One of the reasons that The Office became such a big hit and beloved pop culture staple is
the show's incredible ensemble cast. Against the dullest possible backdrop — a mid-sized, somewhat
unsuccessful paper company called Dunder Mifflin located in "scenic" Scranton, Pennsylvania — The
Office flourished because of characters that viewers simply couldn't get enough of.
Besides series star Steve Carell, who shepherded Dunder Mifflin for seven seasons as the
well-meaning but occasionally clueless regional manager Michael Scott, plenty of popular actors
spent time in Scranton — including Jack Ryan and A Quiet Place star John Krasinski as Jim Halpert,
The Hangover breakout Ed Helms as Andy Bernard, and The Mindy Project writer-showrunner Mindy
Kaling as Kelly Kapoor. But let's not forget about some of the other people who rose to
stardom during their time on The Office — like Phyllis Smith, who played Phyllis Vance.
Smith wasn't even an actress before she was cast on The Office, and many of her co-stars remember
her humble beginnings. During an episode of their Office-themed podcast Office Ladies,
Angela Kinsey, who played Angela Martin, and Jenna Fischer, who played Pam Beesly-Halpert,
talked about the fascinating way they first met Smith.
While discussing the show's start, Fischer mused…
"I think this is an interesting tidbit. Phyllis Smith, who plays Phyllis on the show,
she was the casting associate for The Office.
So when I auditioned for The Office, she read my audition scenes with me."
Apparently, the pilot's director Ken Kwapis particularly liked Smith after watching her
read with the rest of the cast. Kwapis then told Greg Daniels, who developed The Office,
that he wanted her on the show and asked if he could give her a part.
Fischer further explained,
"And so Phyllis went from being a casting associate,
which she had done for years with Allison Jones, [...] to having a part on this pilot."
Even though Fischer noted that Smith's casting came with pretty low stakes — since
they weren't sure the show would even continue past its short first season,
it didn't seem like a problem for Smith to take the part — but it's a good thing that she did, as
Phyllis Vance proved to be a fan favorite and one of the most relatable characters on The Office.
Phyllis' persona on the show was characterized by her friendships with her co-workers,
a penchant for gossip and an extraordinarily passionate relationship with her husband,
Bob Vance of Vance Refrigeration.
"We have a gym at home, it's called the bedroom."
While some of the other original cast members left the show during its long run,
Smith stuck with The Office until the very end of the series in 2013. Although she's not on a
hit comedy anymore, Smith has branched out and lent her talents to some seriously big projects.
After several supporting roles in films and TV shows during and after The Office,
including Butter, Bad Teacher, and Trophy Wife, Smith accepted her biggest role when she signed
on to one of Pixar's most ambitious projects: 2015's Inside Out. The film – which ultimately
won an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature — featured Smith, her Office co-star Mindy Kaling,
Lewis Black, Bill Hader, and Amy Poehler as the core emotions within the mind of an 11-year-old
girl named Riley. Smith, with her kind and gentle voice, perfectly embodied the character Sadness.
"Crying helps me slow down and obsess over the weight of life's problems."
Inside Out was a huge hit both critically and commercially, and though Smith wasn't
seen on screen, her performance was still familiar to fans of The Office.
After Inside Out, Smith laid low for a few more years before joining the streaming revolution
and taking a role on Netflix's The OA, which ran for two seasons before it was canceled in 2019.
Alongside The OA creator and star Brit Marling, Smith played Betty Broderick Allen,
often referred to as B.B.A., who works as a schoolteacher. Together, Smith's B.B.A.
and Marling's Prairie Johnson try to uncover the secrets of the universe.
Thanks to Smith's background as a dancer, it turned out she was a perfect fit for
this fantastical, unnerving, and creative show, which introduced audiences to "the Movements."
Then in 2021, Smith landed a part in the Kristen Wiig film Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar.
While Smith is sure to have plenty more career highlights in the future,
many fans will always think of her as Phyllis from The Office
and they'll remember her time on the show with one thought in mind.
"It was awesome."
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