Parker Posey's Particular Party

Actor promoting Party Girl gamely puts up with enforced afternoon hijinks.

Parker poses on Franklin Street, around the corner from 275 Church. Photos by Chris X Carroll, don’t forget it.

As the temperature soars I’m spending time perusing the stalls at my local farmer’s market. My attention inevitably falls on Guy Clark’s admonition: “There’s only two things money can’t buy, and that’s true love and homegrown tomatoes.” After the aphorism, Clark goes on to list many of the delicious recipes which require the not-so-deadly nightshade. And though the ditty does manage to use the words ”culinary bummer”  to good effect, there are some other gems in the singer’s catalog that yield even deeper wisdom. 

I’m going to build me a boat, with these two hands, it’ll be a fair curve from noble plans.

Let the chips fall where they will, ‘cause I’ve got boats to build. 

The album that lyric is cut from, Boats to Build, had just been released when I photographed the comedic actress Parker Posey.  I had taken up boat building around this time and was totally tickled to learn that “fair curve” and “noble plans” were actual real terms used to describe particulars of boat construction. If “tumblehome” isn’t a band name it should be, dibs. I was obsessed with this record and played it incessantly, including at work. 

Photo shoots are a little bit like dates. You (the photographer) try desperately to figure out something from publicly available information that will let you bond with your subject. Or if not bond, at least have something to talk about.  The fact that our shoot was held in my apartment made it all the more domestic. I don’t actually care if my subjects like me (I mean, of course I want them to like me; what am I, a monster?) I mean I would sacrifice affection and kind thoughts in a heartbeat for an amazing cover shot. Portraiture is a dance (a seduction, Dr. Pepper called it) but one that is far easier if you develop a rapport with your subject. Sometimes you get the bear, sometimes the bear gets you. In this case, Posey was charmed by my natural animal magnetism and the customized birthday cake Tonjua provided. Probably more the cake thing, now that I think on it.

Cigarettes and cake: B of Champions.

Strangely, even though your name will be on the photo credit and you are making all the decisions, you do not simply hang out with the famous rock stars and movie actors.  Even as you control every aspect of your set, before your subject is ready for you, they disappear into an entirely separate room where they spend up to several hours chatting with the members of your team that aren’t you: hair, makeup, and stylist. If they bring their own people, you have virtually no contact until they get on set. When I did get to hire my own team, I paid particular attention to their vibe. Did people want to hang out with them? I wouldn’t hire them if they weren’t good at their jobs, but you really need a people person.  A perfect example of this is my long-time stylist Tonjua Twist. I have written about her elsewhere in these memoirs; her magnetic ebullience routinely drew in all she encountered. Just before this shoot, she found out it was to take place on Parker’s birthday. Tonjua came prepared with a customized cake (Carvel I think, probably a Cookie Puss for crew if I remember correctly) to shoot. By the time the movie star emerged from makeup, she was already having a terrific time, had bonded with my crew, and was absolutely inclined to do whatever it took to make a memorable portrait. 

As I began to shoot our first setup, I put on my latest obsession for music. Dicey choice, as there were few things less hip in those days than weird old country guys. Posey immediately perked up.

“Guy Clark?” she asked in that slightly nasal voice that contains multitudes.

“Yeah, it’s a new record, I’m obsessed.” I answered.

“Deep,” she pronounced, with a surety that startled me. She was apparently a fan but had not heard his new record. We completely and naturally fell into chatting about that title song in particular. I got to say something like, “Well, you know, as a boat builder I know from noble plans” or, with a manly sigh, “Yep, I really struggled to get a fair curve on this canoe I’m working on.” To her credit, Parker ignored my mansplaining, caught my passes, and got right into the details of language utilized by Guy Clark. Critics (large and small “c”) often talk disparagingly about actors as empty vessels. They have no personalities so that their directors can fill them up as needed for particular roles. I found Posey, in my all-too-brief interaction with her, to be a voracious devourer of language and a student of culture. She was truly interested in my experiences building boats, and turned the conversation around so she was interrogating me. Our rapport was terrific fun, continued throughout the shoot, and is reflected in the pictures. I see why she gets so much work: equally at home doing your ideas or contributing hers. 

You gonna rip the stuffing out of that or what?

Parker’s affect surprisingly reminded me of nobody other than Jerry Garcia. They each had a quickness of mind that was so vivid as to be palpable. While both were of course performers, when hanging with them in person I was struck by the other side of the coin. 

Both Parker and Jerry were vigorous consumers of all the world had to offer. The drunken would-be actor Withnail, portrayed by Richard E. Grant in the eponymous 1987 film proclaims, “We want the finest wines available to humanity. And we want them here, and we want them now!” Both Posey and Garcia seemed to relish every interaction. Including mine. Both demanded every detail about the wine of life, no matter that they had the business end of a camera pointed at them. 

Thought you guys might enjoy seeing the tearsheet, how the pictures were used. I think this was for Premiere Magazine, but am not sure what that R at the top is. Looks like our party theme was no accident.

At that point in her career, Posey had been dubbed the “Queen of the Indies” but hadn’t yet begun to work with Christopher Guest and his ensemble of improv geniuses. She was so quick, so interested in everything around her, it now makes sense that she would be terrific at improv. And so Guy Clark led to Johnny Cash, led to Roseanne Cash, led to boatbuilding, led to poetic and delightful nautical terminology. And all wrapped up in a big ol’ party-like situation, led by my old pal Tonjua all the rest of us, just following along trying to keep up. Of course Tonjua pulled out that cake at a germane moment, of course we all sang a hearty rendition of Happy Birthday, and of course Tonjua and I got her to smoke for the picture. 

Thinking back on this, I think it would do us some good to remember how Parker Posey dug my record collection. And taste. Called it “deep” if I recall correctly. So at least I have that going for me. And don’t you guys forget it!