Parker Posey is one of those performers I’m kind of guessing David would not have been able to identify prior to her Emmy-nominated, oft-quoted turn on the most recent season of The White Lotus on HBO–though every now and then David will surprise you and casually drop some weird knowledge because, say, Noah Baumbach’s Kicking and Screaming was on Army TV when he was in Germany.
Assuming he didn’t know her before, he definitely knows her now, and it’s because of those amazing line reads. There are some bits of prose from movies and television we quote because the lines are so good that any half-decent actor could make them sing. And then there’s whatever Parker Posey is doing in The White Lotus.
Seriously, think of all the times you’ve heard someone quoting Posey’s southern matriarch from that show. It’s been like a year since my family watched it, and we still go “Pih-per, nooooo” and “Budda-a-ism” around the house. Those are barely quotes. They’re just words that she’s able to imbue with such humor, bathos, and indelible articulation that hearing them once is like hearing them a million times. She’s like a knuckleball pitcher with just the most incredible off-speed stuff you’ve ever seen.
Where did this gift come from? Obviously, she’s been an actress for a long time, and was something of an indie darling starting with her early role in Dazed and Confused, eye-catching breakout performance in Party Girl, and unforgettable depiction of a Dairy Queen employee-turned performer in Waiting for Guffman. I mean, just watch this. The pause before “… Blizzard” is inspired.
Posey did a long interview with CBS This Morning‘s Mo Rocca, and she provided a little detail on one of the earlier outlets for her acting: Working at her dad’s car dealership. The extended interview is here, but here’s the clip from Instagram of her talking about that experience:
View this post on Instagram
She was apparently good at the job, though she had fun with it:
Mo Rocca: Did you like working at the dealership in the summers?
Parker Posey: I had to… You know what? I am a good secretary, and I’m a good organizer. But I would do this thing where, you know, I was always imitating people and putting on accents, and I liked speaking over the speaker. I would say, “Good morning, Chris Posey Chevrolet Nissan. How may I help you?” And if someone wanted to speak to Mike Wally, I’d be like, “Mike Wally, you’re needed on line one. Mike Wally, line one.”
She can literally make almost anything funny, which is a trait that she says she got from her parents. If you were curious, the dealership was Chris Posey Chevrolet Nissan in Laurel, MS, which is north of Biloxi. Someone posted an ad from the dealership on Instagram, and I think that’s her dad speaking:
View this post on Instagram
Hey, you can get $600 off a Corsica! The best car named for the island where Napoleon was born.
According to Posey, she wasn’t paid for any of her work, which was one of the reasons she decided to get out of Laurel and try her hand at acting. For that, we are grateful, as our lives would also be poorer without her.
Top photo: YouTube/CBS This Morning; DepositPhotos.com
She is so funny in Best of Show.
Stop what I’m doing to watch Parker Posey–don’t have to ask me twice.
I harbored fantasies of GM bringing back the Corsica, but as a competent hot hatch type car in the spirit of the Kit Cars that shook up WRC in the late 90’s, particularly at Tour de Corse. Unfortunately it doesn’t make any sense from a GM heritage standpoint, outside of maybe Opel which I don’t think ever saw success in Corsica.
Love Parker Posey in everything she’s been in, ever since I saw her scream “Air raid, bitches!’ in Dazed and Confused.
I must be living under the same rock as DT. I’ve never heard of her, and only vaguely recognize some of those movie titles. And what the hell is a Corsica?
A four door Chevy Beretta
I guess I live under a shallower rock, as I recall the name as it is disticntive, but have never heard of any of the shows mentioned in this article. I have no idea what I saw with Posey in it.
I love Parker Posey.
Thanks for reminding me of “Dazed and Confused”. One of my favourite movies of all time. Haven’t seen it in a year or more.
If this was just to heap praise on Parker Posey, I’m all for it. She’s amazing. So brilliant in Waiting For Huffman, you just wanted to hug her. Incidentally, Ray Walston (Mr. Hand-Fast Times at Ridgemont High) was also from Laurel.
I love Waiting for Guffman. Corky and the entire gang were hysterical.
I thought he was from Mars.
Either way, he’s a favorite.
Wasn’t he the devil in Damn Yankees. He’s great in everything.
Right.
How could you not mention her role as the uptight yuppie Weimaraner owner in Best in Show? We’re still looking for Busy Bee.
And the porn actress turned folk singer in A Mighty Wind.
The yuppies taking the dog to therapy because they thought it was traumatized from seeing them have sex was already funny, and then they spent the rest of the movie showing you why the poor dog actually needed therapy.
Anyone here who hasn’t seen that absolute gem of a movie needs to watch it. RIP Catherine O’Hara and Fred Willard.
Oh those dog show judges nailed it!
I have been drug kicking and screaming to dog shows over the last 10 years, yes dog shows are full of really weird people and inconceivably odd stuff.
What is this kicking and screaming drug? I want to try it.
If you ever watched the old Westminster Kennel Club show when Joe Garigiola was one of the commentators, the movie parodies it to a tee.
I only hear Mo Rocca on the radio and somehow I thought he was black.
The problem with the Corsica and its sibling the Beretta was that every time someone drove a Beretta in the snow its Corsica brother would rust.
“I only hear Mo Rocca on the radio and somehow I thought he was black.”
Reminds me that I listened to Van Morrison singing Gloria, Brown Eyed Girl, Wild Nights, etc. for probably 20 years before I found out that he was a white guy.
Before Rick Rolling became a thing I thought Rick Astley was black from his voice. Finding out he’s even whiter than I am was the ultimate Rick Roll.
Operator at Dad’s dealership? Nothing like a Real job at a dealership.
Good lord, is that the guy from VH1?
You mean the Daily Show correspondent?
I didn’t know he was a TDS guy. Huh!
Don’t forget her Hyundai commercial
https://youtu.be/BvwCdzwKESM?is=i6zr7zh0DFq3UdXw
As if everything else about her’s not enough, does this mean she has connections to source a rust free southern B13 Sentra SE-R?
…. This is relevant to my interests.
I’m not 100% sure if I know anything about Parker Posey more than what I’ve read right here but a B13(/14, I’m no hater) will always have my attention.
Not much to check out if it’s all white squares. People run ad-blockers because ads and mainstream browsers are annoying. Can the Autopian staff work on making the instagram links embedded?
There’s a link for every single embed.
One works and one needs the Instagram app.
AFAIK there is no native Instagram app for Linux and hacking and faking my location is not on today’s bingo card.
The first one has a link above the white square that goes to a 20 minute CBS clip Youtube. Below that is a white box that in the middle says “View this post on Instagram” but no link to get to instagram.
Second one has a link above the white box that actually goes to Instagram.
(Chrome on a Macbook)
Which does not work when I click on it. I tried for a few months a while ago and then gave up.
Any relation to Samuel Felton Posey I wonder?
Also seen on TV.
Discussing her importance puts me in an emotionally difficult position.
Like the backseat of a VW?
Perhaps we should refer to her as Parker Prosey from now on.
Parker Posey is an American Treasure!
This is correct
If so, then an American Treasure I’ve never heard of until this article. And I have zero desire to watch anything on Instabrag. The good news is that by Friday, I’ll have completely forgotten anyway.
Go to the library and get one of her movies on DVD , friend. No reason to despair.
She’s been in like 30 films and a dozen TV shows, if not more.
Don’t watch TV or go to the movies much, sorry. Grew up with only a 12″ B&W TV that only got one channel (NBC) so I never really got addicted to video like some people.