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Mackenzie Phillips (born November 10, 1959) is an American actress and singer best known for her roles in American Graffiti and as rebellious teenager Julie Cooper Horvath on the sitcom One Day at a Time. She's also known for her role in the Disney Channel science fiction show So Weird.

Early life

Born Laura Mackenzie Phillips in Alexandria, Virginia, she is the daughter of John Phillips, singer of the The Mamas & the Papas, and his first wife, Susan Adams. 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.^[1] At age twelve, Phillips formed a band with three of her classmates and was spotted by a casting agent during one of their performances.^[2] She was given an audition for a role in the 1973 hit film American Graffiti, which she won.

Career

Phillips was 12 when the filming of American Graffiti began, and 14 when the movie was released. She was cast as Carol Morrison, a young girl accidentally picked up by hot rodding teenager John Milner. Because of California state law, producer Gary Kurtz became Phillips' legal guardian during the filming.^[3]

Phillips gained stardom in the 1970s, when she played the boy-crazy teenager Julie Cooper Horvath on the long-running television show One Day at a Time. She earned $50,000 a week.^[2] During the show's third season in 1977, Phillips was arrested for public drunkenness and possession of cocaine. 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. In 1980, she was fired from the show.^[2]

After two nearly fatal overdoses, Phillips entered Fair Oaks Hospital to undergo treatment. In 1981, the producers of One Day at a Time invited her back to the show.^[2] However, she resumed using cocaine in 1982 and collapsed on the show's set. When she refused to take a drug test, she was fired and her character was written out of the series. In 1992, she entered a long-term drug rehabilitation program and underwent intensive treatment for nine months.^[2]

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

Personal life

Phillips has been married twice: to rock-group manager Jeffrey Sessler (1979–1981); to rock guitarist Michael Barakan – now known professionally as Shane Fontayne – (1996–2000). She has one child, a son, Shane Barakan (born 1987), who is a musician.

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.^[4] On October 31, 2008, she pleaded guilty to one felony count of cocaine possession, and was sentenced to a drug rehabilitation program.^[5] 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.

Allegations of sexual relationship with father

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

During the interview, Phillips read excerpts from her book. She said that at the age of 19, on the night before her first wedding, "I woke up that night from a blackout to find myself having sex with my own father." Both reportedly were under the influence of drugs at the time. Phillips then told Winfrey, "It became a consensual relationship,"^[6][7] describing her participation as "sort of Stockholm Syndrome, where you begin to love your captor."^[7]

Phillips said the incestuous relationship had happened gradually for ten years,^[8] and that she ended it when she became pregnant and did not know who had fathered the child. She stated that her father paid for her to have an abortion, "and I never let him touch me again." ^[9][10]

Genevieve Waite, John's wife at the time the claimed abuse occurred, denied the allegations and said they were totally incongruous with his character. Michelle Phillips, John's second wife, also stated that she had "every reason to believe [Mackenzie's account is] untrue."^[11]

Chynna Phillips, Mackenzie's half-sister, 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.^[12] Bijou Phillips, Mackenzie's other half-sister, said in a statement that Mackenzie had informed her of the relationship when Bijou was 13 years old^[13], but also stated, "I'm 29 now, I've talked to everyone who was around during that time, I've asked the hard questions. I do not believe my sister. Our father is many things, this is not one of them."^[14] Jessica Woods, the daughter of Denny Doherty, said that her father knew of the relationship.^[15]

Filmography

References

External links

• Mackenzie Phillips at the Internet Movie Database
• Mackenzie Phillips at TV.com