Phyllis is Mary's Landlady who lives in the basement of their apartment building. Her husband is the never seen Larz, who is a dermatologist. After his sudden death from a skin disease, Phyllis moved and decided to expand her career as a real estate developer. She left Mary Tyler Moore during season 5, to star in Phyllis.
Phyllis is not much older than Mary and was previously Mary's sitter. Facing the possibility of being homeless, Mary ended up staying with Phyllis. She rented a studio apartment to Mary. Phyllis has a daughter named Bess, and in turn Mary became Bess's sitter.
