WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:01.720 Have you ever noticed how some actors, they just 00:00:01.720 --> 00:00:05.160 have this distinct energy? Like, you know who 00:00:05.160 --> 00:00:07.259 it is instantly, even if the role is totally 00:00:07.259 --> 00:00:09.119 different from the last thing you saw them in. 00:00:09.339 --> 00:00:12.080 It's not just the face, it's this unpredictable 00:00:12.080 --> 00:00:15.039 spark, that kind of, you know, ginseng. They're 00:00:15.039 --> 00:00:18.079 like chameleons, always adapting, but always 00:00:18.079 --> 00:00:20.260 them. Well, today we're taking a deep dive into 00:00:20.260 --> 00:00:22.640 one of those talents, the fascinating career, 00:00:22.760 --> 00:00:26.219 the vibrant life of Parker Christian Posey. And 00:00:26.219 --> 00:00:28.140 yeah, right from the start, she got that famous 00:00:28.140 --> 00:00:31.559 nickname, Queen of the Indies. It's huge, right? 00:00:31.899 --> 00:00:33.939 To find her public image. But as we're going 00:00:33.939 --> 00:00:35.600 to find out, it was kind of complicated too. 00:00:35.659 --> 00:00:37.939 Sometimes it held her back. So yeah, let's really 00:00:37.939 --> 00:00:40.469 unpack this story. Our mission today basically 00:00:40.469 --> 00:00:42.950 is to explore how Parker Posey carved out this 00:00:42.950 --> 00:00:45.130 amazing niche in independent film, right? But 00:00:45.130 --> 00:00:47.549 then how she navigated moving into bigger studio 00:00:47.549 --> 00:00:50.609 movies and TV, and crucially, how she kept that 00:00:50.609 --> 00:00:53.030 unique, often kind of eccentric acting style 00:00:53.030 --> 00:00:55.229 going through it all. She's become, I mean, one 00:00:55.229 --> 00:00:56.829 of the most beloved character actors out there, 00:00:57.009 --> 00:00:58.869 instantly recognizable. We'll be digging into 00:00:58.869 --> 00:01:01.789 a whole overview of her life, her career, looking 00:01:01.789 --> 00:01:04.109 for those key moments, those surprising facts, 00:01:04.290 --> 00:01:06.689 the bold choices really that shaped her path. 00:01:06.840 --> 00:01:08.799 Yeah, and what's really fascinating, I think, 00:01:09.180 --> 00:01:12.400 is how those early experiences, the choices she 00:01:12.400 --> 00:01:14.439 made back then, they really set the stage for 00:01:14.439 --> 00:01:16.159 everything else. It wasn't just about talent, 00:01:16.219 --> 00:01:18.340 though obviously she has tons of that. It was 00:01:18.340 --> 00:01:21.280 these specific, sometimes pretty unconventional 00:01:21.280 --> 00:01:23.599 choices she made that set her apart. And that's 00:01:23.599 --> 00:01:25.620 what let her kind of bridge these different worlds 00:01:25.620 --> 00:01:27.980 in Hollywood, you know, the indie scene, the 00:01:27.980 --> 00:01:30.760 big studios. It's almost like a roadmap for creating 00:01:30.760 --> 00:01:32.879 a unique identity in a field that often wants 00:01:32.879 --> 00:01:35.599 you to fit in. Totally. So get ready for some 00:01:36.939 --> 00:01:39.500 aha moments probably about an actress you've 00:01:39.500 --> 00:01:41.359 definitely seen you probably admired her work 00:01:41.359 --> 00:01:44.420 but her story well it runs a lot deeper it's 00:01:44.420 --> 00:01:47.000 much richer than you might realize let's really 00:01:47.000 --> 00:01:50.260 dig into Parker Posey okay so our journey starts 00:01:50.260 --> 00:01:53.200 in Baltimore Maryland that's where Parker Christian 00:01:53.200 --> 00:01:57.189 Posey was born November 8th 1968 And her name, 00:01:57.650 --> 00:01:59.310 Parker Christian Posey. It's got a bit of flair, 00:01:59.390 --> 00:02:01.590 doesn't it? She was actually named after Susie 00:02:01.590 --> 00:02:04.049 Parker, the famous fashion model. Maybe a little 00:02:04.049 --> 00:02:06.750 hint of a future in the public eye. And fun fact, 00:02:06.870 --> 00:02:09.340 she has a twin brother, Christopher. Her childhood, 00:02:09.360 --> 00:02:11.919 though, was mostly spent down south. After Baltimore, 00:02:12.060 --> 00:02:14.419 the family moved to Monroe, Louisiana. They were 00:02:14.419 --> 00:02:16.599 there for 11 years, a big chunk of her childhood. 00:02:17.120 --> 00:02:19.020 Then they moved again to Laurel, Mississippi, 00:02:19.340 --> 00:02:22.319 her parents, Linda and Chris. Interesting jobs. 00:02:22.780 --> 00:02:25.020 Her mom, Linda, was a chef and later taught culinary 00:02:25.020 --> 00:02:27.580 arts for Viking Range Corporation. Pretty cool. 00:02:28.000 --> 00:02:30.060 And her dad, Chris, owned a car dealership. She 00:02:30.060 --> 00:02:31.759 was raised Catholic too, just another piece of 00:02:31.759 --> 00:02:33.879 the puzzle of her background. But here's something 00:02:33.879 --> 00:02:35.960 that really jumps out, gives you a real window 00:02:35.960 --> 00:02:38.659 into those early years. Parker Posey herself, 00:02:38.879 --> 00:02:42.840 she once said she was born into turbulence. And 00:02:42.840 --> 00:02:45.020 she called her family fabulous southern characters. 00:02:45.219 --> 00:02:46.580 I mean, it's quite a description, right? You'd 00:02:46.580 --> 00:02:49.000 paint a picture of a really lively household, 00:02:49.060 --> 00:02:51.639 maybe a bit theatrical. Oh, absolutely. And that 00:02:51.639 --> 00:02:53.340 immediately makes you wonder, doesn't it? How 00:02:53.340 --> 00:02:55.460 much does that kind of environment, you know, 00:02:55.599 --> 00:02:58.199 a family full of characters, how much does that? 00:02:58.439 --> 00:03:00.740 push someone towards becoming a character actor. 00:03:00.979 --> 00:03:03.060 Her own quote is so telling. I'm a character 00:03:03.060 --> 00:03:05.259 actor because I come from a family of characters. 00:03:05.259 --> 00:03:08.080 It's like right there. It suggests her knack 00:03:08.080 --> 00:03:10.759 for embodying these unique, quirky, memorable 00:03:10.759 --> 00:03:13.740 people isn't just training. It's something deeper, 00:03:13.879 --> 00:03:16.479 rooted in how she grew up, what she saw, who 00:03:16.479 --> 00:03:19.439 she interacted with. Imagine being a kid just 00:03:19.439 --> 00:03:21.919 soaking up all these dynamic personalities all 00:03:21.919 --> 00:03:23.780 the time. It could have really sharpened her 00:03:23.780 --> 00:03:25.879 observation skills, made her comfortable with 00:03:25.879 --> 00:03:28.099 eccentricity, maybe even gave her that amazing 00:03:28.099 --> 00:03:30.960 comedic timing super early on, a real foundation 00:03:30.960 --> 00:03:33.139 for her performances. That's a really powerful 00:03:33.139 --> 00:03:35.580 link, yeah. It makes you think about how our 00:03:35.580 --> 00:03:38.259 personal history really can foreshadow what we 00:03:38.259 --> 00:03:40.020 end up doing, sometimes in ways we don't see 00:03:40.020 --> 00:03:43.080 till later. And speaking of callings, it seems 00:03:43.080 --> 00:03:45.840 like performing was in her blood early on. As 00:03:45.840 --> 00:03:48.039 a kid, she loved being in the spotlight, performing. 