Phyllis Smith | |
|---|---|
.JPG) Smith in 2014 | |
| Born | (1949-08-15)August 15, 1949 (age 75)[1] St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of Missouri–St. Louis |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1980–present |
Phyllis Smith (born August 15, 1949) is an American actress. She is best known for playingPhyllis Vance in the television seriesThe Office and her critically acclaimed voice role as Sadness inPixar's animated franchiseInside Out. She also starred as Betty Broderick-Allen on the critically acclaimedNetflix seriesThe OA.
Smith was born on August 15, 1949, inSt. Louis,Missouri.[1] She graduated fromCleveland High School.[2]
Smith graduated from theUniversity 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 theSt. Louis Cardinals football team, and aburlesque 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 inHollywood, California as an actress and in casting.
Smith was working as a casting associate under the direction ofAllison Jones on the television seriesThe Office, when she was offered the role ofPhyllis 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 inThe Office in the category "Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series". In June 2008, she appeared with the cast ofThe Office onCelebrity Family Feud. In 2011, she played a supporting role in the filmBad Teacher. In 2015, she voiced the character Sadness in the Pixar filmInside Out, receiving high critical praise for her performance. Later, she appeared as a regular in the Netflix seriesThe OA.[6] In February 2023, Smith reunited withThe Office co-star and friendLeslie David Baker in an advertisement forHoney Nut Cheerios.[7] She reprised her role as Sadness inInside Out 2 in 2024.[8]
| 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) |
| 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 |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Disney Infinity 3.0 | Sadness | Voice[9] |
| 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 |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Artists | |
