show's casting team there.[7](https://stargate-wiki.de/wiki/Corin_Nemec) He bulked up for the role, a physicality he said most of his previous parts had not required.[8](https://www.gateworld.net/news/2008/10/unsung-hero/)
Replacing a popular character drew an initial backlash from a small, outspoken part of the fandom, which Nemec described as natural and not something that made the work itself difficult.[8](https://www.gateworld.net/news/2008/10/unsung-hero/) When Michael Shanks returned to the role of Daniel Jackson in season seven, Nemec's character was written out as a regular, and he appeared afterward only in a few further episodes.[4](https://www.stargate-project.de/corin-nemec-calmah-2018)
## Guest roles and genre films
Through the 2000s and 2010s Nemec worked steadily as a guest star and in made-for-television and independent genre films. His television guest appearances include *NCIS*, *NCIS: Los Angeles*, *CSI: Miami*, *CSI: NY*, *Smallville*, *Ghost Whisperer*, and *Supernatural*.[7](https://stargate-wiki.de/wiki/Corin_Nemec) In a 2012 interview with *NCISLA Magazine*, in which he played the Chechen terrorist Anwar, he described the working rhythm of long-running shows as a well-oiled machine compared with the smaller films he also made.[9](https://www.ncislamagazine.com/interview-with-corin-nemec/)
In January 2013, while working on the film *Poseidon Rex* in Belize, he was involved in a boating accident in which the boat transporting him to set ran into a semi-submerged barge.[1](https://stargate.fandom.com/wiki/Corin_Nemec)
## Writing, producing, and recent work
Nemec describes much of his career as self-generated through partnerships as a ghostwriter and producer, and he has urged working actors to learn the whole production craft rather than acting alone.[10](https://www.moviejawn.com/home/2024/4/16/interview-deadly-justice-screenwriter-corin-nemec) In a 2023 interview he listed a busy slate: the western *Dead Man's Hand*, which he co-wrote with director Brian Skiba and which stars [Stephen Dorff](https://www.edgepedia.org/stephen-dorff), Cole Hauser, and [Jack Kilmer](https://www.edgepedia.org/jack-kilmer); the western *Place of Bones*, opposite [Heather Graham](https://www.edgepedia.org/heather-graham) and Tom Hopper; a supporting role in *Joe Baby* with Harvey Keitel and Ron Perlman; and *Lady Justice*, a film he wrote, produced, and acted in.[5](https://www.stargate-project.de/corin-nemec-interview-2023) Review aggregators record his highest-rated film as *Tucker: The Man and His Dream* at 82 percent and his recent credits as concentrated in thrillers, westerns, and horror.[11](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/corin_nemec)
## References
1. [Corin Nemec, SGCommand (Fandom)](https://stargate.fandom.com/wiki/Corin_Nemec)
2. [Corin Nemec, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005269/)
3. [Corin Nemec – Actor, Producer, Writer, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/corin-nemec/)
4. [Corin Nemec interview, Stargate-Project.de (2018)](https://www.stargate-project.de/corin-nemec-calmah-2018)
5. [Corin Nemec interview, Stargate-Project.de (2023)](https://www.stargate-project.de/corin-nemec-interview-2023)
6. [TV's 'Parker' Looks at the Big Picture, Los Angeles Times (1991)](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-11-09-ca-1222-story.html)
7. [Corin Nemec, Stargate Wiki](https://stargate-wiki.de/wiki/Corin_Nemec)
8. [Unsung Hero: An Interview With Corin Nemec, GateWorld (2008)](https://www.gateworld.net/news/2008/10/unsung-hero/)
9. [Interview with Corin Nemec, NCISLA Magazine (2012)](https://www.ncislamagazine.com/interview-with-corin-nemec/)
10. [Interview: DEADLY JUSTICE screenwriter Corin Nemec, Moviejawn (2024)](https://www.moviejawn.com/home/2024/4/16/interview-deadly-justice-screenwriter-corin-nemec)
11. [Corin Nemec Movies & TV Shows, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/corin_nemec)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 1970s to 1990s › Surnames Mo to N*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license