00:03:48.460 --> 00:03:50.699 She even went to Strong River Camp and Farm in 00:03:50.699 --> 00:03:53.360 Panola, Mississippi. Sounds kind of perfect for 00:03:53.360 --> 00:03:56.180 fostering creativity. She also trained seriously 00:03:56.180 --> 00:03:58.639 in ballet. Travels for summer programs at the 00:03:58.639 --> 00:04:00.219 University of North Carolina School of the Arts, 00:04:00.280 --> 00:04:04.000 which is a big deal. That kind of intense training 00:04:04.000 --> 00:04:06.400 and something so demanding, especially young, 00:04:06.900 --> 00:04:08.919 it says a lot about her drive, her commitment, 00:04:09.060 --> 00:04:11.219 her work ethic. Things you definitely need in 00:04:11.219 --> 00:04:13.879 acting too. Okay, now this next part, this is 00:04:13.879 --> 00:04:15.979 a real what if moment, a major turning point. 00:04:16.360 --> 00:04:18.079 When she was just 12, she auditioned for the 00:04:18.079 --> 00:04:20.439 super competitive ballet department there. She 00:04:20.439 --> 00:04:22.839 didn't get in, she wasn't accepted. Huge moment 00:04:22.839 --> 00:04:26.110 of redirection, right? But her dad sounds like 00:04:26.110 --> 00:04:28.589 he had some good insight, saw her talent, maybe 00:04:28.589 --> 00:04:30.589 sensed another path for her. He encouraged her 00:04:30.589 --> 00:04:33.569 to try acting instead. And obviously, that advice? 00:04:33.879 --> 00:04:35.980 maybe coming after what felt like a setback, 00:04:36.199 --> 00:04:38.360 it just completely changed her life's direction. 00:04:38.899 --> 00:04:40.740 Steered her away from ballet, straight towards 00:04:40.740 --> 00:04:42.800 the stage and screen. It's like rejection, opening 00:04:42.800 --> 00:04:45.420 the door to destiny, you know? Exactly. That 00:04:45.420 --> 00:04:47.980 single moment, that rejection, followed by her 00:04:47.980 --> 00:04:50.180 dad's advice, it absolutely set her on the path 00:04:50.180 --> 00:04:52.839 that defined her career. It really highlights 00:04:52.839 --> 00:04:55.300 how random almost career paths can be, especially 00:04:55.300 --> 00:04:57.620 in the arts. You know, people often find their 00:04:57.620 --> 00:04:59.420 true calling through redirection, not just a 00:04:59.420 --> 00:05:02.160 straight line. But that discipline from ballet, 00:05:02.240 --> 00:05:04.939 that wasn't wasted. The rigor, the physical awareness, 00:05:05.060 --> 00:05:06.660 the attention to detail, that almost certainly 00:05:06.660 --> 00:05:08.779 transferred right into acting. Super valuable 00:05:08.779 --> 00:05:11.399 skills. Absolutely. You can see how that foundational 00:05:11.399 --> 00:05:14.259 training would shape her as an artist, even if 00:05:14.259 --> 00:05:16.720 it wasn't acting school per se. So with that 00:05:16.720 --> 00:05:19.680 push from her dad, she pivoted to acting. Went 00:05:19.680 --> 00:05:23.220 to study drama at SUNY Purchase, State University 00:05:23.220 --> 00:05:25.519 of New York at Purchase. Had a well -respected 00:05:25.519 --> 00:05:28.360 program, known for churning out talent. And while 00:05:28.360 --> 00:05:30.639 she was still studying, a talent agent saw her 00:05:30.639 --> 00:05:33.490 in a play. Spotted her potential. That was the 00:05:33.490 --> 00:05:35.649 big break. Signed her immediately, and suddenly 00:05:35.649 --> 00:05:38.350 she's getting auditions for indie films, off 00:05:38.350 --> 00:05:40.370 -Broadway stuff. Her entry into the professional 00:05:40.370 --> 00:05:43.149 world was like bam. Super fast, kind of dramatic. 00:05:43.389 --> 00:05:45.189 She actually dropped out of college less than 00:05:45.189 --> 00:05:46.730 three weeks before she was supposed to graduate. 00:05:46.970 --> 00:05:49.529 Why? Because she landed her first professional 00:05:49.529 --> 00:05:52.009 acting gig. An eight -episode role as Tess Shelby 00:05:52.009 --> 00:05:54.810 on the soap opera, As the World Turns. This was 00:05:54.810 --> 00:05:57.290 1992. Talk about hitting the ground running from 00:05:57.290 --> 00:05:59.600 student to working actor just like that. Yeah, 00:05:59.720 --> 00:06:01.060 and if you look at the bigger picture in the 00:06:01.060 --> 00:06:03.209 industry, it's actually not... that uncommon 00:06:03.209 --> 00:06:05.930 for successful actors to get their start in daytime 00:06:05.930 --> 00:06:09.050 TV. It's like a boot camp. Seriously, you learn 00:06:09.050 --> 00:06:12.189 so much, so fast, memorizing tons of dialogue 00:06:12.189 --> 00:06:14.649 quickly, heading marks, delivering big emotions 00:06:14.649 --> 00:06:17.069 on demand, adapting to constant script changes, 00:06:17.269 --> 00:06:19.529 tight schedules. So that jump from student to 00:06:19.529 --> 00:06:22.089 pro that fast, it really speaks volumes about 00:06:22.089 --> 00:06:24.170 her raw talent, right? And that people saw her 00:06:24.170 --> 00:06:26.329 screen presence immediately. It also kind of 00:06:26.329 --> 00:06:28.769 hints at a practical side, maybe? Willing to 00:06:28.769 --> 00:06:30.629 grab a real career opportunity over finishing 00:06:30.629 --> 00:06:32.560 the degree, a gamble that definitely paid off 00:06:32.560 --> 00:06:34.800 for her. No kidding, she did not waste any time. 00:06:35.180 --> 00:06:36.899 And once she started hitting the big screen, 00:06:37.259 --> 00:06:39.920 things really took off, especially in that whole 00:06:39.920 --> 00:06:42.699 indie film explosion happening in the 90s. Her 00:06:42.699 --> 00:06:45.220 first feature film appearances were in 93. She 00:06:45.220 --> 00:06:47.699 was Stephanie in Coneheads, Irene Kildare in 00:06:47.699 --> 00:06:49.819 Joey Breaker, little glimpses of what she could 00:06:49.819 --> 00:06:52.199 do. But let's be honest, for most people watching 00:06:52.199 --> 00:06:54.180 back then, the big introduction, the one everyone 00:06:54.180 --> 00:06:56.720 remembers, was Richard Linklater's Dazed and 00:06:56.720 --> 00:06:59.959 Confused. Her role is Darla Marks, the senior 00:06:59.959 --> 00:07:02.480 who just loved hazing the freshmen. Unforgettable. 00:07:02.959 --> 00:07:04.620 She totally put herself on the map with that. 00:07:04.819 --> 00:07:06.819 She owned that character, commanded attention 00:07:06.819 --> 00:07:10.660 even in that huge ensemble cast. Classic. Then 00:07:10.660 --> 00:07:13.160 in 1994, she started working with director Hal 00:07:13.160 --> 00:07:15.500 Hartley, which became a really important relationship 00:07:15.500 --> 00:07:17.980 for her indie career. First in his short film, 00:07:18.000 --> 00:07:20.879 opera number one, then his crime comedy amateur. 00:07:21.160 --> 00:07:23.730 She played a girl squatter. Memorable. That same 00:07:23.730 --> 00:07:25.850 year she popped up elsewhere, too. She was a 00:07:25.850 --> 00:07:28.709 rollerblader in Nora Ephron's Mixed Nuts. She 00:07:28.709 --> 00:07:31.089 was in a thriller called Final Combination, played 00:07:31.089 --> 00:07:33.170 Athena in Sleep With Me, just building that resume. 