Archive: Phyllis Smith

The art of improv

Wednesday, August 15th, 2007 | 6 comments

MTV.com has an interesting story about the role of improv comedy in current film and TV show hits.

The story includes quotes from The Office’s Steve Carell, Leslie David Baker, and Phyllis Smith, as well as a video clip of Jenna Fischer “improvising” with her Blades of Glory co-stars.

I have to agree with what Phyllis says — during the pivotal Jan/Michael scene in “Women’s Appreciation,” where she’s in his office listening to his “break up” voicemail, Steve and Melora improvised brilliantly.

From my set visit notes:

One time Jan growls, another time she starts to cry, and another time, she accidentally gets tangled up in some phone cord or something, and exits Michael’s office in a flustered huff.

On another take, Jan actually throws an orange (or an orange ball, I couldn’t tell which) at Michael. We asked Steve later if he knew that Melora was going to throw something at him. He said, “she got that look in her eyes, so I knew something was coming.”

Link: Steve Carell, Will Ferrell, Seth Rogen, Others Reveal Magic Behind Improv Comedy

Office scene-stealer Phyllis Smith

Friday, July 13th, 2007 | 17 comments

Backstage.com has a wonderful interview with Phyllis Smith:

In 2004 the company was testing the series regulars for The Office when Smith heard Kwapis say he wanted her to read one of the characters. “I didn’t really think anything about it; I just thought I was being a reader,” she recalls. “I was just hoping I did a good job for the actors.” Over the next few days, Smith heard from other actors in the running that Kwapis wanted her in the show.

“Then when we took people to network, we were walking down the stairs at NBC, and Ken turned to [current NBC co-chairman, then head of production company Reveille] Ben Silverman and said, ‘I want Phyllis in the show. I have a whole backstory for her,’ ” she recalls. “But I’ve been in this business long enough to know that until it’s in writing, I shouldn’t get my hopes up.”

Link: ‘Office’ Space (you’ll need to scroll down the page a bit)

The Weekend Tally

Sunday, April 8th, 2007 | 3 comments

• Blogs: Jenna | Angela 1 | Angela 2
• News: The Office director Ken Kwapis has signed on to direct the film, He’s Just Not That Into You.
• Article: a follow-up on last week’s report about Rashida Jones and her new show The Rules for Starting Over.
• Article: Phyllis Smith talks about office pranks.
• Article: The Dwight Stuff article and photo.
• Article: the Prism Durosport (from The Injury) continues to break new ground with the first ever virtual media player. (Read old DuroSport coverage here and here.)
• Photos: GMMR’s got photos of John Krasinski shooting his latest film, Leatherheads.
• Graphics: the Devil’s Butthole movie poster. Stunning!
• Graphics: here’s your own Dunder Mifflin letterhead, courtesy of The TV Addict.
• Auction: check out these “Dwight for President” buttons at eBay.
• Video: if you missed them this week, check out late night appearances by B.J. on Conan and Jenna on Leno. Both are awesome! And read more about the Cadbury controversy over at, where else, Wikipedia. Size does matter.
• New fansite: quotes galore for every episode and webisode, over at OfficeQuotes.us.
• Live appearance: as Angela mentioned in her latest blog, she will appear on Late Night with David Letterman this coming Friday, April 13th!

Tipsters: Kelley, Nick

Kristin at Office Paley Fest

Thursday, March 15th, 2007 | 12 comments

Check out this video montage of E!’s Kristin Veitch talking with some of the Office cast at Paley Fest. (And did Angela reveal a little spoiler there?)

Link: Office Gone Wild!

Tipster: GMMR

Phyllis’ guided office tour

Tuesday, February 6th, 2007 | 10 comments

STLtoday has a sweet little descriptive tour of Dunder Mifflin, courtesy of Phyllis Lapin, bride-to-be:

Because she’s in on her day off, Phyllis sees what was supposed to be a surprise. The conference room is decorated for her bridal shower. Wedding bells hang from the ceiling, and letters spell out “Congratulations, Phyllis.”

“They used all my favorite colors,” she says of the pastel decorating scheme, including pink spoons. “You can see Angela’s touch here. Everything’s very straight.”

Link: Phyllis-as-the-bride guides us on a tour of her ‘Office’

The Halftime Tally

Sunday, February 4th, 2007 | 24 comments

When you want to take a break from football today, check these items out:

• Blogs: updates this week from Bealsebub 1 and 2, John the props guy, Kevin, and Kate. Oh, and Bob Vance’s blog has a few photos from Phyllis’ Wedding.
• Article: MeeVee interviews Melora Hardin.
• Article: This lucky teen scored an Office set visit and an internship!
• Article: American Jewish Life Magazine interviews Rashida Jones.
• Article: Any OT readers from (or near) Boiling Springs, South Carolina? Maybe you’ll see John Krasinski there!
• Article: Jenna Fischer will act and sing in her next film project, Walk Hard.
• Giveaway: Win a Dwight Bobblehead courtesy of MeeVee!
• Auction: two more auction items from David Denman.
• Audio: MeeVee has some funny Golden Globes audio clips.
• Video: Jenna Fischer stars in the video Nonhuman Resources (2004). Jenna can’t help but be adorable, even as a witch!
• Video: Check out a nerdy John Krasinski in the film trailer for Smiley Face.

Tipsters: Melody, Nick, Jennifer, Amy, Megzy

A wedding photo

Friday, January 26th, 2007 | 21 comments

SPOILER WARNING! Photo and subsequent comments will contain spoilers.

Here’s the first of, I’m sure, many photos we’ll be seeing from the upcoming episode, Phyllis’ Wedding.

This is a scan from the latest issue of US Weekly.

Source: Samantha

More »

Bid on iPod signed by Angela and Phyllis!

Saturday, September 9th, 2006 | Add a comment

The Clothes Off Our Back Foundation presents its fifth annual Emmy auction, and includes a “limited edition engraved iPod Nano” signed by The Office’s Angela Kinsey and Phyllis Smith. Proceeds go to the emergency relief efforts in Darfur, Children’s Defense Fund, and Cure Autism Now.

Bid for the Nano here; the auction ends Sept. 15th at 6pm PDT.

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