Mackenzie Phillips

Laura Mackenzie Phillips (born November 10, 1959) is an American actress and singer, known for her roles in American Graffiti, as rebellious but ultimately loving teenager Julie Mora Cooper Horvath on the sitcom One Day at a Time, and for the Disney Channel science fiction show So Weird.[1]

Mackenzie Phillips
Phillips in 1975
Born	Laura Mackenzie Phillips (1959-11-10) November 10, 1959 Alexandria, Virginia, U.S.
Education	Highland Hall Waldorf School
Occupation	Actress singer author
Years active	1972–present
Spouse(s)	Jeff Sessler ​ ( m. 1979; div. 1981) Michael Barakan ​ ( m. 1986; div. 2000)
Children	1
Parent(s)	John Phillips Susan Adams
Relatives	Bijou Phillips (paternal half-sister) Chynna Phillips (paternal half-sister)

Early life

Born in Alexandria, Virginia, she is the daughter of John Phillips, singer in The Mamas & the Papas, and his first wife, Susan Stuart Adams (1936–2016). She is the sister of Jeffrey Phillips and a half-sister of Tamerlane Phillips, actress Bijou Phillips, and singer Chynna Phillips.

Phillips attended Highland Hall Waldorf School in Northridge, California.[2] At age 12, Phillips formed a band with three of her classmates and was spotted by a casting agent during one of their performances.[3] She was given an audition for a role in the 1973 film American Graffiti, which she won.

Career

Phillips was 12 years old during the filming of American Graffiti, and 13 when the movie was released. She was cast as Carol Morrison, a young girl accidentally picked up by hot rodding teenager John Milner (Paul Le Mat). Because of California state law, producer Gary Kurtz became Phillips' legal guardian for the duration of the filming.[4]

Phillips in 1975, alongside her One Day at a Time co-stars Bonnie Franklin and Valerie Bertinelli

Phillips gained stardom in the 1970s when she played boy-crazy teenager Julie Cooper (when the character got married, her married name was Horvath) on the long-running television show One Day at a Time, for which she earned $50,000 (equal to $237,570 today) a week.[3] During the show's third season in 1977, Phillips was arrested for disorderly conduct. Because of her drug and alcohol abuse, Phillips began arriving late and was even incoherent for rehearsals. The producers ordered her to take a six-week break to overcome her addiction but were ultimately forced to fire her in 1980.[3]

After two near-fatal overdoses, Phillips voluntarily entered Fair Oaks Hospital for rehab treatment. After she completed treatment in 1981, the producers of One Day at a Time invited her back to the show.[3] However, in 1982, Phillips resumed her cocaine use and the following year, she collapsed on the show's set. When she refused to take a drug test, she was fired again, permanently; her character was written out of the series. In 1992 she entered a long-term drug rehab program and underwent intensive treatment for nine months.[3]

From the mid 1980s to the early 1990s, Phillips performed with a re-formed version of The Mamas & the Papas, known as The New Mamas and The Papas.

In 1999, Phillips co-starred with Cara DeLizia in the Disney Channel series So Weird, playing a fictional rock star named Molly Phillips. She sang original songs written by show producers Jon Cooksey and Ann Marie Montade. In 2002, she appeared in the Disney Channel original movie Double Teamed. Phillips guest-starred on episodes of ER, Without a Trace, 7th Heaven, Cold Case, and Beverly Hills, 90210[5]

Phillips won an Honorary Best Actress award on March 20, 2011, at the closing night awards gala of the Female Eye Film Festival in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, for her performance as Sharon in the 2010 independent film Peach Plum Pear. While in Toronto, she was interviewed on Canada AM, ET Canada, and The Marilyn Denis Show .[6]

Beginning in 2016, Phillips works at the Breathe Life Healing Center in West Hollywood, California, as a drug rehab counselor.[7]

In 2017, Phillips appeared in an episode of the rebooted One Day at a Time as Pam Valentine. The role was apt, given Phillips' history: she portrayed a counselor. She reprised the role in 2019, in two episodes of the third season.

Phillips in 2008

In 2018, Phillips appeared as Barbara Denning in multiple episodes of Netflix original Orange Is the New Black.

Personal life

Phillips has been married twice: first to rock group manager Jeffrey Sessler, son of Freddie Sessler (from 1979 to 1981); then to rock guitarist Michael Barakan – known professionally as Shane Fontayne (from 1986 to 2000). She has one child, son Shane Barakan (born 1987), a musician.

Substance abuse and arrest

Phillips has had a lifetime troubled by drug abuse. On August 27, 2008, she was arrested by the Los Angeles Airport Police on charges of possession of cocaine and heroin after she went through airport security screening.[8] On October 31, 2008, she pleaded guilty to one felony count of cocaine possession, and was sentenced to a drug rehabilitation program.[9] Phillips' drug case was dismissed after she successfully completed a drug diversion program.[10]

She appeared on the third season of Celebrity Rehab, which aired in January and February 2010. She later discussed her recovery on the March 17, 2010, episode of The View.[11]

Relationship with father

In September 2009, Phillips's memoir High on Arrival was released, after which she appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show for an hour-long interview. She told Winfrey that she first tried cocaine when she was 11 years old, and that her father had taken drugs with her, and had also injected her with cocaine.