00:07:33.569 --> 00:07:35.149 But the real breakthrough, the one that really 00:07:35.149 --> 00:07:37.569 made her an indie darling, that was 1995 Daisy 00:07:37.569 --> 00:07:40.389 Von Scherler Mayer's Party Girl. She was just 00:07:40.389 --> 00:07:42.649 perfect as this free -spirited New York City 00:07:42.649 --> 00:07:45.410 party girl who has to get serious. The character 00:07:45.410 --> 00:07:47.430 felt like it was written for her. And the film 00:07:47.430 --> 00:07:50.579 itself. Total indie spirit made for like a hundred 00:07:50.579 --> 00:07:54.279 and fifty thousand dollars shot in just 19 days 00:07:54.279 --> 00:07:56.959 Incredible efficiency fueled by passion now. 00:07:57.100 --> 00:07:59.040 Here's a really wild detail about party girl 00:07:59.040 --> 00:08:02.439 often gets missed, but it's huge It wasn't just 00:08:02.439 --> 00:08:04.379 an arthouse hit. It was apparently the first 00:08:04.379 --> 00:08:07.079 feature film ever premiered on the internet Can 00:08:07.079 --> 00:08:09.800 you even imagine? Streaming a movie online back 00:08:09.800 --> 00:08:12.279 then, before Netflix, before broadband was common, 00:08:12.680 --> 00:08:14.339 it was so ahead of its time, pushing boundaries 00:08:14.339 --> 00:08:16.699 when dial -up was still the norm, and Roger Ebert, 00:08:16.800 --> 00:08:18.740 the critic, he totally got her appeal. He called 00:08:18.740 --> 00:08:20.959 it a showcase leading role for Parker Posey. 00:08:21.040 --> 00:08:23.399 who obviously has his stuff, and generates wacky 00:08:23.399 --> 00:08:26.040 charm hyprase. And man was she busy then. The 00:08:26.040 --> 00:08:27.939 mid to late 90s she was just everywhere, showing 00:08:27.939 --> 00:08:30.920 incredible versatility. 1995 alone was packed. 00:08:31.060 --> 00:08:33.360 She played Debbie in Drunks, a recovering alcoholic 00:08:33.360 --> 00:08:35.419 obsessed with Jonas Joplin. Then she was in Hal 00:08:35.419 --> 00:08:37.639 Hartley's flirt. She was the eternal love slave 00:08:37.639 --> 00:08:39.759 in Greg Araki's cult film The Doom Generation. 00:08:40.429 --> 00:08:42.549 Completely different, a serial killer in Frisk. 00:08:42.629 --> 00:08:44.629 Talk about range. And she was also in Noah Baumbach's 00:08:44.629 --> 00:08:46.429 first movie, Kicking and Screaming, as a college 00:08:46.429 --> 00:08:49.230 student. Just an amazing run of diverse roles. 00:08:49.450 --> 00:08:51.610 That period is absolutely critical to understanding 00:08:51.610 --> 00:08:53.590 her, yeah. It wasn't just about getting credits. 00:08:53.629 --> 00:08:56.269 It was about tackling this incredibly diverse, 00:08:56.490 --> 00:08:59.230 often risky, sometimes experimental stuff, all 00:08:59.230 --> 00:09:01.450 within the indie world. Doing all those different 00:09:01.450 --> 00:09:03.929 characters back to back, let her seriously sharpen 00:09:03.929 --> 00:09:06.850 her skills, build this reputation for being unpredictable, 00:09:07.309 --> 00:09:10.639 and develop a really fearless approach. Going 00:09:10.639 --> 00:09:13.159 from vulnerable alcoholic to cold -blooded killer, 00:09:13.320 --> 00:09:16.779 that takes guts. That immersion in unconventional 00:09:16.779 --> 00:09:19.639 roles shaped her unique style, maybe even her 00:09:19.639 --> 00:09:22.080 improv skills, and definitely stopped her from 00:09:22.080 --> 00:09:24.259 getting typecast early on. Became her signature, 00:09:24.580 --> 00:09:26.740 really. Totally. That fearlessness became her 00:09:26.740 --> 00:09:29.240 trademark. And then came another huge collaboration, 00:09:29.980 --> 00:09:32.840 Christopher Guest. She entered his unique mockumentary 00:09:32.840 --> 00:09:36.159 universe with Waiting for Guffman in 1996. Her 00:09:36.159 --> 00:09:38.320 Libby Mae Brown, the super perky Dairy Queen 00:09:38.320 --> 00:09:41.580 employee, hilarious. Memorable. That was the 00:09:41.580 --> 00:09:43.659 start of something really special. Creative partnership 00:09:43.659 --> 00:09:45.860 that gave us some of her absolute best comedic 00:09:45.860 --> 00:09:47.700 work. Oh, yeah, and that whole Christopher Guest 00:09:47.700 --> 00:09:49.159 world. It brings up this really interesting point 00:09:49.159 --> 00:09:51.919 about ensemble acting and improv, right? How 00:09:51.919 --> 00:09:54.799 does that environment foster creativity in a 00:09:54.799 --> 00:09:56.980 way that was clearly perfect for Parker Posey? 00:09:57.139 --> 00:10:00.000 Guest films are so unique. She became part of 00:10:00.000 --> 00:10:02.460 this loose group of actors, his repertory group. 00:10:02.539 --> 00:10:04.940 They improvise a lot, working more from detailed 00:10:04.940 --> 00:10:07.220 backstories than a strict script. And what's 00:10:07.220 --> 00:10:09.659 also fascinating is how they were. Everyone apparently 00:10:09.659 --> 00:10:11.639 gets the same fee, same profit shared, speaks 00:10:11.639 --> 00:10:13.779 to this really collaborative ensemble first spirit. 00:10:14.080 --> 00:10:17.049 It's not about one star. And that unconventional, 00:10:17.330 --> 00:10:19.789 trust -based setup just let her shine. Her comedic 00:10:19.789 --> 00:10:21.470 timing, her quick wit, her knack for creating 00:10:21.470 --> 00:10:23.750 these fully -formed, eccentric characters, totally 00:10:23.750 --> 00:10:26.509 on the fly. It was brilliant. Shows her adaptability 00:10:26.509 --> 00:10:28.750 and improv genius. Yeah, she definitely thrived 00:10:28.750 --> 00:10:30.809 there. And her acclaim in the indie world just 00:10:30.809 --> 00:10:33.990 kept growing. 1996, she was in Linklater Suburbia. 00:10:34.309 --> 00:10:36.070 She played the real -life gallery owner Mary 00:10:36.070 --> 00:10:38.990 Boone in Basquiat, Julian Schnabel's film. And 00:10:38.990 --> 00:10:41.110 she was Jo Malone, the kind of... wonderfully 00:10:41.110 --> 00:10:43.830 apathetic sister in The Day Trippers. Janet Maslin 00:10:43.830 --> 00:10:45.250 of the New York Times called her character the 00:10:45.250 --> 00:10:48.450 apotheosis of Blasey Cool. Perfect description. 00:10:49.169 --> 00:10:52.649 Then, 97, Clock Watchers. Great ensemble cast 00:10:52.649 --> 00:10:55.950 Lisa Kudrow, Toni Collette, Alana Ubach, It was 00:10:55.950 --> 00:10:58.149 called the jewel of a film, and Posey got singled 00:10:58.149 --> 00:10:59.909 out for being winning and humorous as a temp 00:10:59.909 --> 00:11:02.370 worker. And that same year, she got rave reviews 00:11:02.370 --> 00:11:04.649 for the House of Yes, playing that delusional 00:11:04.649 --> 00:11:07.029 woman in love with her brother. Intense stuff. 00:11:07.250 --> 00:11:09.289 Owned Gleiberman at Entertainment Weekly famously 00:11:09.289 --> 00:11:11.830 said, Marker Posey may never have a role that 00:11:11.830 --> 00:11:14.129 suits her as perfectly, and she won a special 00:11:14.129 --> 00:11:16.470 recognition for acting award at Sundance for 00:11:16.470 --> 00:11:18.830 it. It was obvious. She wasn't just an indie 00:11:18.830 --> 00:11:21.190 darling anymore. She was becoming an icon. And 00:11:21.190 --> 00:11:23.009 speaking of icons, it was Time Magazine, also 00:11:23.009 --> 00:11:25.470 in 1997, that officially gave her that nickname. 