What The White Lotus' Parker Posey Looks Like Makeup-Free

Even prior to her audience-gripping performance as drawling, medicated Victoria Ratliff on "The White Lotus" Season 3, Parker Posey has been one of those legendary character actors that everyone remembers for a different role. Perhaps you associate her with more widely known favorites like "Best in Show" and "Dazed and Confused," or maybe your archetypal Posey comes from a deeper cut in one of her many indie films. Posey is a comedic chameleon, and we've witnessed her embody all sorts of lovable weirdos.

However, most people probably haven't seen the star in a true, clean-faced candid. Some celebs regularly dress down for the cameras — for one, Pamela Anderson looks flawless without makeup— but Posey seems to be more controlled in her public appearances. Whether she's swanning around on-set in Thailand or charming her way through "The White Lotus" media blitz, Posey is usually done up in fresh and playful makeup. However, one throwback photo shows a young Posey in her natural element, and as you might expect, the effect is stunning.

In the late '90s and early 2000s, Parker Posey made a name for herself as a bit of an oddball actor. She popped up in everything from "Scream 3" to "Josie and the Pussycats" with wacky mannerisms, meme-worthy accents, and iconically noughties wardrobe choices that still inspire us to recreate our own Y2K beauty looks.

Typically, Posey's larger-than-life performances have included a full face of cosmetics in whatever style made sense for her character. Even while filming "The White Lotus," her beauty look was tied inexorably to her role. As makeup artist Rebecca Hickey told Bustle, "Her character has a lip on at all times because that's a very Southern thing to do. ... Parker actually would bring in her own discontinued Chanel 817 Rouge Selen lipstick to set, and that's what became her signature look."

In fact, Posey's niche stardom has only produced a few rare photos of the actor out and about while makeup-free. But one snap from the turn of the millennium has recently resurfaced, showing how Posey kept her look au naturel to attend the US Open way back in 2001. Posey, who would have been around 33 at the time, looks incredibly youthful in the shot. With her gentle tan, coral-pink lips, and untouched brows, we would have easily believed she was in her late teens or early 20s. Weird girl who? With minimal styling, Posey serves up surprisingly girl-next-door vibes that don't need any help from cosmetics — at least, not until she blows our minds with her next out-of-the-box role.

While it's a shame that we don't get to see Parker Posey's unvarnished beauty more often, we must admit that she still provides a glorious and arresting spectacle in her going-out 'fits. Not only does she look bright as a flower with rouged cheekbones and a vibrant lip, but Posey's "The White Lotus" era has seen the actor pair her makeup with various sartorial statement pieces. For instance, the voluminous tropical gown she wore to the show's premiere in Bangkok was offset perfectly by her vivid pink lipstick. Then, there was the wonderfully eclectic look she donned at the Valentino show at Paris Fashion Week 2025. Posey's soft, smudged eyeliner and matte lip perfectly accented the mixed patterns and textures in her outfit, from the intentional boho clash between her dress and jacket to the inclusion of fingerless lace gloves.

It should perhaps come as no surprise that Posey likes a touch of whimsy in both her fashion and her beauty styling. While she can turn on drama with the best of them, Posey is drawn to a lightness and humor that reflects in her personal aesthetic. "I come from funny people. ... There is lots of funny in my family," Posey told Women's Wear Daily. "Don't get me wrong, I love to scream. But I'm kind of like, where are the other rooms that we've forgotten about? Where's the lightness? Where's the light fare?"

We'll tell you where the lightness is: in Posey's closet and makeup bag. Happily, now that she's a bona-fide paparazzi magnet, we may get a few more inside looks at Posey's day-to-day life (and styling). After all, we've already seen a few of her co-stars and predecessors from "The White Lotus" rocket to A-list status, whether we're endlessly quoting Jennifer Coolidge or appreciating Alexandra Daddario's stunning style transformation.