During the interview, Phillips read excerpts from her book. She said that at the age of 18, on the night before her first wedding in 1979, "I woke up that night from a blackout to find myself having sex with my own father", and that when she confronted her father months later,[12] asking why he had raped her, her father simply replied, "Raped you? Don't you mean we made love?"[13]

Phillips told Oprah Winfrey of having a "consensual" sexual relationship with her father,[14] describing her participation as "sort of Stockholm syndrome, where you begin to love your captor."[15] However, she has also described the initial incident as a rape, and has said, "No matter what kind of incest, it is an abuse of power ... a betrayal of trust."[13]

The incest ended after Phillips became pregnant and subsequently had an abortion, which her father paid for.[16]

Geneviève Waïte, who was John's wife at the time MacKenzie claimed the incest first began, denies the allegations, saying they were inconsistent with his character. Michelle Phillips, John's second wife, also stated that she had "every reason to believe [Mackenzie's account is] untrue."[17] However, Chynna Phillips, Mackenzie's half-sister and Michelle Phillips' daughter, stated that she believed Mackenzie's claims and that Mackenzie first told her about the relationship during a phone conversation in 1997, approximately 11 years after the supposed relationship had ended.[18] Jessica Woods, daughter of Denny Doherty, said that her father had told her that he knew "the awful truth,"[19] and that he was "horrified at what John had done."[19]

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1973	American Graffiti	Carol Morrison
1975	Rafferty and the Gold Dust Twins	Rita "Frisbee" Sykes
1979	More American Graffiti	Carol "Rainbow" Morrison
1982	Love Child	J.J.
1998	True Friends	Connie
1999	When	Catherine Brown
2005	The Jacket	Nurse Harding
2011	Hercules Saves Christmas	Helen Dunn	Alternate title: Santa's Dog
2011	Peach Plum Pear	Sharon
2014	Suburban Gothic	Mrs. Richards
2014	Blackout	Sarah	Short film
2014	North Blvd	Linda
2015	Girl on the Edge	Deborah Green
2016	Sacred Journeys	Tiff	Short film
2018	North Blvd	Linda

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1973	Go Ask Alice	Doris	Television film
1974	Movin' On	Chessie	Episode: "Roadblock"
1975	Miles to Go Before I Sleep	Robin Williams	Television film
1975	Baretta	Mindy	Episode: "On the Road"
1975	The Mary Tyler Moore Show	Francie	Episode: "Mary's Delinquent"
1975–83	One Day at a Time	Julie Mora Cooper Horvath	123 episodes Main cast (Seasons 1–5) Recurring role (Seasons 7–9)
1976	Eleanor and Franklin	Eleanor Roosevelt, age 14	Television film
1978	The Love Boat	Allison Scott	Episode: "The Big Deal"
1979	Fast Friends	Susan	Television film
1979	The Incredible Hulk	Lisa Swan	Episode: "Metamorphosis"
1980	The Silent Lovers	Lillian Gish	Television film
1982	The Love Boat	Rachel Johnson	Episode: "Gopher's Roommate"
1985	Murder, She Wrote	Carol Needom	Episode: "Murder in the Afternoon"
1986	Kate's Secret	Deyna	Television film
1994	Beverly Hills, 90210	Counselor Ellen Marks	Episode: "Intervention"
1995	Melrose Place	Maureen Dodd	Episode: "Melrose Impossible" & "A Hose by Any Other Name"
1996	Guiding Light	Rachel Sullivan	4 episodes
1996	NYPD Blue	Mary Donaldson	Episode: "Sorry, Wrong Suspect"
1997	Caroline in the City	Donna Spadaro	Episode: "Caroline and the Singer"
1997	Walker, Texas Ranger	Ellen Simms	Episodes: "Lucas" (Parts 1 & 2)
1998	Chicago Hope	Valerie Boyd	Episode: "Risky Business"
1998	Viper	Heidi Rosen	Episode: "The Full Frankie"
1999–01	So Weird	Molly Phillips	63 episodes Main cast (Seasons 1–3)
2000	The Outer Limits	Boo Weston	Episode: "Down to Earth"
2001	Kate Brasher	Tracy Del Rey	Episode: "Tracy"
2001	Crossing Jordan	Elaine Stahler	Episode "The Dawn of a New Day"
2002	Double Teamed	Mary Burge	Television film
2002	ER	Leslie Miller	Episode "Damage Is Done"
2003	The Division	Carol Johnson	Episode: "Thus with a Kiss I Die"
2004	Without a Trace	Theresa Caldwell	Episode: "Lost and Found"
2004	NYPD Blue	Lorraine Stuval	Episode: "Fish Out of Water"
2004	7th Heaven	Allison Davies	Episode: "Why Not Me?"
2005	One Day at a Time Reunion	Herself	Television special
2007	Cold Case	Sheila Swett	Episode: "That Woman"
2009	Radio Needles	Tonya Taylor	Television film
2012	Interns: The Web Series	CEO	Episode: "Accepted"
2012	Criminal Minds	Ellen Russell	Episode: "The Pact"
2012	She Made Them Do It	Jamie Long	Television film
2014	Phineas and Ferb	Female Judge / Jump Instructor (voice)	Episode: "Act Your Age"
2014	The Daily Helpline	Herself Co-Hostes	Episode: "Mackenzie Phillips"
2015	Hot in Cleveland	Kaylin	Episode: "About a Joy"
2016–18	Milo Murphy's Law	Principal Elizabeth Milder (voice)	7 episodes Recurring role (Seasons 1-2)
2017	Battle of the Network Stars	Herself	Episode: "TV Moms & Dads vs. TV Kids"
2017–20	One Day at a Time	Pam Valentine	9 episodes Recurring role (Seasons 1–4)
2018	Orange Is The New Black	Barbara "Barb" Denning	6 episodes Recurring role (Season 6)