00:11:25.710 --> 00:11:27.830 Queen of the Indies. It stuck, right, became 00:11:27.830 --> 00:11:30.230 such a defining part of her image. Really captured 00:11:30.230 --> 00:11:32.870 that moment in independent film. So what's that 00:11:32.870 --> 00:11:35.870 like, being crowned like that by a major magazine? 00:11:36.269 --> 00:11:38.370 Sounds great, but as we've kind of hinted, that 00:11:38.370 --> 00:11:40.970 title, it turned out to be a bit complex for 00:11:40.970 --> 00:11:43.940 her career. A double -edged sword. Exactly. It's 00:11:43.940 --> 00:11:46.500 fascinating how these labels work. Posey herself 00:11:46.500 --> 00:11:48.519 talked about this quite a bit, especially later. 00:11:48.860 --> 00:11:51.120 She said the title, while maybe flattering at 00:11:51.120 --> 00:11:53.240 first, actually became a hindrance. She mentioned 00:11:53.240 --> 00:11:56.519 in a 2012 IndieWire interview, getting feedback 00:11:56.519 --> 00:11:58.600 from agents like, oh, she's too much of an indie 00:11:58.600 --> 00:12:00.899 queen for the big studio movie. So it literally 00:12:00.899 --> 00:12:03.720 blocked opportunities. But then the flip side, 00:12:03.740 --> 00:12:06.639 the paradox, was that her name, even with all 00:12:06.639 --> 00:12:08.559 the critical love, apparently couldn't always 00:12:08.559 --> 00:12:11.039 get financing for indie films over a certain 00:12:11.049 --> 00:12:13.990 budget, say over a million dollars, it illustrates 00:12:13.990 --> 00:12:16.570 that classic problem of being pigeonholed. If 00:12:16.570 --> 00:12:19.009 studios see you as too indie, you don't have 00:12:19.009 --> 00:12:21.490 that mainstream bankability they want. But then 00:12:21.490 --> 00:12:23.610 indie producers needing a bit more money, maybe 00:12:23.610 --> 00:12:26.070 in that one five million dollar range, often 00:12:26.070 --> 00:12:28.470 need someone with some studio pull to secure 00:12:28.470 --> 00:12:30.649 distribution. So she was caught in the middle. 00:12:30.860 --> 00:12:33.500 Her quote really nails it. It's really a challenging 00:12:33.500 --> 00:12:35.740 path because I know so much about the indie side 00:12:35.740 --> 00:12:38.159 of the business, but it's different times, and 00:12:38.159 --> 00:12:40.600 this stuff gets projected onto me. She even pointed 00:12:40.600 --> 00:12:42.620 out, like, hey, I haven't done that many indies 00:12:42.620 --> 00:12:44.740 recently. Mentioning Broken English was five 00:12:44.740 --> 00:12:47.000 years prior. You can feel her frustration at 00:12:47.000 --> 00:12:49.860 being misunderstood and stuck in that box. Wow. 00:12:50.220 --> 00:12:52.720 Yeah, that really clarifies how a seemingly positive 00:12:52.720 --> 00:12:55.360 label can create real, practical roadblocks. 00:12:55.519 --> 00:12:58.620 Ouch. But despite those frustrations, she didn't 00:12:58.620 --> 00:13:01.120 just sit back. She very deliberately started 00:13:01.120 --> 00:13:03.379 branching out, moving into major studio films, 00:13:03.519 --> 00:13:05.679 getting into television right around the turn 00:13:05.679 --> 00:13:08.320 of the millennium. Her first really big studio 00:13:08.320 --> 00:13:11.200 movie credit was Nora Ephron's You've Got Mail 00:13:11.200 --> 00:13:14.899 in 1998. Remember that. She played Patricia Eden, 00:13:15.179 --> 00:13:17.440 the kind of abrasive, neurotic publisher. She 00:13:17.440 --> 00:13:19.320 totally held her own with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. 00:13:19.639 --> 00:13:22.019 That was a smart move, a big leap from the micro 00:13:22.019 --> 00:13:24.240 -budget indies. And the movie was a huge hit, 00:13:24.279 --> 00:13:26.840 made over $250 million worldwide, put her in 00:13:26.840 --> 00:13:29.059 front of a massive new audience. And she proved 00:13:29.059 --> 00:13:30.960 she could bring that unique humor and edge to 00:13:30.960 --> 00:13:33.600 a mainstream rom -com and still stand out. Late 00:13:33.600 --> 00:13:36.080 90s, she was also in Hal Hartley's Henry Fool, 00:13:36.240 --> 00:13:38.019 as Faye Grimm will come back to her. She did 00:13:38.019 --> 00:13:39.759 a comedy, What Rats Won't Do, played the lead 00:13:39.759 --> 00:13:41.870 in The Misadventures of Margaret. And she was 00:13:41.870 --> 00:13:43.870 in The Venice Project with Dennis Hopper and 00:13:43.870 --> 00:13:45.789 Lauren Bacall, just showing up at different kinds 00:13:45.789 --> 00:13:48.250 of productions. Moving into the 2000s, her career 00:13:48.250 --> 00:13:49.970 really became this incredible balancing act. 00:13:50.149 --> 00:13:52.049 She kept up those amazing collaborations with 00:13:52.049 --> 00:13:54.409 Christopher Guest. People loved those mockumentaries. 00:13:54.789 --> 00:13:58.090 2000, best in show. Her Meg Swan, the super anxious 00:13:58.090 --> 00:14:00.690 yuppie with the Weimaraner. Hilarious. The film's 00:14:00.690 --> 00:14:03.470 still beloved, like 93 % on Rot Tomatoes. Her 00:14:03.470 --> 00:14:05.490 character, with the perfect hair and the dog 00:14:05.490 --> 00:14:08.429 obsession, was just comedic gold. Then a mighty 00:14:08.429 --> 00:14:11.870 wind in 2003, she played Sissy Knox, former juvenile 00:14:11.870 --> 00:14:14.169 delinquent turned folk singer. Had that deadpan 00:14:14.169 --> 00:14:15.950 humor, but also some real heart. And get this, 00:14:15.950 --> 00:14:18.090 she actually learned to play the mandolin for 00:14:18.090 --> 00:14:20.769 the role. And sang her own parts. That's dedication. 00:14:21.269 --> 00:14:23.169 The whole cast won best cast from the Florida 00:14:23.169 --> 00:14:25.330 Film Critics Circle. They were amazing together. 00:14:25.889 --> 00:14:28.269 And she did one more with Guest in 2006 for Your 00:14:28.269 --> 00:14:30.370 Consideration, playing Callie Webb, an actress 00:14:30.370 --> 00:14:32.629 caught up in Oscar buzz madness. But outside 00:14:32.629 --> 00:14:34.429 the Guest movies, she was really mixing it up, 00:14:34.450 --> 00:14:36.250 genre -wise, showing she could do anything. In 00:14:36.250 --> 00:14:38.750 2000, she was in Scream 3, played Jennifer Jolie, 00:14:38.850 --> 00:14:40.850 the actress playing Gail Weathers in the Stab 00:14:40.850 --> 00:14:43.009 movies. She brought this great medic comedy vibe 00:14:43.009 --> 00:14:45.690 to it, got great reviews, even an MTV Movie Award 00:14:45.690 --> 00:14:48.009 nomination for best comedic performance. And 00:14:48.009 --> 00:14:51.509 the movie made bank $161 million globally. Next 00:14:51.509 --> 00:14:54.379 year, 2001, she played Fiona. the over -the -top 00:14:54.379 --> 00:14:56.879 villainous record exec and Josie and the Pussycats. 00:14:57.240 --> 00:14:59.139 That movie kind of bombed at first, but it totally 00:14:59.139 --> 00:15:01.360 became a cult classic later. People love its 00:15:01.360 --> 00:15:03.559 satire, and Posey's villain is a huge part of 00:15:03.559 --> 00:15:05.940 that. Then, 2004, she jumped into action horror 00:15:05.940 --> 00:15:09.600 with Blade, Trinity. Played Dana Catalos, a badass 00:15:09.600 --> 00:15:12.100 vampire leader, alongside Wesley Snipes, Ryan 00:15:12.100 --> 00:15:15.820 Reynolds, Jessica Biel, made $132 million worldwide. 