Trey Parker

Trey Parker Bio

Randolph Severn Parker III, known professionally as Trey Parker, is an American animator, writer, producer, director, actor, and songwriter. Born on October 19, 1969, in Conifer, Colorado, he is best known for co-creating the long-running animated television series South Park with Matt Stone, and for co-writing the Broadway musical The Book of Mormon. Across more than three decades, Parker has shaped modern comedy through work spanning film, television, theater, and music.

Parker has received five Primetime Emmy Awards, Tony Awards for The Book of Mormon, a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album, and an Academy Award nomination for the song “Blame Canada.” He continues to direct and produce projects with Stone through their company, Park County, and remains one of the most influential comedic voices in entertainment.

Early Life and Background

Randolph Severn Parker III was born in Conifer, Colorado, to insurance saleswoman Sharon and geologist Randolph “Randy” Parker II. His childhood nickname, Trey, comes from being the third generation of his family named Randolph Parker. Parker grew up in a quiet mountain community outside Denver, where he discovered film and music at a young age. He became especially fond of Monty Python after watching the troupe on television in third grade, an influence that would shape his later comedic style.

As a teenager, Parker joined the Evergreen Players, a community theater outside Denver, where he performed in productions of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and Flower Drum Song and designed sets for Little Shop of Horrors. At Evergreen High School, he played piano for the chorus, served as president of the choir council, and was named prom king. He also made short films on weekends with a group of friends using a home video camera his father had purchased.

After graduating from Evergreen High School in 1988, Parker spent a semester at Berklee College of Music before transferring to the University of Colorado Boulder. There he studied film and Japanese, and in a required collaborative film class he met fellow student Matt Stone. The two bonded quickly over Monty Python and irreverent humor, launching a creative partnership that continues today.

Path to Directing

Parker’s earliest directing experience came in college, where he made the short film American History in 1992 using construction-paper cutout animation. The film won a Student Academy Award and laid the visual groundwork for South Park. Working with Stone and fellow students Jason McHugh and Ian Hardin, he founded a production company called the Avenging Conscience and began directing short films and sketches.

In 1992 and 1993, Parker wrote, directed, and starred in the feature-length musical Alferd Packer: The Musical, which was eventually retitled Cannibal! The Musical and released by Troma Entertainment in 1996. He and Stone then moved to Los Angeles, where they pitched pilots to networks, produced the short Your Studio and You for a Universal Studios event, and wrote and directed the independent feature Orgazmo in 1997. These early projects sharpened Parker’s voice as a director and paved the way for his biggest creative leap.

The turning point came in 1997, when Parker and Stone developed their viral short The Spirit of Christmas into a full series. South Park premiered on Comedy Central that August, giving Parker a long-running platform as a writer, director, and voice actor and establishing his reputation as a leading director in television animation.

Trey Parker Career

Early Career (1992–1996)

Parker’s professional career began in 1992, while he was still at the University of Colorado Boulder. His first notable work, the construction-paper animated short American History, won a Student Academy Award and introduced the visual style that would later define South Park. That same year, Parker co-founded the production company Avenging Conscience with Matt Stone, Jason McHugh, and Ian Hardin, directing the animated short Jesus vs. Frosty.

In 1993, Parker wrote, directed, and starred in the feature-length musical Alferd Packer: The Musical. The film premiered in Boulder and was later retitled Cannibal! The Musical when it was released by Troma Entertainment in 1996. The project earned a devoted cult following and gave Parker his first feature directing credit.

Breakthrough (1997–2004)

South Park premiered on Comedy Central in August 1997 and quickly became one of the most-watched shows on cable television. Parker wrote, directed, and voiced most of the principal characters alongside Stone, and the series earned five Primetime Emmy Awards over the course of its run. In 1998, Parker made his second feature, Orgazmo, an independent action comedy that drew attention at the Toronto International Film Festival.

The 1999 film South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, which Parker co-directed and co-wrote, was a critical and commercial success, grossing $83 million at the box office. The song “Blame Canada,” co-written with Marc Shaiman, earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song. Parker then wrote, directed, produced, and starred in the satirical action comedy Team America: World Police in 2004, which used marionettes in the style of Thunderbirds and received positive reviews.

Notable Works and Milestones

Parker’s signature works include South Park, which he has co-written, co-directed, and voiced since 1997, and the Broadway musical The Book of Mormon, which premiered at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre on March 24, 2011. His milestone achievements include winning a Tony Award for Best Musical for The Book of Mormon, a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album, and multiple Primetime Emmy Awards for South Park.

Trey Parker Award Nominations

Throughout his career, Trey Parker has earned numerous award nominations recognizing his work across animation, film, and theater. His most prominent nomination came at the 72nd Academy Awards in 2000, when the song “Blame Canada,” co-written with Marc Shaiman for the film South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, was nominated for Best Original Song. The Book of Mormon also received nine Tony Award nominations, contributing to Parker’s broad recognition on Broadway alongside his television and film accomplishments.

Trey Parker Awards Won

Trey Parker has won five Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Animated Program for South Park in 1998, 1999, and 2000, among other years. He also won Tony Awards and a Grammy Award for The Book of Mormon, including Best Musical in 2011 and Best Musical Theater Album in 2012. These honors reflect his sustained influence across television, film, and theater.

Trey Parker Family

Trey Parker is the son of insurance saleswoman Sharon and geologist Randolph “Randy” Parker II. He has continued his family’s tradition of carrying the Randolph Parker name, being the third generation to do so, which inspired his childhood nickname Trey.

Personal Life

Parker married Emma Sugiyama in 2006, with the ceremony officiated by television producer Norman Lear; the marriage ended in divorce in 2008. He later began a relationship with Boogie Tillmon, whom he married in 2014. With Tillmon, Parker gained a stepson, and the couple had a daughter born in 2013. They filed for divorce in 2019, citing irreconcilable differences, and continue to co-parent their child amicably.

Parker resides in Los Angeles, California, and also owns properties in Steamboat Springs, Colorado; Kauai, Hawaii; Seattle, Washington; and Midtown Manhattan in New York City.