Parker Posey recently opened up about the challenges she faced transitioning from indie films to Hollywood productions, revealing that she was “gaslit” into questioning her viability in major studio films.
On a recent appearance on the Smartless podcast, Posey, known for her roles in iconic indie films like Party Girl, Dazed and Confused, and Basquiat, shared how her recognition in the indie scene began to shift as Hollywood’s studio system began taking over. When asked if she still considered herself the “indie queen,” Posey explained that once she became known in places like New York City, she realized her indie reputation was starting to fade.
“I felt like I was called a name, in a way,” Posey said, reflecting on her early days. She recounted how her career path led her into the indie community, where she helped connect director Greg Mottola with actor Liev Schreiber for The Daytrippers. “It was such a community back then,” she recalled, but that community soon shifted as the indie movement was absorbed by the studio system.
Posey revealed that after the indie scene was commercialized, she found it difficult to get financing for movies, even though she had successfully led independent films. “All of a sudden, I wasn’t viable to get a movie financed,” she said. “It was such a head trip because I would have to audition for Hollywood movies when I’d carried the lead in independent movies that were shot in 23 days.”
Posey described how, within the Hollywood system, she was made to feel that she didn’t meet the “standard” required for major productions. “I can promise I can memorize these lines in the script, and we’ll have a blast, trust me!” she said, recalling how she was often made to feel as though she wasn’t on par with her peers.
Despite the setbacks, Posey continued working with celebrated directors, often taking roles in auteur-driven films that didn’t always offer large paychecks but allowed her to fulfill her creative passion. Over the years, she worked with directors like Richard Linklater, Gregg Araki, Christopher Guest, Kogonada, and Ari Aster.
Posey is set to appear in the 22nd season of Variety’s Actors on Actors, where she will be paired with The White Lotus star Lisa Kudrow.
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