00:15:16.059 --> 00:15:17.899 She could definitely handle genre stuff. But 00:15:17.899 --> 00:15:19.940 probably her biggest studio role that decade, 00:15:20.039 --> 00:15:23.139 scale -wise, was Superman Returns in 2006, directed 00:15:23.139 --> 00:15:25.379 by Bryan Singer. She played Kitty Kowalski, Lex 00:15:25.379 --> 00:15:27.639 Luthor's kind of ditzy sidekick. It was a deliberate 00:15:27.639 --> 00:15:29.600 callback to Eve Teschmacher from the original 00:15:29.600 --> 00:15:32.120 1978 Superman. She brought this great quirky 00:15:32.120 --> 00:15:34.399 classic henchwoman energy to it. And what's really 00:15:34.399 --> 00:15:36.200 fascinating there, it tells you so much about 00:15:36.200 --> 00:15:39.059 her unique appeal, is that director Bryan Singer 00:15:39.059 --> 00:15:41.799 apparently said Parker Posey was the only actress 00:15:41.799 --> 00:15:44.379 he considered for Kitty Kowalski. Think about 00:15:44.379 --> 00:15:46.639 that. It just highlights her unmatched ability 00:15:46.639 --> 00:15:49.179 to embody these quirky, memorable characters, 00:15:49.440 --> 00:15:52.399 even in a giant blockbuster. It wasn't just comedy, 00:15:52.539 --> 00:15:54.679 it was that specific Parker posiness he wanted. 00:15:55.100 --> 00:15:57.259 Her unique persona, the one she built in indie 00:15:57.259 --> 00:15:59.879 films, was seen as this huge asset that could 00:15:59.879 --> 00:16:02.419 work in a huge franchise, bringing that charm, 00:16:02.519 --> 00:16:04.759 that ironic humor, that surprising depth no one 00:16:04.759 --> 00:16:06.940 else could do it quite like her. It showed she 00:16:06.940 --> 00:16:09.159 could elevate even a supporting role into something 00:16:09.159 --> 00:16:11.700 special. Wow, the only choice. That's amazing 00:16:11.700 --> 00:16:13.879 for a role that big. And yeah, Superman Returns 00:16:13.879 --> 00:16:17.039 was massive, budget over $200 million. grossed 00:16:17.039 --> 00:16:19.980 $391 million worldwide, still her highest -grossing 00:16:19.980 --> 00:16:22.659 film, and she got a Saturn Award nomination for 00:16:22.659 --> 00:16:25.299 Best Supporting Actress for it, too. Well -deserved. 00:16:25.720 --> 00:16:28.620 But her versatility wasn't just film. The 2000s 00:16:28.620 --> 00:16:31.379 were big for her on stage and TV, too, showed 00:16:31.379 --> 00:16:33.500 she could handle different mediums. She made 00:16:33.500 --> 00:16:36.139 her Broadway debut in 2001. Elaine Mays played 00:16:36.139 --> 00:16:38.519 taller than a dwarf, showing off those theater 00:16:38.519 --> 00:16:41.679 chops. She did voice work, too. memorable characters 00:16:41.679 --> 00:16:44.440 on Futurama, Umbriel, and The Simpsons, Becky, 00:16:44.860 --> 00:16:47.620 around 2000 -2001, and she guest starred on Will 00:16:47.620 --> 00:16:50.440 and Grace as Darlene. That was a huge show. Plus, 00:16:50.519 --> 00:16:53.200 in 2002, she got a Golden Globe nomination, Best 00:16:53.200 --> 00:16:55.440 Supporting Actress for the TV movie Hell on Heels, 00:16:55.779 --> 00:16:58.240 The Battle of Mary Kay. She played the ambitious 00:16:58.240 --> 00:17:00.220 rival. That's a crazy range right there. Comedy, 00:17:00.279 --> 00:17:02.720 drama, animation, Broadway. And even with all 00:17:02.720 --> 00:17:04.359 these bigger projects, she definitely didn't 00:17:04.359 --> 00:17:06.500 ditch her indie roots. She kept finding and doing 00:17:06.500 --> 00:17:08.319 acclaimed independent films all through the early 00:17:08.319 --> 00:17:11.819 2000s, stayed loyal to that world. 2002, she 00:17:11.819 --> 00:17:14.400 was Judy Webb, a terrified bride and the sweetest 00:17:14.400 --> 00:17:16.460 thing. Roger Ebert wasn't wild about the movie, 00:17:16.779 --> 00:17:19.220 but he specifically called her performance invaluable. 00:17:19.859 --> 00:17:22.500 She could shine anywhere. Same year, she was 00:17:22.500 --> 00:17:25.160 fantastic as Greta in Rebecca Miller's personal 00:17:25.160 --> 00:17:28.160 velocity. Three portraits about women escaping 00:17:28.160 --> 00:17:31.099 tough lives. Really powerful stuff. Got nominated 00:17:31.099 --> 00:17:32.880 for best female lead at the Independent Spirit 00:17:32.880 --> 00:17:35.059 Awards for that and was runner up for best supporting 00:17:35.059 --> 00:17:36.859 actress from the New York Film Critics Circle. 00:17:37.240 --> 00:17:40.279 Major critical love. 2003, she was in the event 00:17:40.279 --> 00:17:42.819 playing an assistant DA. More serious drama. 00:17:43.609 --> 00:17:46.410 2005, Adam and Steve, she played Rhonda, an unfunny 00:17:46.410 --> 00:17:48.869 stand -up comic friend. The director, Craig Chester, 00:17:49.210 --> 00:17:51.369 compared her to Bette Davis, praised her passion, 00:17:51.470 --> 00:17:53.829 her high standards. That's intense praise. She 00:17:53.829 --> 00:17:56.269 also did David Rabe's play Hurly Burly off Broadway 00:17:56.269 --> 00:17:59.970 that year. Then 2006, Hal Hartley's Faye Grimm. 00:18:00.710 --> 00:18:02.769 She reprised her character from Henry Foole. 00:18:03.069 --> 00:18:04.809 And here's what's cool. Hartley was apparently 00:18:04.809 --> 00:18:06.690 so impressed by her in the first film, even in 00:18:06.690 --> 00:18:09.130 a smaller role, that he wrote the sequel specifically 00:18:09.130 --> 00:18:11.730 for her, focusing the whole story on Faye. That 00:18:11.730 --> 00:18:14.130 says a lot about her impact. In 2007, Broken 00:18:14.130 --> 00:18:16.430 English directed by Zoe Cassavetes. She starred 00:18:16.430 --> 00:18:18.609 as Nora Wilder, single career woman in New York. 00:18:18.809 --> 00:18:21.369 Screened at Sundance, Moscow Film Festival. Got 00:18:21.369 --> 00:18:23.509 another best female lead nomination at the Spirit 00:18:23.509 --> 00:18:26.430 Awards. Still totally relevant in the indie scene. 00:18:27.289 --> 00:18:29.789 So after all that incredible film and stage work, 00:18:30.190 --> 00:18:32.630 she signed on for her first regular TV series 00:18:32.630 --> 00:18:35.690 role, The Return of Jessville James, in 2008. 00:18:35.900 --> 00:18:38.859 She was playing Sarah Tompkins, a successful 00:18:38.859 --> 00:18:40.660 children's book editor who couldn't have kids, 00:18:40.980 --> 00:18:43.519 so she asked her estranged sister to be her surrogate. 00:18:43.700 --> 00:18:45.819 Sound promising, right? Big step into series 00:18:45.819 --> 00:18:48.950 television. Man, that show just hit some major 00:18:48.950 --> 00:18:50.990 roadblocks. Really shows how volatile TV can 00:18:50.990 --> 00:18:53.349 be. It got a 13 episode order initially, which 00:18:53.349 --> 00:18:55.490 is good. But then, because everyone was expecting 00:18:55.490 --> 00:18:57.190 a big writer strike, they cut the order down 00:18:57.190 --> 00:18:59.329 to just seven episodes before they even aired. 