Parker Posey addresses controversial White Lotus accent

Parker Posey speaks out following a backlash over her choice of accent for The White Lotus.

The 56-year-old Emmy-nominated actress was born in Baltimore, Maryland, but then her parents moved with her as a baby to Louisiana then Mississippi where she spent her youth and childhood.

Posey is currently starring in season three of HBO's smash dark comedy-drama The White Lotus as the matriarch of a wealthy family staying at a branch of the luxury fictional hotel brand in Thailand - but her exaggerated southern accent has drawn attention from fans.

While some viewers have complained the accent sounds unauthentic, Posey herself has revealed she dug deep to perfect her drawl.

She told Variety, "Do you know who James Spader is, the snob? I wanted to bring like a snotty affect... I've met some really wealthy people and southerners that are almost affected so that's what I did."

She added, "It was so fun to play. It's the theatricality of Southerners. I'm from the South so I was so happy to bring that Tennessee Williams kind of drama, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. It's just that lady. It was a blast."

The third season of the anthology drama, created and written by Mike White, got off with a bang on Sunday night with a tense premise of a shooting incident that will claim the life of at least one character.

Posey's character, Victoria Ratliff is the wife of Jason Isaacs's Timothy, while Patrick Schwarzenegger, Sarah Catherine Hook and Sam Nivola play their children Saxon, Piper and Lochlan.