Parker Posey: New York Indie Queen Turned Boston Legal Eagle

Actress Parker Posey is notorious for her independent film roles. Like Canadian Indie Queen Molly Parker, Posey has taken on roles ranging from the bizarre to the downright disturbed. Now, she's landed a role on American television series Boston Legal as the prissy, insufferably shark-like new twit in the office, Marlene "The Squid" Stanger.

Marlene is the kind of work colleague that sleeps with every man in the office then grills every woman for the least indiscretion as if she were the Virgin Mary stuffing sinners into Hell at Judgment Day. You know - the kind every working woman really loves to hate. And boy, does Posey do her well. 

She guest-starred in the last few episodes this past season. But with her character's promotion to partner (and Marlene's hilariously messy one-night stand with regular Alan Shore (James Spader)), it's looking as though Parker Posey could be around Boston Legal for the new season, as well.

Posey is not new to acting. Born in Baltimore in 1968 and raised in Mississippi, she now lives in the East Village in New York City. She began her career playing Tess Shelby on long-time soap As the World Turns in 1991-2. But her star has remained relatively obscure due to her penchant for switching between supporting roles in larger films and lead roles in independent film. In 1997, Time Magazine named Posey "Queen of the Indies" for her roles in over 32 indie films.

Two of Parker Posey's smaller roles are making her hot this year. Her Boston Legal guest turn has given her watercooler exposure as a would-be legal queen of mean. She also appeared as Lex Luthor's sidekick girlfriend Kitty Kowalski in Superman Returns. Though the movie itself fizzled (relatively speaking, for an expensive blockbuster), her role got her a July 10 interview with New York Magazine. In addition to these two roles, and her turn as Kitty on the Superman Returns videogame, Posey has three roles this year and is slated for three more already in 2007.