Parker Posey in season one of The White LotusThis article contains minor spoilers for the latest season of The White Lotus.
Season three of The White Lotus got off to a flying start this week, with a series opener that included familiar faces, full-frontal nudity and vaguely incestuous vibes.
So far, so White Lotus, right?
However, there’s one part of the new season that’s already generating a lot of conversation among viewers on social media, and it’s all thanks to Parker Posey.
Parker plays wealthy Southern matriarch Victoria Ratliff in the latest season of the award-winning drama, who is holidaying in Thailand with her dysfunctional family.
After episode one aired, fans over on X were a little divided over how convinced they were by Parker’s Southern accent…
ten minutes into the new season of the white lotus and parker posey’s accent has already sent me into outer space. start engraving her emmy now
— zoë rose bryant (@zoerosebryant) February 17, 2025
parker posey playing a waspy southern woman with a crazy accent…we are so back pic.twitter.com/OVTnPU7Dz9
— ilana kaplan (@lanikaps) February 17, 2025
The new season of #WhiteLotus has everything: gay incest, straight incest, Kpop stars playing “the help,” white women who hate each other, fucked up teeth, Belinda, Parker Posey doing the most perplexing accent you’ve ever heard pic.twitter.com/wYnVz4UFBK
— Doctor maX ????️???? (@MaxPatrick1113) February 17, 2025
Listening to Parker Posey’s “southern” accent pic.twitter.com/h1VQAyxpW9
— Trey (@treyd3) February 17, 2025
As a southerner, I’d just like to say that Parker Posey’s accent in white lotus is wherever Parker Posey says that accent is from ????
— tré easton (@treeaston) February 17, 2025
When people criticize a “southern accent” I want to ask if they think there’s just one southern accent. I think Parker Posey’s accent is perfectly affected for a rich, out-of-touch pill popper from the Carolinas personally!
— megan (@wowtoospooky) February 18, 2025
Anyone confused by Parker Posey’s accent is severely underestimated how many truly unhinged accents there are in the south sorryyyyyy
— Matt (the gay one) ????️???? (@lookanothermatt) February 18, 2025
everyone complaining about parker posey’s north carolina accent in “the white lotus” clearly didn’t watch “the staircase”
— keaton bell (@keatonkildebell) February 17, 2025
pic.twitter.com/ils555z6HM
Y'all don't forget that Parker Posey grew up in the South. She knows exactly what she's doing. pic.twitter.com/MWTNntPZfJ
— JJ (@MsJJ_Dynomite) February 17, 2025
Parker Posey’s accent in #WhiteLotus is beyond good or bad. It is a character unto itself. It’s like modern art. You may not fully understand what’s happening, but you respect that that some things in the universe are meant to remain a mystery. pic.twitter.com/uSdNiEc1f1
— mktoon (@mktoon) February 17, 2025
Speaking to Variety at the show’s premiere last week, Parker opened up about the origins of her character’s accent, revealing she drew inspiration from The Official Preppy Handbook and Tennessee Williams’ female characters.
Parker also claimed that American actor James Spader inspired her characterisation.
“I wanted to bring, like, a snotty kind of [affectation],” she explained. “I have met some really wealthy people, and Southerners, that are almost affected, right? So that’s what I did.”
She continued: “It was just so much fun to play. It’s the theatricality of Southerners – and I’m from the South – so I was so happy to bring that Tennessee Williams-like kind of drama, you know? Cat On A Hot Tin Roof. Just that lady. So, it was a blast.”
Parker Posey tells me her "White Lotus" accent was inspired by her southern roots, James Spader and "The Official Preppy Handbook." #justforvariety#TheWhiteLotus#ParkerPoseyhttps://t.co/sAfTej8Djv via @varietypic.twitter.com/ae40unAfmh
— Marc Malkin (@marcmalkin) February 18, 2025
Parker joins an all-star cast in the new season of The White Lotus that includes her on-screen husband Jason Isaacs, Blackpink singer Lisa in her first acting role, Emmy nominee Carrie Coon and Sex Education favourite Aimee Lou Wood.
Natasha Rothwell also reprises her role as former spa manager Belinda from season one, with another former cast member also set to return later down the line.
Episode one of The White Lotus’ third season is streaming on Sky and Now, with new instalments every Monday morning.
