In a 2011 interview with MovieWeb, Phyllis Smith revealed that her first career aspiration as a young woman was to become a dancer. Eventually, age and a knee injury made it difficult for her to keep up in such a physically competitive field, leading her to take up a series of jobs in Los Angeles to keep herself afloat — and to stay on the lookout for acting gigs.
Eventually, a friend of Smith encouraged her to audition for a part in a commercial, and, although she didn't land it, she hit it off well enough with the casting director to come to the realization that casting might be a showbiz area she'd do well in. The thought stayed in Smith's head, and, eventually, she got an entry job in the office of that same casting director.
Smith then spent nearly two decades working in casting; during that time, she was credited in such projects as "Roswell," "Spin City," and "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman," per IMDb. Eventually, she wound up in the casting office of "The Office," where she was credited as an assistant casting director throughout the six episodes of Season 1, contributing to the selection process for all of the credited main cast. At the time, Smith was happy with her position in casting, and not even entertaining the thought of joining the ensemble of "The Office" herself. But, a few days into the auditions, a new, unexpected development changed everything.
