Phyllis Vance

Living… with her husband Bob Vance in Scranton, Pa. Phyllis isn’t particularly tied to Scranton and would be up for a move. Bob likes to flirt with the idea.

Profession… sales representative at Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. Somehow she became a punching bag for her boss, Michael, who has no problem insulting her, sometimes unintentionally. Maybe he’s embarrassed since they’ve known each other since high school. He jokes about Phyllis being old, despite them being essentially the same age. She handles it with as much grace and forbearance as anyone could reasonably expect. And while you might not know it to look at her, Phyllis is an effective salesperson.

Interests… basketball. Phyllis used to be on a team, but when she wanted to lend her talents to the office pick-up game, Michael humiliated her, arguing “it won’t be pretty.” Still, she managed to score a basket, even while sitting on the bench.

Relationship Status… happily married to Bob Vance of Vance Refrigeration. Phyllis has the strange habit of name-dropping her own husband, referring to him by his full name, and constantly referring people to his fridge business. She won Bob over by showing up in his office wearing nothing but kitty-cat ears for two weeks. Their romance seems to hold many kinky details that Phyllis is all too eager to share.

Challenge… keeping her place in the office pecking order. Even though she’s one of the quieter members of the staff, certain things can set her off. She’s a member of the Party Planning Committee and constantly butts heads with Angela, who runs the committee with an iron fist until Phyllis manages to take over and gets her passive-aggressive, quiet, yet no-less-sweet revenge. Phyllis also struggles with depression, a fact she tries to conceal from those around her.

Personality… quiet and nuturing. Though Phyllis knows when to nurture and when to bring the hammer down. She rarely starts conflict but isn’t above blackmail – in fact, that’s how she wrested control of the Party Planning Committee from Angela. Phyllis sometimes lacks self-esteem, yet beams about her happy marriage. Beneath her quiet exterior lurks a strong, determined woman.