Parker Posey

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Parker Posey’s career is not known for its predictability. She played a high-school brat in “Dazed and Confused,” an eccentric yuppie dog-owner in “Best in Show” and a cartoonish villain in “Superman Returns.” This fall, the actress will have her first starring role in a TV series, a sitcom from the creators of “Gilmore Girls” called “The Return of Jezebel James,” in which she plays a children’s book editor who asks her sister to be a surrogate mother for her.

Posey also stars in the movie “Broken English,” in which she plays an unhappily single New Yorker who falls for a younger Frenchman. The 38-year-old actress knows what it’s like to date a younger man, because for two years she was in a relationship with musician Ryan Adams, who is six years younger than Posey. (The couple broke up in 2005.)

The actress chatted candidly with us about her new movie and much more.

What was your experience like filming “Broken English”?

I was in the show “Boston Legal” at the time in Los Angeles when they got the financing together, and they were like, “We’re starting filming next week.” I wish I had a little more time … but it’s all good. To be able to do this movie and [portray life] in a realistic way is the greatest thing for an actor, because you get to bring so many things that you’ve had happen with yourself and your friends. Everyone brought so much of themselves and their ideas. My character hasn’t really taken charge of her life yet. She’s kind of like, “How should I be?’ She’s very hard on herself.

What do you think about older women dating younger men, not just in this movie but also in real life?

I think younger guys are more comfortable with it if they love their mother — you know, the idea of putting an older woman on a pedestal. I’ve met guys who had affairs with older women, and [the men] always loved their mothers.

What’s your take on your character in “Broken English”?

She’s got some issues that she’s not even aware of yet that the audience clearly sees. She’s down, she’s suffering from the blues and she’s self-medicating. Her heart’s in the right place. It’s a portrait of loneliness. We don’t represent that in movies in this country like they do in other countries.

What don’t you like about this character?

She’s not self-nuanced. She needs help and hasn’t asked for what she wants. She’s kind of drifting along in her life. She deserves happiness and she’s clearly not giving that to herself. We’ve all been there. When you’re like that — get yourself out of it. I don’t get parts like this that often. These women aren’t really represented in movies. People have told me that they see something of themselves in this character and they’re glad it’s being shown in a movie. I love that.

How would you sum up your “Superman Returns” experience?

It’s a comic-book film, so I approached my character [Kitty Kowalski, Lex Luthor’s girlfriend] as, “What would she look like merchandised?” Her hair looked like wigs, but I wanted it to be my real hair. I’m such a dork. Those parts are difficult because you have to have so much weight [on your shoulders] every day. A film like “Broken English” is easier because you’re playing a full-on human being. Someone like Kitty Kowalski is just different.

What are your thoughts on doing big-budget studio films compared to indie films?

I don’t sit on my bed with a bunch of scripts saying, “This is what I want to do.” I don’t have that kind of power. There’s only a small handful of actors who do. Sometimes it’s not about choices; it’s about timing.