00:18:59.730 --> 00:19:02.089 And then it got canceled after only three episodes 00:19:02.089 --> 00:19:04.569 aired because the ratings were low. Just a really 00:19:04.569 --> 00:19:06.490 rough, disappointing start for her first regular 00:19:06.490 --> 00:19:08.589 TV gig. Yeah, that whole situation really brings 00:19:08.589 --> 00:19:10.769 up that question about how volatile TV production 00:19:10.769 --> 00:19:13.650 is. How outside forces, like a strike, can just 00:19:13.650 --> 00:19:16.170 kill a project prematurely. Especially tough 00:19:16.170 --> 00:19:18.980 for an a - making that first big series commitment. 00:19:19.259 --> 00:19:21.440 It's a stark reminder, isn't it? Even with great 00:19:21.440 --> 00:19:24.539 talent involved, a good concept, TV is just unpredictable. 00:19:25.019 --> 00:19:27.539 Network decisions, audience reactions, industry 00:19:27.539 --> 00:19:30.799 politics, labor issues, all things totally outside 00:19:30.799 --> 00:19:32.940 an actor's control. Really underscores the risks 00:19:32.940 --> 00:19:34.839 involved in trying to build a steady presence 00:19:34.839 --> 00:19:36.700 in a new medium. Definitely a tough lesson in 00:19:36.700 --> 00:19:38.960 how the business works. At the end of that decade, 00:19:39.099 --> 00:19:41.460 the late 2000s, her film workout kind of mixed 00:19:41.460 --> 00:19:44.400 reviews, some hits, some misses critically. 2008, 00:19:44.579 --> 00:19:47.180 she was in the eye. the horror remake, played 00:19:47.180 --> 00:19:49.400 the sister of the woman who gets the eye transplant. 00:19:49.819 --> 00:19:51.500 Critics weren't kind, but it made decent money. 00:19:51.779 --> 00:19:54.980 $58 million worldwide. Found its audience. 2009 00:19:54.980 --> 00:19:57.660 spring breakdown. Started with Amy Poehler, Rachel 00:19:57.660 --> 00:20:00.140 Dratch. Sounds like a powerhouse comedy cast. 00:20:00.759 --> 00:20:02.980 But one critic at Sundance called it the annual 00:20:02.980 --> 00:20:06.160 Sundance what the eff moment. Gave it zero stars. 00:20:06.839 --> 00:20:08.900 Ouch. Even while admitting the actresses were 00:20:08.900 --> 00:20:12.009 good. And happy tears that same year, playing 00:20:12.009 --> 00:20:14.430 a daughter dealing with her aging dad. David 00:20:14.430 --> 00:20:17.130 fear at time out was brutal. Not even the reliable 00:20:17.130 --> 00:20:19.450 Posey can salvage this slaggy. So yeah, definitely 00:20:19.450 --> 00:20:22.450 some bumps critically as decade close out. Okay, 00:20:22.470 --> 00:20:24.450 moving into the 2010s. Parker Posey just kept 00:20:24.450 --> 00:20:26.269 showing incredible versatility. Strong comeback 00:20:26.269 --> 00:20:28.430 on TV, continued getting critical acclaim, had 00:20:28.430 --> 00:20:30.349 a couple of films in 2011, Inside Out and The 00:20:30.349 --> 00:20:32.150 Love Guide that got kind of mixed reactions. 00:20:32.670 --> 00:20:34.990 But then her next one, Price Check in 2012, an 00:20:34.990 --> 00:20:37.079 indie comedy. People loved her in it. Critics 00:20:37.079 --> 00:20:40.059 praised her gonzo enthusiasm and expert comic 00:20:40.059 --> 00:20:42.839 timing as Susan Felder's. That sounds like classic 00:20:42.839 --> 00:20:45.359 Parker Posey, right? And she did a bunch of really 00:20:45.359 --> 00:20:47.900 memorable TV guest spots around 2011, 2012. Made 00:20:47.900 --> 00:20:49.920 a big impression everywhere she popped up, like 00:20:49.920 --> 00:20:52.200 on Parks and Recreation as Lindsay Carlile. Shay, 00:20:52.299 --> 00:20:55.519 remember her? So good. The big C. The good wife 00:20:55.519 --> 00:20:58.599 is Vanessa Gold. New girl is Casey. Just showing 00:20:58.599 --> 00:21:00.619 she could fit into any show and steal scenes. 00:21:01.059 --> 00:21:02.440 But the one that really got everyone talking 00:21:02.440 --> 00:21:05.720 was her four episode arc on Louie in 2012, playing 00:21:05.720 --> 00:21:08.660 Liz. Louis C .K.'s love interest. Lindsay Barrett 00:21:08.660 --> 00:21:10.599 Entertainment Weekly said Posey used her arsenal 00:21:10.599 --> 00:21:13.279 of talent to bring Liz to life, making her messy 00:21:13.279 --> 00:21:15.579 but totally endearing. And Andy Greenwald of 00:21:15.579 --> 00:21:17.319 Grantland just flat out called her one of the 00:21:17.319 --> 00:21:20.119 most gifted actors alive. I mean, that's huge 00:21:20.119 --> 00:21:22.099 praise. Really shows how she could connect with 00:21:22.099 --> 00:21:24.240 people and leave a mark, even in just a few episodes. 00:21:24.940 --> 00:21:26.920 Same year, 2012, she did something totally different. 00:21:27.279 --> 00:21:29.220 Played Mary Walsh Hemingway in the HBO movie 00:21:29.220 --> 00:21:31.859 Hemingway and Gellhorn, with Nicole Kidman and 00:21:31.859 --> 00:21:34.599 Clive Owen. Big historical drama. And she didn't 00:21:34.599 --> 00:21:36.599 neglect the stage either. She originated the 00:21:36.599 --> 00:21:39.119 role of Pony Jones in Will Eno's play The Realistic 00:21:39.119 --> 00:21:42.339 Joneses in 2012 at Yale Rep. Had an Excellence 00:21:42.339 --> 00:21:44.680 in Acting award for it, still killing it in theater. 00:21:45.160 --> 00:21:47.960 Film -wise, she did Hair Brained in 2013, Highland 00:21:47.960 --> 00:21:50.980 Park. And now a word from our sponsor. Giving 00:21:50.980 --> 00:21:53.680 busy in the indie world. Reunited with Nicole 00:21:53.680 --> 00:21:56.609 Kidman and Grace of Monaco in 2014. played Madge 00:21:56.609 --> 00:21:58.650 Tiffy Falkong, Grace Kelly's Lady in Waiting. 00:21:58.809 --> 00:22:00.430 Unfortunately, that movie didn't get great reviews 00:22:00.430 --> 00:22:03.069 at Cannes, but she also reunited with Hal Hartley 00:22:03.069 --> 00:22:06.009 for Ned Rifle in 2014, the final film in his 00:22:06.009 --> 00:22:08.509 Henry Foole trilogy, bringing back Faye Grimm. 00:22:09.009 --> 00:22:11.589 And here's a cool modern indie film detail. Hartley 00:22:11.589 --> 00:22:13.690 actually funded it through Kickstarter, raised 00:22:13.690 --> 00:22:16.769 almost $400 ,000. Parker Posey even did promotional 00:22:16.769 --> 00:22:19.029 videos to help get fans to support it, shows 00:22:19.029 --> 00:22:21.190 how indie film funding was changing, and how 00:22:21.190 --> 00:22:23.210 actors could get directly involved. Then came 00:22:23.210 --> 00:22:25.230 a really interesting chapter, working with Woody 00:22:25.230 --> 00:22:27.930 Allen. first in Rational Man in 2015. She played 00:22:27.930 --> 00:22:30.170 Rita Richards, an unhappy professor opposite 00:22:30.170 --> 00:22:32.430 Joaquin Phoenix and Emma Stone. Really strong 00:22:32.430 --> 00:22:34.430 performance. Yeah, and what's really fascinating 00:22:34.430 --> 00:22:37.269 about that is how much it meant to her personally. 