Character Analysis: Phyllis Vance

Phyllis Vance

Played by: Phyllis Smith

Job: Salesman

Character Rating: 7.3

     Phyllis Vance is a subtle character that has her times of stardom every once in a while. In the first several seasons, she does not have too much of a personality, but this changes drastically as the show progresses. The thing about background characters like Phyllis is that the writers actually encouraged the actors to create personalities for their characters as they felt so lead, and thus Phyllis became a mildly prominent background character. From the first several episodes where Phyllis simply played her role to becoming the shy but sassy character she was in later seasons, it was truly a beauty to watch as it developed. As usual, this blog will analyze the personal life, professional life, and the rating of this character.

     Personally, Phyllis lives quiet and quaint life. Though Michael often tries to make Phyllis out as an old lady, Phyllis reminds him almost every time that she graduated in the same class as he did. She starts out as a very quiet and passive character, especially when it comes to the party planning committee with Angela, but she eventually grows to be comfortable in her own shin. This could partially be due to her relationship to Bob Vance. They start their relationship fairly early in the show, and they get married in the third season. One of the most wholesome moments in the show when Bob pays $1,000 at a charity auction just to hug Phyllis. As she becomes more comfortable in the show, she has one-line quotes every once in a while that shock the audience and make them laugh. She also has moments where she will be sassy to other characters, like to Pam or Angela. For the most part though, she is a sweet lady.

     In her professional life, Phyllis is actually a cunning salesman. In the third season, she takes Karen on a sales call, but before they go, Phyllis takes Karen to the salon. They get their hair done and they look rough, Karen especially. Karen is at first left pondering why she is even with Phyllis. They are wearing heavy makeup with blue and red, and their hair is done up in a 1950's style. When they get to the sale, however, Karen sees that the woman that they are pitching to has the same makeup and hair style, and realizes that Phyllis took them to the salon to make the sale. Throughout the rest of the show, Phyllis is shown as a diligent worker, but the specific instance with Karen showed her skill in the profession.

     Phyllis overall is a decent character. As said before, she is more of a background character, and the show rarely revolves around what Phyllis is doing throughout the show. There are several times though where Phyllis acts as a catalyst for the show for certain characters, like Angela, Dwight, Michael, Erin, and other characters. Her sass is pretty funny, but in instances where she just comes off as mean, usually to Pam, it makes me like the character a little bit less. This is why I chose 7.3 for her character rating.

What do you think? Did I do Phyllis justice? Obviously I cannot put all that I want to in this, but feel free to comment below thoughts or opinions. I will be taking a short break from blogging after this post to study for finals, but I will be back soon. Stay tuned!