# Missi Pyle

Missi Pyle (born November 16, 1972) is an American actress and singer. She has appeared in a number of films, including Galaxy Quest (1999), Josie and the Pussycats (2001), Bringing Down the House (2003), Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (2008), The Artist (2011), Gone Girl (2014), Captain Fantastic (2016), and Ma (2019).
Pyle has also appeared in various television series, such as The Mentalist (2010), Cleaners (2013–2014), Jennifer Falls (2014), Another Period (2015–2018), Bordertown (2016), The Soul Man (2016), Mom (2017), Impulse (2018–2019), and Dirty John (2020).
In addition to acting, Pyle has also previously worked as a singer. With actress Shawnee Smith, she served as half of Smith & Pyle, a country rock duo.

## Career

Pyle has guest starred on many television shows, including Heroes, Mad About You, Boston Legal, Frasier, The Sarah Silverman Program, and 2 Broke Girls. She started her film career with a minor role in As Good as It Gets, starring Helen Hunt and Jack Nicholson. After her breakout role in Galaxy Quest, she had supporting roles in Bringing Down the House (for which she and Queen Latifah were nominated for an MTV Movie Award for Best Fight), Josie and the Pussycats, Home Alone 4, Exposed, Big Fish, Along Came Polly, Soul Plane, Stormbreaker, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. She was the female lead in BachelorMan. She appears in Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story. She had a brief appearance in 50 First Dates and starred in A Cinderella Story: Once Upon a Song.
Pyle played Jake's elementary school teacher Ms. Pasternak on Two and a Half Men. The role was recast in 2009 for undisclosed reasons; however, it is believed that it was to show the emotional change she went through after Charlie dumped and hurt her. Pyle returned to the series in the same role in 2011 and again in the series finale "Of Course He's Dead" in 2015.
In 2008, Missi starred in the Broadway play Boeing-Boeing opposite Christine Baranski, Mark Rylance, Greg Germann, Paige Davis and Rebecca Gayheart. The play closed in January 2009.
Pyle was scheduled to ring the closing bell for the trading day at the New York Stock Exchange on September 29, 2008, to promote Boeing-Boeing, but backed out minutes before the close of trading so as not to associate herself with ending a calamitous day of financial turmoil which resulted in the Dow Jones Industrial Average losing 778 points, the largest point loss ever in a session in the wake of the financial crisis of 2007–2008. She watched from the floor as an NYSE staffer pushed the button and gaveled the end of trading instead.
Pyle was part of a country music group with actress Shawnee Smith called Smith & Pyle. The two actresses met while filming an ABC comedy pilot titled Traveling in Packs. The band started after Smith invited Pyle to join her in attending the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. While stuck in traffic, Pyle talked about her dream to be a rock star and Smith agreed to form a band with her. Their first album, "It's OK to Be Happy", was released digitally through iTunes and Amazon.com in July 2008. The debut album was recorded in Joshua Tree, California at Rancho De La Luna and was produced by Chris Goss. The two actresses have also become business partners and formed their own record label called Urban Prairie Records, under which "It's OK to be Happy" was released. According to an interview Smith did with pretty-scary.net in August 2008, a Smith & Pyle television or webisode series might be in the works. Smith also mentioned the idea of a series on Fangoria radio with Dee Snider. Currently there are three videos posted on YouTube that show the making of the record. They also have a 10-minute "making of" video on Vimeo called Smith & Pyle: Desert Sessions.