Stage

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1994-98	Grease	Betty Rizzo	Broadway Touring Revival
1999	The Vagina Monologues	Performer	Westside Theatre
2001–02	A Delicate Balance		Ford Theatre
2002	Same Time, Next Year		Shubert Theater
2004–05	How I Learned to Drive		Alex Theatre
2005–07	Annie	Lily St. Regis	Touring revival

Published works

• High On Arrival (2009)
• Hopeful Healing: Essays on Managing Recovery and Surviving Addiction (2017)

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Nominated work	Result
2001	Young Artist Awards	"Best Ensemble in a TV Series (Drama or Comedy)" (shared with cast)	So Weird	Nominated
2005	TV Land Awards	Favorite Singing Siblings (Shared with: Valerie Bertinelli)	One Day at a Time	Nominated
2012	LA Femme International Film Festival	Meritorious Achievement Award	Herself	Won
2017	Behind the Voice Actors Awards	Best Vocal Ensemble in a New Television Series (Shared with cast)	Milo Murphy's Law	Nominated

References

1. "The New York Times". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2013-06-15. Retrieved 2017-02-10.
2. Phillips, Mackenzie (September 23, 2009). High on Arrival. New York: Simon Spotlight Entertainment. pp. 14–16. ISBN 978-1-4391-5757-2. highland hall.
3. "Mackenzie Phillips Biography (1959-)". The Biography Channel. Retrieved November 16, 2008.
4. Baxter, John (1999). Mythmaker: The Life and Work of George Lucas. Harper Collins. ISBN 978-0-3809-7833-5.
5. People Entertainment Almanac, Volume 2001 ISBN 978-1-929-04907-3 pp. 583
6. "9th Female Eye Festival Reveals Mackenzie Phillips & Alanna Masterson As Special Performance Award Recipients" (Press release). Female Eye Film Festival. March 10, 2011. Retrieved 2018-09-20 – via Skylar Entertainment.
7. "Mackenzie Phillips Joins Breathe as Addiction Counselor". KFMB-TV News (Press release). March 15, 2016. Archived from the original on March 15, 2016. Retrieved 2018-09-20.
8. "Mackenzie Phillips arrested at LAX on suspicion of narcotics possession". The Seattle Times. Reuters. August 28, 2008. Retrieved 2018-09-20.
9. Lee, Ken (October 31, 2008). "Mackenzie Phillips Pleads Guilty to Cocaine Possession". People. Retrieved 2018-09-20.
10. "Drug case dismissed against Mackenzie Phillips". USA Today. Associated Press. April 20, 2010.
11. Episode guide: The View, first aired: March 17, 2010, TV Guide
12. High On Arrival p. 110
13. ABC News 9/23/09
14. "New Bombshell from Mackenzie Phillips". CBS News. 2009-09-24. Retrieved 2009-09-25.
15. Schmidt, Veronica (2009-09-24). "Mackenzie Phillips, daughter of Mamas and Papas star, reveals their incestuous affair". The Times. London. Retrieved 2009-09-25.
16. "Mackenzie Phillips On Oprah: Why She Slept with Her Father and Why She Stopped". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2019-05-28.
17. Eng, Joyce. "Mackenzie Phillips' Family Split Over Star's Incest Claims". TV Guide. Retrieved 2009-09-24.
18. Everett, Cristina (2009-09-23). "Chynna Phillips recalls learning about sister Mackenzie Phillips' affair with father, John Phillips". New York Daily News. Retrieved 2009-09-24.
19. "Denny Doherty's Daughter Corroborates Mackenzie Phillips' Story". Oprah. Retrieved 2009-09-24.

External links

• Mackenzie Phillips on IMDb