Phyllis Smith
Phyllis Smith | |
---|---|
Born | |
Alma mater | University of Missouri–St. Louis |
Occupation(s) | Actress, casting associate |
Years active | 2005–present |
Phyllis Smith (born July 10, 1952) 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 the film Inside Out. She currently has a regular role on the Netflix series The OA.
Early life
Smith was born in The Hill. She graduated from the University of Missouri–St. Louis in 1972 with a degree in elementary education.[1] In the 1970s and 1980s, she worked as a dancer, a cheerleader for the old St. Louis Cardinals football team, and a burlesque performer. She said that there was "no stripping, but I did wear feathers."[2] She was forced to quit dancing after suffering a knee injury. She later worked in Hollywood, California, as an actress and in casting.
Career
Smith was working as a casting associate on The Office when she was offered the role of Phyllis Vance, a character created specifically for her: a soft-spoken saleswoman who tends to disagree with the pompous office manager Michael Scott. 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, Smith 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. In 2016, she appeared in the Netflix series The OA.[3]
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2005 | The 40-Year-Old Virgin | Mrs. Stitzer | Uncredited |
2006 | I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With | Marsha | |
2011 | Butter | Nancy | |
2011 | Bad Teacher | Linn | |
2011 | Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked | Flight Attendant | |
2015 | Inside Out | Sadness (voice) | Annie Award for Voice Acting in a Feature Production |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2005 | Arrested Development | Carla | Episode: "The Immaculate Election" |
2005–2013 | The Office | Phyllis Vance | Starring (season 1–9): 187 episodes 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 | Phyllis Vance | Episode: "Phyllis" |
2008 | The Office: The Outburst | Phyllis Vance | Episode: "The Explanation" |
2013 | Trophy Wife | Mrs. Patty Steinberg | 3 episodes |
2014 | The Middle | Mrs. Huff | Episode: "The Sinkhole" |
2016– | The OA | Betty Broderick-Allen | Starring (season 1): 8 episodes |
Video games
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2015 | Disney Infinity 3.0 | Sadness | Voice[4] |
References
- ^ 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.
- ^ Grose, Jessica (June 23, 2011). "Questions for Phyllis Smith". Slate.
- ^ Ge, Linda (December 12, 2016). "Brit Marling's Netflix Series 'The OA' Promises Mystery in First Trailer (Video)". The Wrap. Retrieved December 12, 2016.
- ^ Avalanche Software. Disney Infinity 3.0. Scene: Closing credits, 5:39 in, Featuring the Voice Talents of.
External links
- 1951 births
- Actresses from Missouri
- Actresses from St. Louis
- American female dancers
- American dancers
- American film actresses
- American television actresses
- American female erotic dancers
- American erotic dancers
- Annie Award winners
- American Burlesque performers
- Living people
- National Football League cheerleaders
- People from St. Louis County, Missouri
- University of Missouri alumni
- University of Missouri–St. Louis alumni
- American cheerleaders
- 21st-century American actresses
- American voice actresses