## Personal life

Pyle married wildlife naturalist Casey Anderson on September 12, 2008. The wedding was country-western themed and took place in Montana. Wedding guests included bandmate Shawnee Smith and comedian Steve Agee. Anderson's pet grizzly bear, Brutus, served as his best man in the ceremony. Pyle and Anderson appeared in "Grizzly Dogs", the October 22, 2010, episode of Dog Whisperer, in which they sought the help of Cesar Millan to rehabilitate their dog. Pyle confirmed their breakup in 2013. She has one daughter.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1997 | As Good as It Gets | Waitress | |
| 1999 | Trick | Actress with flowers | |
| 1999 | Galaxy Quest | Laliari | |
| 2001 | Josie and the Pussycats | Alexandra Cabot | |
| 2001 | Let It Snow | Ily | |
| 2002 | Home Alone 4: Taking Back the House | Vera Murchins | |
| 2003 | Bringing Down the House | Ashley | Nominated—MTV Movie Award for Best Fight |
| 2003 | Exposed | Amy | |
| 2003 | BachelorMan | Heather | |
| 2003 | Big Fish | Mildred | |
| 2004 | Along Came Polly | Roxanne | |
| 2004 | 50 First Dates | Noreen | Cameo |
| 2004 | Soul Plane | Barbara Hunkee | |
| 2004 | Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story | Fran Stalinovskovichdaviddivitchski | |
| 2004 | Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy | Zoo Keeper | |
| 2004 | Meet Market | Ericka | |
| 2005 | The Civilization of Maxwell Bright | Cop | |
| 2005 | Charlie and the Chocolate Factory | Scarlett Beauregarde | |
| 2006 | Just My Luck | Peggy Braden | |
| 2006 | Mojave Phone Booth | Sarah | |
| 2006 | Stormbreaker | Nadia Vole | |
| 2007 | Live! | Plummy | |
| 2007 | Entry Level | Liz | |
| 2007 | Feast of Love | Agatha Smith | |
| 2008 | Pretty Ugly People | Lucy | |
| 2008 | Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay | Raylene | |
| 2008 | Visioneers | Sahra | |
| 2008 | American Crude | Gigi | |
| 2008 | Soccer Mom | Wendy Handler/Coach Lorenzo | |
| 2009 | Spring Breakdown | Charlene | |
| 2009 | Still Waiting... | Rocky Rhoades/Exotic dancer | |
| 2009 | Taking Chances | Faith Fishback | |
| 2009 | A Fork in the Road | Nola | |
| 2010 | Barry Munday | Lida Griggs | |
| 2010 | Miss Nobody | Charmaine | |
| 2011 | The Artist | Constance | |
| 2011 | A Cinderella Story: Once Upon a Song | Gail Van Ravensway | |
| 2012 | My Uncle Rafael | Blair Schumacher | |
| 2013 | Bakersfield, Earth | Judy | |
| 2013 | Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters | Gray Sister | |
| 2013 | Killing Vivian | Megan | |
| 2014 | A Haunted House 2 | Noreen | |
| 2014 | Just Before I Go | Officer CT | |
| 2014 | Gone Girl | Ellen Abbott | |
| 2014 | Kiss Me | Pam | |
| 2014 | Dragula | Maggie | |
| 2015 | Uncle Nick | Michelle | |
| 2015 | Hollywood Adventures | Casting director | |
| 2016 | Director's Cut | Herself / Mabel | |
| 2016 | Captain Fantastic | Ellen McCune | Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture |
| 2016 | Slash | Ronnie | |
| 2016 | Emma's Chance | Susan Peirce | |
| 2016 | Pandemic | Denise | |
| 2016 | Miles | Leslie Wayne | |
| 2017 | Deidra & Laney Rob a Train | Mrs. Fowler | |
| 2017 | Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle | Coach Webb | |
| 2018 | Traffik | Sally Marnes | |
| 2018 | Nobody's Fool | Lauren Meadows | |
| 2018 | Miss Arizona | Bev | |
| 2018 | Grace | Liz | |