00:22:37.349 --> 00:22:39.730 She described getting cast not just as a job, 00:22:39.769 --> 00:22:42.410 but as a profound relief. She said, and this 00:22:42.410 --> 00:22:44.670 is a direct quote, The independent film way of 00:22:44.670 --> 00:22:47.210 working is something that was in my bones. It's 00:22:47.210 --> 00:22:49.470 like being a part of a punk band, but no one's 00:22:49.470 --> 00:22:51.970 singing punk rock anymore. Only a few bands are 00:22:51.970 --> 00:22:53.710 able to play and Woody Allen is one of them. 00:22:53.710 --> 00:22:57.339 That's why I cried. Hmm, wow. That quote just 00:22:57.339 --> 00:22:59.539 perfectly captures her feeling about how indie 00:22:59.539 --> 00:23:02.259 film had changed, how that raw, character -driven 00:23:02.259 --> 00:23:05.099 style she loved was getting harder to find. Working 00:23:05.099 --> 00:23:06.980 with Alan felt like coming home, creatively. 00:23:07.599 --> 00:23:09.380 And critics loved her performance too, praised 00:23:09.380 --> 00:23:11.819 its desperation and amusing acerbity. She could 00:23:11.819 --> 00:23:14.119 always bring those complex layers, that sharp 00:23:14.119 --> 00:23:16.900 wit. She found Alan's set was a place where that 00:23:16.900 --> 00:23:19.519 kind of work could still happen. You can really 00:23:19.519 --> 00:23:21.579 feel her passion for that specific way of working. 00:23:21.849 --> 00:23:23.829 And she worked with Helen again in Cafe Society 00:23:23.829 --> 00:23:26.589 in 2016. Period piece. She played this witty, 00:23:26.890 --> 00:23:29.900 engaging modeling agency owner. Another great 00:23:29.900 --> 00:23:32.559 ensemble turn, and she kept doing diverse guest 00:23:32.559 --> 00:23:34.940 spots and acclaimed indies. Recurring role on 00:23:34.940 --> 00:23:37.880 Granite Flats in 2015. Played Mary Phelps Jacob 00:23:37.880 --> 00:23:40.279 on Drunk History Hilarious. Went back to Christopher 00:23:40.279 --> 00:23:43.160 Guest's World for Mascots in 2016. Played Cindy 00:23:43.160 --> 00:23:45.400 Babineau, an aging dancer in elaborate mascot 00:23:45.400 --> 00:23:48.220 costumes. Got good notices again for that. Then 00:23:48.220 --> 00:23:50.539 a quieter, acclaimed role in Cogonotas Columbus 00:23:50.539 --> 00:23:53.740 in 2017. Played Eleanor, an assistant to a scholar. 00:23:53.930 --> 00:23:56.309 Critics called her vibrant and excellent, showed 00:23:56.309 --> 00:23:58.490 her range in more subtle character pieces, too. 00:23:58.910 --> 00:24:01.089 And then in 2018, something totally different. 00:24:01.170 --> 00:24:03.049 She published a book. Her first book, You're 00:24:03.049 --> 00:24:05.549 on an Airplane, a self -mythologizing memoir, 00:24:05.970 --> 00:24:07.769 just another side of her creativity. And it wasn't 00:24:07.769 --> 00:24:10.190 just a standard memoir. It had this really cool, 00:24:10.309 --> 00:24:12.329 quirky concept. The reader sitting next to her 00:24:12.329 --> 00:24:14.190 on a plane, and she's just telling you stories, 00:24:14.490 --> 00:24:16.630 mixes personal anecdotes, random funny observations, 00:24:16.849 --> 00:24:19.490 life stories, even her own homemade photo collages. 00:24:19.710 --> 00:24:21.670 Sounds totally Parker Posey, right? Eccentric, 00:24:21.849 --> 00:24:24.799 personal, unique. And it got great reviews. Ella 00:24:24.799 --> 00:24:27.079 called it humor -packed, irreverent, eccentric. 00:24:27.339 --> 00:24:29.380 Ask where I said, Posey is a natural storyteller. 00:24:29.460 --> 00:24:31.259 She's gathered some good ones. Successful author 00:24:31.259 --> 00:24:34.009 too. Late 2010, she also fully embraced streaming 00:24:34.009 --> 00:24:37.109 TV and even audio. From 2018 to 2021, she had 00:24:37.109 --> 00:24:39.410 a major role in Netflix's Lost in Space remake. 00:24:39.890 --> 00:24:42.269 Played Dr. Smith, the manipulative criminal who 00:24:42.269 --> 00:24:44.410 cons her way onto the ship. Right, and her Dr. 00:24:44.490 --> 00:24:46.509 Smith got a kind of mixed reviews, which is always 00:24:46.509 --> 00:24:48.549 interesting. It shows how people interpret iconic 00:24:48.549 --> 00:24:51.650 roles differently. Some critics, like David Griffin 00:24:51.650 --> 00:24:54.640 at IGN, felt she was maybe... unsophisticated 00:24:54.640 --> 00:24:57.440 and one -dimensional, wanting maybe a more straightforward 00:24:57.440 --> 00:25:01.000 villain. But others totally loved her take. Jen 00:25:01.000 --> 00:25:03.900 Shaney at Vulture praised her understated sly 00:25:03.900 --> 00:25:07.099 comedic touches. Beth Elderkin at Gizmodo noted 00:25:07.099 --> 00:25:09.519 her trademark levity and humor, appreciating 00:25:09.519 --> 00:25:11.940 her unique style. It really highlights how her 00:25:11.940 --> 00:25:14.599 specific, often ironic approach can land differently, 00:25:14.740 --> 00:25:16.900 especially in a big, family -friendly franchise. 00:25:17.380 --> 00:25:19.539 Some wanted classic evil, others dug her more 00:25:19.539 --> 00:25:21.839 comedic, unpredictable spin. But either way, 00:25:22.059 --> 00:25:24.240 she made an impact got a Saturn Award nomination 00:25:24.240 --> 00:25:26.539 for Best Supporting Actress in Streaming, clearly 00:25:26.539 --> 00:25:28.599 resonated. That's a great point about how her 00:25:28.599 --> 00:25:30.480 style sparks different reactions, make things 00:25:30.480 --> 00:25:33.039 interesting. And in 2019, she went further into 00:25:33.039 --> 00:25:35.960 audio, headlining an eight episode fiction podcast 00:25:35.960 --> 00:25:38.559 called Hunted, voiced to U .S. Deputy Marshall, 00:25:39.019 --> 00:25:41.240 showed she was up for exploring new ways to tell 00:25:41.240 --> 00:25:44.680 stories just using her voice. OK, so now we're 00:25:44.680 --> 00:25:47.559 into the 2020s and Parker Posey is absolutely 00:25:47.559 --> 00:25:49.819 still going strong, delivering really powerful 00:25:49.819 --> 00:25:53.410 TV and stage work. In 2022, she was chillingly 00:25:53.410 --> 00:25:55.589 good as the prosecutor Frida Black in HBO's The 00:25:55.589 --> 00:25:57.930 Staircase miniseries, based on the True Crime 00:25:57.930 --> 00:26:00.329 doc. And what's amazing about that role is how 00:26:00.329 --> 00:26:02.589 deep she went in her preparation. She studied 00:26:02.589 --> 00:26:04.970 hours of video of the real Frida Black to get 00:26:04.970 --> 00:26:07.089 her mannerisms, her voice, her courtroom style 00:26:07.089 --> 00:26:09.410 down perfectly. Even talked to people who knew 00:26:09.410 --> 00:26:11.990 Black personally, really immersed herself. She 00:26:11.990 --> 00:26:14.089 called it a homecoming, maybe tapping into those 00:26:14.089 --> 00:26:16.029 southern roots, but also a distinct honor to 00:26:16.029 --> 00:26:18.130 play a real person. That feels significant for 00:26:18.130 --> 00:26:20.289 an actor known for creating such unique fictional 00:26:20.289 --> 00:26:22.960 characters. shows her commitment. Same year, 00:26:23.019 --> 00:26:24.740 she guest starred on Tales of the Walking Dead, 00:26:25.140 --> 00:26:27.700 jumping into the zombie genre again. And in 2023, 00:26:27.799 --> 00:26:30.000 she was back on stage, off Broadway, in the Siegel 00:26:30.000 --> 00:26:32.339 Woodstock, NY. Still flexing those theater muscles. 00:26:32.900 --> 00:26:35.059 Film performances are still getting raised, too. 00:26:35.740 --> 00:26:39.539 Ari Aster's totally wild -synced, but Bo's afraid 00:26:39.539 --> 00:26:42.980 in 2023. She played Elaine Bray, the main character's 00:26:42.980 --> 00:26:45.759 first love, reunited with Joaquin Phoenix, didn't 00:26:45.759 --> 00:26:47.259 have a ton of screen time, but critics noticed. 