From the South to Hollywood to Thailand, Parker Posey<\/strong>\u2019s road to an Emmy nomination has been anything but predictable. The actress stars in Season 3 of HBO\u2019s The White Lotus as Victoria Ratliff, a North Carolina matriarch navigating the chaos of a family vacation in Thailand.<\/p>\n Soon after the show aired, Posey made an appearance on the Today Show, where she delighted viewers with her now-iconic Southern accent channeling Victoria\u2019s dramatic flair and lingering drawl on words like \u201ctsunami\u201d and \u201cBuddhism.\u201d The moment unexpectedly took on a life of its own.<\/p>\n More from Gold Derby<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cPeople were like, \u2018Oh my God, you’re going viral.\u2019\u201d she recalled. But the Internet craze came with a twist. \u201cI caught a bad virus the week when I got back after the Today Show. I went viral and then I got a virus.\u201d<\/p>\n Now recovered and riding high, Posey says she\u2019s savoring every part of the experience. It’s the latest chapter in a career that began with her breakout in Dazed and Confused (1993) and took off with Party Girl (1995), the indie cult classic celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. \u201cIt\u2019s a full-circle moment and I\u2019m just really grateful,\u201d says Posey, also beloved for her roles in Christopher Guest<\/strong> films like Waiting for Guffman, A Mighty Wind, and For Your Consideration.<\/p>\n For her White Lotus character, Posey drew inspiration from her own Southern roots, having grown up in Louisiana and Mississippi. \u201cPeople in the South, they emphasized the feeling more than what they’re actually saying,\u201d she explained. She also credits her parents for her love of storytelling and performance. \u201cMy dad and my mom fell in love and they didn’t come from money and they’re both very entertaining and dramatic and funny.\u201d<\/p>\n For Posey, filming the acclaimed HBO series in Thailand proved to be more than just a job, it was a personal reset. \u201cI was kind of on a journey on my own, getting massage work and sound baths and immersing myself in the culture,\u201d she says. \u201cI started to listen more to a peaceful part of me. I needed this healing.\u201d<\/p>\n Sarah Catherine Hook, Parker Posey, and Sam Nivola in The White LotusFabio Lovino\/HBO<\/p>\n Working with White Lotus creator Mike White<\/strong>, she says, brought out a new creative energy. \u201cIt is very high performance. It’s extreme, it’s very playful. I felt like an athlete,\u201d she said. \u201cI think he’s very much a maestro in how he gets all these different dynamic actors together and just lets the energy play.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite all the acclaim \u2014 the show received 23 nominations \u2014 Posey admits she still hasn’t seen it. \u201cI haven’t seen anything. I just wanted to give some space,\u201d she said. \u201cI feel like as an actor, I write a book that no one else will read, and then you don’t really want to open it up.\u201d<\/p>\n For now, Posey is excited for the next chapter and looking forward to Emmy night. “I hope people come up to me and introduce themselves and I can’t wait to celebrate with the cast.”<\/p>\n Best of Gold Derby<\/strong><\/p>\n Sign up for Gold Derby’s Newsletter<\/a>. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook<\/a>, Twitter<\/a>, and Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n