Phyllis Smith

Phyllis Smith has worked as an American actress and casting director, known especially for playing Phyllis Vance in The Office and voicing Sadness in Pixar's Inside Out movies. Born in Lemay, Missouri, she studied education at the University of Missouri in St. Louis and spent the 1970s and 1980s dancing, performing burlesque, and cheering for the St. Louis Cardinals football team before moving into Hollywood casting work. While assisting casting director Allison Jones on The Office, she was given the part of Phyllis Lapin, a low-key saleswoman created for her, and shared two Screen Actors Guild Awards for the show's comedy ensemble. She later played a supporting role in Bad Teacher (2011), voiced Sadness with critical praise in Inside Out (2015), appeared as Betty Broderick-Allen in The OA on Netflix, and returned to Sadness in Inside Out 2 (2024).