Parker Posey Bio

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Parker Christian Posey (born November 8, 1968) is an American actress. She became known during the 1990s after a series of roles in several well-received independent films. As a result, she has often been referred to as the "Queen of the Indies".

Parker Posey: Biography

Parker Posey - Early life

Posey was born in Baltimore, Maryland, the daughter of Lynda, a chef, and Chris Posey, who owned a Chevrolet dealership. She has a twin brother, Christopher. Posey's first name was a tribute by her father to 1950's supermodel Suzy Parker. After Posey's birth, the family moved to Laurel, Mississippi where her mother worked as a chef and culinary instructor for the Viking Range Corporation in Greenwood, and her father operated a car dealership, Posey Chevrolet, in Laurel. The family also lived in Monroe, Louisiana. Posey was raised Catholic.

Parker Posey - Film career

Posey attended the State University of New York at Purchase, where she roomed with actresses Sherry Stringfield and Orlagh Cassidy. Fellow entertainment professionals in her SUNY Purchase acting company (Class of 1991) included actor Reno Wilson and producers Todd Baker and Vincent Rutherford, Jr.

Posey made her first break in television when she won the role of Tess Shelby on the daytime soap opera As the World Turns. Stringfield, Posey's roommate, was also cast on the daytime drama Guiding Light at about the same time. Posey's first major role in a feature film was in Dazed and Confused (1993).

Throughout the late 1990s, Posey starred in a large number of independent films and was named "Queen of the Indies" by Time magazine, which cited thirty-two independent films to her credit, including Personal Velocity, Clockwatchers, Party Girl, and The House of Yes, for which she received especially positive reviews for her portrayal of a delusional woman in love with her own brother. She is part of the acting ensemble that often appears in director Christopher Guest's films, including four of his mock documentaries: (Waiting for Guffman in 1996, Best in Show in 2000, A Mighty Wind in 2003, and For Your Consideration in 2006). Posey is also a favorite of director Hal Hartley. She appeared in Henry Fool (1998), two of his shorts, Opera No. 1 (1994; with Adrienne Shelley, another Hartley regular), Sisters of Mercy (2004), and his most recent film, Fay Grim (2006). Posey also had a notable role as the best friend of Adam in the the 2005 film Adam and Steve.

Though well known for her work in independent cinema, Posey has also had supporting roles in several big budget studio films, including Scream 3 (2000), You've Got Mail (1998), Josie and the Pussycats (2001), Laws of Attraction (2004), and Blade: Trinity (2004). She also had a small performance in Superman Returns, playing Kitty Kowalski, an assistant to villain Lex Luthor.

Posey is also set for a role in an upcoming John Waters film Fruitcake along with Johnny Knoxville. The film will likely be set in her birth town of Baltimore. However, John Waters has recently announced that he has cancelled Fruitcake, saying "I can't get it made...I thought it would do well, but it's not. In this economy, I'm going to have to do a puppet show."

Posey was considered for the roles of Rachel Green in Friends (which went to Jennifer Aniston), of Kimmy in My Best Friend's Wedding (which went to Cameron Diaz), and of Althea in The People vs. Larry Flynt (which went to Courtney Love).

Parker Posey - Television work

Although Posey primarily works in film, she has appeared in several television projects.

• Posey appeared in the television miniseries adaptations of the Armistead Maupin Tales of the City books; her character, Connie, was featured in the original 1993 series and the 1998 miniseries "sequel" covering the second book.
• In 2000, she provided the voice of Umbriel the mermaid in the Futurama episode "The Deep South."
• Also in 2000, Parker provided the voice of Becky in an episode of The Simpsons titled "It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Marge."
• She has also had a recurring role on the television series Will & Grace, as Dorlene, Jack's high-maintenance boss at Barneys New York.
• Posey appeared on the Season One finale of Project Runway in 2005. She was a spectator at New York Fashion Week and was a judge alongside Nina Garcia, Michael Kors, and Heidi Klum.
• In 2006, Posey guest-starred as the ambitious, back-stabbing lawyer Marlene "The Squid" Stanger on Boston Legal.
• In March 2008, Posey headlined the quickly-cancelled Fox series The Return of Jezebel James.

Parker Posey - Other work

Posey made her stage debut in 2001, and has worked regularly on the stage since. She also dabbles in music, she has appeared in two music videos of the band Cobra Starship, one of which was called "Snakes on a Plane" and the other is "The City is at War." She can also play the mandolin. She learned to play as preparation for her role in A Mighty Wind (2003), a film in which she also sang. She used her vocal talents on several records of her ex-boyfriend, Ryan Adams, whom she dated until early 2005. She also played the mandolin on The Dandy Warhols track "I Am Sound" from their Welcome to the Monkey House LP.

She is also the subject of several songs:

• Stuart Davis on his 2006 album ¿What.
• L.A. based rappers Trilambs recorded a song titled "Parker Posey" in 2001.
• Musical project Forms of Things Unknown recorded an experimental music instrumental called "From Here to Parker Posey".
• Ryan Adams's "Hey Parker, It's Christmas," off of Christmas 7"