Phyllis Smith (born August 15, 1949) is an American actress and casting associate. She is best known for playing Phyllis Vance in the television series The Office and her critically acclaimed voice role as Sadness in Pixar's animated franchise Inside Out. She also starred as Betty Broderick-Allen on the critically acclaimed Netflix series The OA.
Phyllis Smith | |
|---|---|
.JPG) Smith in 2014 | |
| Born | August 15, 1949[1] |
| Alma mater | University of Missouri–St. Louis |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1980–present |
Early life and education
editSmith was born on August 15, 1949, in St. Louis, Missouri.[1] She graduated from Cleveland High School.[2]
Smith graduated from the University of Missouri–St. Louis in 1972 with a degree in elementary education.[3] In the 1970s and 1980s, she was a dancer, a cheerleader for the St. Louis Cardinals football team, and a burlesque performer.[4] She said that there was "no stripping, but I did wear feathers."[5] She was forced to quit dancing after suffering a knee injury. She later worked in Hollywood, California as an actress and in casting.
Career
editSmith was working as a casting associate under the direction of Allison Jones on the television series The Office, when she was offered the role of Phyllis Lapin, a character created specifically for her, a soft-spoken saleswoman who tended to disagree with pompous office manager Michael Scott.[4] She received Screen Actors Guild Awards in 2006 and 2007 for her performance in The Office in the category "Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series". In June 2008, she appeared with the cast of The Office on Celebrity Family Feud. In 2011, she played a supporting role in the film Bad Teacher. In 2015, she voiced the character Sadness in the Pixar film Inside Out, receiving high critical praise for her performance. Later, she appeared as a regular in the Netflix series The OA.[6] In February 2023, Smith reunited with The Office co-star and friend Leslie David Baker in an advertisement for Honey Nut Cheerios.[citation needed] She reprised her role as Sadness in Inside Out 2 in 2024.[7]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With | Marsha | |
| 2011 | Bad Teacher | Lynn | |
| Butter | Nancy | ||
| Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked | Flight Attendant | ||
| 2015 | Inside Out | Sadness (voice) | Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Voice Acting in a Feature Production |
| Riley's First Date? | Short film | ||
| 2021 | Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar | Delores | |
| 2024 | Inside Out 2 | Sadness (voice) |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Arrested Development | Carla | Episode: "The Immaculate Election" |
| 2005–2013 | The Office | Phyllis Vance | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (2007–2008) Nominated – Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (2009–2013) |
| 2006 | The Office: The Accountants | Episode: "Phyllis" | |
| 2008 | The Office: The Outburst | Episode: "The Explanation" | |
| 2013 | Trophy Wife | Mrs. Patty Steinberg | 3 episodes |
| 2014 | The Middle | Mrs. Huff | Episode: "The Sinkhole" |
| 2016–2019 | The OA | Betty Broderick-Allen | 12 episodes |
| 2024 | Dream Productions | Sadness (voice) | 4 episodes |
Video games
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Disney Infinity 3.0 | Sadness | Voice[8] |
Production work
edit| Year | Title | Position | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994–1997 | Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman | Casting associate | 88 episodes |
| 1999 | Roswell | 1 episode | |
| 2000–2002 | Spin City | 45 episodes | |
| 2005 | Curb Your Enthusiasm | 10 episodes | |
| The Office | Assistant Casting Director | 6 episodes |
References
edit- ^ a b Rose, Mike (August 15, 2022). "Today's famous birthdays list for August 15, 2022 includes celebrities Jennifer Lawrence, Joe Jonas". The Plain Dealer. Associated Press. Archived from the original on August 14, 2023. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
- ^ "St. Louis Hometown Stories: Phyllis Smith, Actress". stlmag. February 2012. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
- ^ Tracy, Linda (Fall 2008). "It's never just another day at the office for UM-St. Louis alumna Phyllis Smith". UM St. Louis. St. Louis, MO: University of Missouri-St. Louis: 14–15. OCLC 19214058. Archived from the original on November 16, 2011.
- ^ a b "Office Ladies: The Pilot on Apple Podcasts". Apple Podcasts. Archived from the original on July 11, 2020. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
- ^ Grose, Jessica (June 23, 2011). "Questions for Phyllis Smith". Slate. Archived from the original on September 22, 2018. Retrieved July 14, 2012.
- ^ Ge, Linda (December 12, 2016). "Brit Marling's Netflix Series "The OA" Promises Mystery in First Trailer Video". The Wrap. Archived from the original on December 30, 2018. Retrieved December 12, 2016.
- ^ "'Inside Out 2' Voice Cast Guide: Who Voices the Emotions?". June 14, 2024.
- ^ Avalanche Software. Disney Infinity 3.0. Scene: Closing credits, 5:39 in, Featuring the Voice Talents of.
