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Phyllis Smith (born July 10, 1951) is an American actress. She is best known for playing Phyllis Lapin-Vance on The Office.
Early life
Smith was born in Lemay, Missouri. 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 says 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, 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.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Arrested Development | Carla | Episode: "The Immaculate Election" |
| 2005 | The 40-Year Old Virgin | Andy's Mother | Uncredited |
| 2005-2013 | The Office | Phyllis Lapin-Vance | 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 | Episode: "Phyllis" |
| 2006 | I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With | Marsha | |
| 2008 | The Office: The Outburst | Phyllis Lapin | Episode: "The Explanation" |
| 2011 | Butter | Nancy | |
| 2011 | Bad Teacher | Lynn | |
| 2011 | Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked | Flight Attendant | |
| 2013 | Trophy Wife | Mrs. Patty Steinberg | 3 episodes |
| 2015 | Inside Out | Sadness |