| 2019 | Walk. Ride. Rodeo. | Tina Snyder | |
| 2019 | Ma | Mercedes | |
| 2022 | Teen Titans Go! & DC Super Hero Girls: Mayhem in the Multiverse | Cythonna, Speaker of Nations (voice) | |
| 2022 | Bring It On: Cheer or Die | Principal Simmons | |
| 2022 | The Moon & Back | Diane Gilbert | |
| 2023 | Unseen | Carol | |
| 2023 | If You Were the Last | Megan Benson | |
| 2023 | A Tourist's Guide to Love | Mona | |
| 2025 | For Worse | Julie | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1999 | Mad About You | Beautiful woman | Episode: "The Final Frontier: Part 2" |
| 1999 | The Drew Carey Show | Stacey | Episode: "Drew's Reunion" |
| 1999 | Friends | Hillary | Episode: "The One with Ross's Teeth" |
| 2000 | Battery Park | Suzanne | Episode: "Walter's Rib" |
| 2001 | Ally McBeal | Marcia Hooper | Episode: "Reach Out and Touch" |
| 2001 | The Wayne Brady Show | Various | 6 episodes |
| 2001 | Roswell | Windy Sommers | Episode: "Control" |
| 2001 | The Tick | Stacy Waxman | Episode: "Arthur Needs Space" |
| 2002 | Philly | Charise DuPree | Episode: "Mojo Rising" |
| 2003 | Frasier | Shannon Palmer | Episode: "Maris Returns" |
| 2004, 2010, 2011, 2015 | Two and a Half Men | Miss Dolores Pasternak | 4 episodes |
| 2005 | My Name Is Earl | Shelly Stoker | Episode: "Broke Joy's Fancy Figurine" |
| 2006–2008 | Boston Legal | Renee Winger | 3 episodes |
| 2007–2010 | The Sarah Silverman Program | Scarlett Lacey | 4 episodes |
| 2007 | Heroes | Hope | 2 episodes |
| 2007 | The Wedding Bells | Amanda Pontell | Main role |
| 2008–2011 | American Dad! | Tracy / drunk girl / sorority girl | Voice; 2 episodes |
| 2008 | In Plain Sight | Teri Ranzino / Treena Morris | Episode: "Never the Bride" |
| 2008 | Pushing Daisies | Betty Bee | Episode: "Bzzzzzzzzz!" |
| 2009 | Numbers | Janet Galvin | Episode: "Ultimatum" |
| 2010 | Grey's Anatomy | Dr. Baylow | Episode: "The Time Warp" |
| 2010 | Rizzoli & Isles | Merch owner | Episode: "I Kissed a Girl" |
| 2010 | The Life & Times of Tim | Receptionist / Marcy / Nancy (voice) | 4 episodes |
| 2010–2011 | The Mentalist | Karen Cross | 2 episodes |
| 2010–2011 | $#*! My Dad Says | Katie Palmer | 2 episodes |
| 2011 | Up All Night | Kaye | Episode: "Mr. Bob's Toddler Kaleidoscope" |
| 2011 | Family Guy | Kitty Hawk woman (voice) | Episode: "Amish Guy" |
| 2012 | Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 | Angie Beckencort | Episode: "Whatever It Takes..." |
| 2013 | Newsreaders | Rebecca Lionwek | Episode: "Auto Erotic" |
| 2013 | 1600 Penn | Sarah Harlan | Episode: "Frosting/Nixon" |
| 2013 | 2 Broke Girls | Charity Channing | Episode: "And Not-So-Sweet Charity" |
| 2013 | Warehouse 13 | Lily Abbott | Episode: "The Big Snag" |
| 2013 | The Mindy Project | Nancy | Episode: "Mindy Lahiri Is a Racist" |
| 2013–2014 | Inside Amy Schumer | Various roles | 3 episodes |
| 2013–2014 | The Exes | Sabrina/Julie | 2 episodes |
| 2014 | The Crazy Ones | Melora | Episode: "Dead and Improved" |
| 2014 | Jennifer Falls | Dina Simac | Main role |
| 2014 | Partners | Biffy Saint Murray | Episode: "Let's Have a Simple Gwedding" |
| 2014 | Infomercials | Jan Jeremy | Episode: "Goth Fitness" |
| 2015 | Hot in Cleveland | Canadian Joy | 2 episodes |
| 2015 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Trudy Malco | Episode: "Granting Immunity" |