00:26:47.900 --> 00:26:50.339 David Rooney said her performance was fabulous 00:26:50.339 --> 00:26:52.920 and fearlessly in line with Astra's nightmarish 00:26:52.920 --> 00:26:55.579 vision, making a huge impact in a tough role. 00:26:56.279 --> 00:26:58.640 And in Thelma, that premiered in 2024, she played 00:26:58.640 --> 00:27:01.380 Gail, the daughter, a more grounded emotional 00:27:01.380 --> 00:27:03.650 role in a really well received film. And the 00:27:03.650 --> 00:27:05.990 recognition just keeps coming. Recent and upcoming 00:27:05.990 --> 00:27:08.470 stuff is huge. For a guest role on Mr. and Mrs. 00:27:08.650 --> 00:27:11.029 Smith on Prime Video in 2024, she got a Primetime 00:27:11.029 --> 00:27:13.390 Emmy nomination. Outstanding Geth actress in 00:27:13.390 --> 00:27:16.069 a drama series. That's major props, right? Shows 00:27:16.069 --> 00:27:17.890 she can still walk into a show for just a couple 00:27:17.890 --> 00:27:19.730 of episodes and blow everyone away. It's kind 00:27:19.730 --> 00:27:21.490 of been her superpower throughout her career. 00:27:21.849 --> 00:27:24.349 And the big news. 2025, she's joining the main 00:27:24.349 --> 00:27:26.750 cast of The White Lotus Season 3. Playing Victoria 00:27:26.750 --> 00:27:28.809 Ratliff, described as a wealthy matriarch. That 00:27:28.809 --> 00:27:30.410 show is huge, and putting her in that ensemble 00:27:30.410 --> 00:27:32.910 sounds amazing. And get this, she spent six months 00:27:32.910 --> 00:27:35.049 filming in Thailand for it. Started back in February 00:27:35.049 --> 00:27:38.069 2024. The buzz is already building. People are 00:27:38.069 --> 00:27:39.690 praising her performance, especially her Southern 00:27:39.690 --> 00:27:42.109 accent. Full circle back to those roots, right? 00:27:42.250 --> 00:27:44.589 She also has a movie called The Parenting coming 00:27:44.589 --> 00:27:47.349 in 2025. Playing an eccentric neighbor sounds 00:27:47.349 --> 00:27:50.240 perfect. And another film, Wild Horse 9, is in 00:27:50.240 --> 00:27:52.019 post -production. Plus, you might have seen her 00:27:52.019 --> 00:27:53.880 in those Hyundai Palisade commercials recently. 00:27:53.980 --> 00:27:56.420 She's everywhere, still a major force. And beyond 00:27:56.420 --> 00:27:58.359 all the roles, her personal life sounds just 00:27:58.359 --> 00:28:00.880 as interesting and varied. She dated actor Stuart 00:28:00.880 --> 00:28:04.079 Townsend back in the late 90s, early 2000s. Dated 00:28:04.079 --> 00:28:07.599 musician Ryan Adams from 2003 to 2005. She even 00:28:07.599 --> 00:28:10.400 sang backup on some of his records. Another creative 00:28:10.400 --> 00:28:12.839 outlet. and visual artist Scott Lenhart in the 00:28:12.839 --> 00:28:15.839 late 2000s, early 2010s. Connecting with other 00:28:15.839 --> 00:28:18.039 creative people seems like a theme. Her hobbies 00:28:18.039 --> 00:28:21.200 are cool too. Pottery, sewing, she does Ashtanga 00:28:21.200 --> 00:28:23.799 yoga, follows Ayurvedic medicine, discovered 00:28:23.799 --> 00:28:26.380 that filming the eye back in 08. lived in Greenwich 00:28:26.380 --> 00:28:28.500 Village, the East Village in New York, really 00:28:28.500 --> 00:28:31.220 soaking up that vibrant artistic city life, bids 00:28:31.220 --> 00:28:32.799 a picture of someone really engaged with the 00:28:32.799 --> 00:28:34.619 world outside acting. Absolutely. And if you 00:28:34.619 --> 00:28:37.119 connect all that back to her work, those diverse 00:28:37.119 --> 00:28:41.180 interests, pottery, sewing, yoga, Ayurveda, they 00:28:41.180 --> 00:28:44.519 reflect this deeply curious, grounded, multi 00:28:44.519 --> 00:28:47.059 -faceted person. And that richness that's not 00:28:47.059 --> 00:28:48.680 just separate from her acting, it almost certainly 00:28:48.680 --> 00:28:51.160 feeds into it. It gives her this incredible depth, 00:28:51.319 --> 00:28:53.180 this wellspring of understanding to draw from 00:28:53.180 --> 00:28:55.150 when she's creating these characters. the really 00:28:55.150 --> 00:28:57.750 eccentric ones. It allows her to imbue them with 00:28:57.750 --> 00:29:00.470 this real humanity, complexity, maybe even a 00:29:00.470 --> 00:29:03.289 quiet strength. It really feels like living a 00:29:03.289 --> 00:29:05.670 full, engaged, creative life is part of what 00:29:05.670 --> 00:29:07.690 makes her performances so authentic and resonant. 00:29:07.730 --> 00:29:09.710 It all connects. What an incredible journey, 00:29:09.829 --> 00:29:12.190 right? following Parker Posey from that kid -loving 00:29:12.190 --> 00:29:14.650 performance in the South, through being crowned 00:29:14.650 --> 00:29:16.829 Queen of the Indies, then making that smart crossover 00:29:16.829 --> 00:29:21.049 to mainstream film and TV, and always, always 00:29:21.049 --> 00:29:23.950 delivering these memorable, quirky, deeply felt 00:29:23.950 --> 00:29:26.470 performances that just stick with you. That mix 00:29:26.470 --> 00:29:28.990 of humor, intelligence, and total unpredictability 00:29:28.990 --> 00:29:31.630 really makes her stand out. So for you listening, 00:29:31.769 --> 00:29:33.170 here's something to think about, a final thought 00:29:33.170 --> 00:29:36.559 on Parker Posey's amazing career. What does it 00:29:36.559 --> 00:29:39.420 really mean for an actor to be truly well -informed 00:29:39.420 --> 00:29:41.920 in their craft? When someone can navigate the 00:29:41.920 --> 00:29:44.859 intimate indie world, the giant scale of blockbusters, 00:29:45.059 --> 00:29:47.339 the grind of TV, and even write a critically 00:29:47.339 --> 00:29:50.200 acclaimed memoir. And through it all, keep this 00:29:50.200 --> 00:29:52.859 singular, recognizable, authentic, artistic voice. 00:29:53.400 --> 00:29:55.200 Maybe your career isn't just about great acting. 00:29:55.519 --> 00:29:57.420 Maybe it's more like a master class in constant 00:29:57.420 --> 00:30:00.180 artistic rediscovery and adapting and thriving 00:30:00.180 --> 00:30:02.059 in an industry that's always changing. Yeah, 00:30:02.059 --> 00:30:04.380 and that raises this really essential question, 00:30:04.400 --> 00:30:06.599 doesn't it? In Hollywood, which loves to label 00:30:06.599 --> 00:30:09.019 and pigeonhole talent, how does someone like 00:30:09.019 --> 00:30:11.619 Parker Posey not just resist that, but actually 00:30:11.619 --> 00:30:14.680 thrive by embracing new things, challenging expectations, 00:30:14.880 --> 00:30:17.420 bringing her whole self to every project, her 00:30:17.420 --> 00:30:19.519 whole career? suggests that maybe true artistic 00:30:19.519 --> 00:30:21.619 longevity, real intact doesn't come from fitting 00:30:21.619 --> 00:30:23.500 in. Maybe it comes from that fierce commitment 00:30:23.500 --> 00:30:26.299 to being authentic, versatile, and having the 00:30:26.299 --> 00:30:28.440 guts to stay the character in a world that often 00:30:28.440 --> 00:30:29.279 just wants stars.