12 Scene-Stealing Parker Posey Performances To Check Out If You're Already Missing The White Lotus

Yahoo

08-04-2025

There are a few things we're going to miss about tuning into The White Lotus every Monday night now the third season is over – but Parker Posey's performance as Victoria Ratliff is undoubtedly near the top of the list.
Parker's mix of subtle gestures (as evidenced in that finale) over-the-top dramatics (her note-perfect delivery of 'I don't even have my lorazepam, I'm going to have to drink myself to sleep', being one such example) and of course that accent made her character a camp scene-stealer which many of us were especially grateful for in the first season not to feature Jennifer Coolidge.
If The White Lotus was your first introduction to Parker, you might well be interested in checking out more of the shows and films on her vast CV.
And if that's the case, we've rounded up 12 perfect places for you to start...
One of Parker Posey's earliest on-screen appearances was in the 90s teen comedy Dazed And Confused playing head cheerleader Darla, who leads a hazing ritual on the last day of school.
The film has gone on to achieve cult status, and helped propel the careers of many A-listers including Oscar winners Ben Affleck, Renée Zellweger and Matthew McConaghey.
Stream it on: Now
Having stolen the show in a few ensemble movies, Parker Posey's first leading performance came in the irreverent comedy Party Girl.
As Mary, Parker played a party-loving social butterfly in New York, who attempts to turn her life around with a new career as a library clerk, helps her flatmate on his quest to become the city's hottest new DJ and pursues a romance with a street food vendor.
Stream it on: Plex
If you're wondering how Parker Posey came to be known as the 90s 'queen of the indies', it was thanks to quirky films like The Daytrippers.
Set in the holiday period, the movie centres around a woman who takes a road trip to New York to confront her cheating husband, accompanied by her overbearing husband, her chain-smoking icy sister and her sister's boyfriend, who chats endlessly about the book he's writing, which involves a man born with the head of a dog.
Stream it on: Mubi
Let's just talk about this cast for a minute. Parker Posey. Lisa Kudrow. Alanna Ubach. Toni Collette. Need we say more?
Incidentally… how great would all three of those women be on a future season of The White Lotus?
Stream it on: Prime Video
One of Parker's earliest mainstream roles was in the romantic comedy You've Got Mail, playing the initial girlfriend of Tom Hanks' character.
As ever, Parker brings a whole lot of personality to Patricia, despite only appearing in three scenes of the finished film.
Stream it on: Now
The Scream franchise is known as one of the horror genre's most meta, which was cemented when the third instalment was released.
Often maligned among Scream fans, it does feature another incredible performance from Parker as Jennifer Jolie, who plays a fictionalised version of Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox's character) in the Stab franchise.
Stream it on: Paramount+
Christopher Guest is renowned for his mockumentary films like A Mighty Wind (about the reunion of a fictional folk orchestra) and For Your Consideration (which takes a satirical look at Hollywood in the lead-up to awards season).
Most revered of all of them, though, is Best In Show, which puts a weird and wonderful slant on the world of dog shows.
These mockumentaries are renowned for a few things, namely their left-field comedy, the fact that much of the dialogue is improvised, and their hefty ensemble cast which includes Parker and the likes of Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Jane Lynch, Harry Shearer and, of course, fellow White Lotus alum Jennifer Coolidge.
Available for purchase on Sky Store, YouTube, Google Play and more.
This, folks. Is what. We call. A serve.
Stream it on: Prime Video.
Parker Posey really has done it all – including a brief stint in the DC universe.
In 2006, she appeared opposite Brandon Routh's spin on Clark Kent in Superman Returns, playing the villainous Lex Luthor's stooge, Kitty Kowalski.
Stream it on: Now.
If you loved seeing the different ways that Parker Posey brought Victoria Ratliff to life every week in The White Lotus, you'll love seeing her in the true crime series The Staircase – although be warned, the two shows couldn't be further apart in tone.
Parker played county prosecutor Freda Black in the drama, which is also set in Durham, North Caroline, the same place her White Lotus character hails from.
The connections between The Staircase and The White Lotus don't stop there, though, with both shows also featuring Patrick Schwarzenegger and families with the surname Ratliff, prompting early speculation that there could be a link between the two projects.
Stream it on: Now
If you thought season three of The White Lotus was a wild ride, then brace yourself before you tune into Beau Is Afraid.
The melodramatic horror is the most ambitious project from Midsommar and Hereditary director Ari Aster, and centres around a man who takes a truly epic journey to head home after the death of his mum.
While Parker doesn't appear until late on in the three-hour epic, there's no chance of you forgetting her disastrous sex scene with leading man Joaquin Phoenix.
Stream it on: Netflix
Parker Posey appeared in just two episodes of the TV adaptation of the spy thriller Mr. And Mrs. Smith, but made enough of an impression that she managed to secure her first ever Emmy nomination in the Best Guest Actress In A Drama category (losing out to Michaela Coel for her performance in the same show).
Stream it on: Prime Video
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