| 2015 | Z Nation | Bernadette | Episode: "Rozwell" |
| 2015 | Where the Bears Are | Maggie Dexter | 3 episodes |
| 2015 | TripTank | Woman / Crap Girl / Anna (voice) | 3 episodes |
| 2015–2018 | Another Period | Celery Bellacourt / Celery Savoy | Recurring role |
| 2016 | Bordertown | Gert Buckwald (voice) | Main role |
| 2016 | The Soul Man | Alicia | Recurring role |
| 2016 | Sing It! | Marcy | Main role |
| 2016 | Lady Dynamite | Carol Simples | Episode: "A Vaginismus Miracle" |
| 2016 | Major Crimes | Tina Walker | Episode: "Off the Wagon" |
| 2016 | Mary + Jane | Feminist mobile librarian | Episode: "Girl on Gurl" |
| 2016 | Notorious | Callie Connors | Episode: "Kept and Broken" |
| 2017 | Dropping the Soap | Lily | 2 episodes |
| 2017 | The Catch | Chloe Jackson | Episode: "The Bad Girl" |
| 2017 | Mom | Natasha | Recurring role, 5 episodes |
| 2017 | One Mississippi | Cassandra Night | Episode: "Who Do You Think You Are?" |
| 2017–2018 | Disjointed | Mary Jane | 2 episodes |
| 2018 | The Goldbergs | Madame Charbenaux | Episode: "1990-Something" |
| 2018 | Impulse | Cleo Coles | Main role |
| 2019 | Drunk History | Christa Gruhle | Episode: "Love" |
| 2019 | Bob Hearts Abishola | Liz | Episode: "Square Hamburger, Round Buns" |
| 2019 | The Unicorn | Ava | Episode: "Wade Delayed" |
| 2019 | Ghosting: The Spirit of Christmas | Chrissy | TV film |
| 2019 | To Tell the Truth | Celebrity Panelist | Season 4, episode 11 |
| 2020 | Dirty John | Karen Kintner | Recurring role (season 2; The Betty Broderick Story) |
| 2021 | Mr. Mayor | Nicole | Episode: "Hearts Before Parts" |
| 2021 | Star Trek: Lower Decks | Cardassian interrogator (voice) | Episode: "Strange Energies" |
| 2021 | A Tale Dark & Grimm | The Rain / Widow Fischer (voice) | 4 episodes |
| 2021 | Y: The Last Man | Roxanne | 5 episodes |
| 2021 | The Big Leap | Tonya Lovewell | 2 episodes |
| 2022 | The Great North | Ms. McNamara (voice) | 2 episodes |
| 2022 | Archer | Dr. Malory Lacania (voice) | Episode: "Out of Network" |
| 2022 | A Hollywood Christmas | Theresa Frost | TV film |
| 2022 | Celebrity Beef | Herself | Episode: "Critical Designer vs. Critically Acclaimed" |
| 2023 | Doogie Kameāloha, M.D. | Ms. Crawford | Episode: "A Hui Hou (Until We Meet Again)" |
| 2023 | Harlan Coben's Shelter | Hannah | 7 episodes |
| 2024–2025 | The Sex Lives of College Girls | Tracey Baker | 2 episodes |

### Web

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2012 | Greetings from Home | Sue | 12 episodes |
| 2013–14 | Cleaners | Eileen | Main role, 18 episodes |
| 2016 | The Lottery | Teresa Yaw | A Short Film On Shane Dawson TV |

### Appearances

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2017 | Play Dodgeball with Ben Stiller | Fran Stalinovskovichdavidovitchsky | Omaze Charity Dodgeball |
| 2017 | Run | Nurse | Music video by Foo Fighters |

## Stage credits

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1996 | 900 Oneonta | Burning Jewel | Circle Repertory Theatre September 15–22, 1996 |
| 2008 | Boeing-Boeing | Gretchen | Longacre Theatre September 9 – October 7, 2008 |
| 2012–2013 | Bare | Sister Joan | New World Stages December 19, 2012 – February 3, 2013 |

## Discography
### Albums

* It's OK to Be Happy, Smith & Pyle (2008)

### Singles

* "One Night Stand", Smith & Pyle (2010)
* "Rafael", Smith & Pyle (2010)