Who is Phyllis Vance in The Office?

Show

The Office

Played by

Phyllis Smith

First episode

“Pilot”Season 1, Episode 1, aired March 24, 2005

Role

Main cast

Network

NBC

Occupation

Saleswoman, Dunder Mifflin Scranton

Show run

2005 to 2013

Also known as

Phyllis Lapin, Phyllis Lapin-Vance

Phyllis Vance, born Phyllis Lapin, is a quiet, gentle saleswoman who sits across from Stanley and loves a little office gossip. Played by Phyllis Smith, she looks like the sweetest person in the room, which makes her rare acts of revenge all the funnier.

On The Office, Phyllis Vance's story runs through Stanley Hudson (Desk Mate), Michael Scott (High School Classmate), Angela Martin (Rival), Pam Beesly (Coworker), and Dwight Schrute.

Who is Phyllis Vance?

Phyllis is a sales representative at the Scranton branch, sharing a desk cluster with Stanley. She went to high school with Michael, which does not stop him from treating her as the office grandmother, much to her annoyance. She is warm and motherly, a longtime member of the Party Planning Committee, and quieter than almost anyone in the office.

Her great love is Bob Vance, the owner of Vance Refrigeration across the hall, who always introduces himself with his company name attached. Phyllis glows whenever she mentions him, and the couple's enthusiastic romance makes their coworkers squirm.

Personality and comedy

Phyllis is funny because she is underestimated. She is a capable saleswoman who knows how to read clients, and behind her soft voice she notices everything that happens in the office. When she is pushed too far, she pushes back, usually with deadly calm.

That side of her comes out most against Angela, who bullies her for years on the Party Planning Committee. Once Phyllis holds a secret over Angela, she enjoys every minute of being in charge.

Key storylines

Phyllis introduces Bob Vance to the office at the season two Christmas party, and the two marry in "Phyllis' Wedding." To secure six weeks off for her honeymoon, she lets Michael push her father's wheelchair down the aisle, and he promptly tries to take over the day. Pam is also stung to see that Phyllis borrowed most of the plans from Pam's own canceled wedding.

At the end of season four Phyllis walks back into the office and catches Angela with Dwight, just hours after Angela's engagement to Andy. She uses the secret to take over the Party Planning Committee, then reveals the affair to everyone at her Moroccan-themed Christmas party. In later seasons she fights Michael for the right to play Santa, and in season nine she and Stanley agree to cover Jim's work, but only after he treats them to an expensive lunch.

Behind the scenes and legacy

Phyllis Smith was working as a casting associate on the show, reading lines with actors who came to audition. Pilot director Ken Kwapis liked her reads so much that he cast her as Phyllis, and she stayed for all nine seasons.

Smith went on to voice Sadness in Pixar's Inside Out in 2015, a performance that earned strong praise from critics. For Office fans, she remains the gentle heart of the sales team and the woman who finally put Angela in her place.

Phyllis Vance: frequently asked questions

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