Laura Mackenzie Phillips (born November 10, 1959) is an American actress and singer. She is the daughter of seminal folk-rock musician John Phillips of The Mamas and the Papas and his first wife Susan Adams. Her best-known roles include Carol Morrison in the film American Graffiti, Julie Laura Cooper Horvath on the sitcom One Day at a Time, Molly Phillips on Disney Channel's supernatural series So Weird, and Barbara "Barb" Denning in Orange Is the New Black.
Early life Mackenzie Phillips was born Laura Mackenzie Phillips and she eventually chose to use her middle name professionally. She received her middle name as a tribute to musician Scott MacKenzie who was a friend and bandmate of her father, John Phillips, in The Mamas and the Papas. Her starring role in TV show One Day at a Time (1975 TV series) resulted in popularity of Mackenzie (given name).
Phillips attended Highland Hall Waldorf School in Northridge, California. At age 12, Phillips formed a band with three of her classmates and she was spotted by Fred Roos, a casting agent, during one of their performances. She was given an audition for a role in George Lucas's 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.
Phillips gained stardom in the 1970s playing 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 a week. 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.
After two near-fatal overdoses, Phillips entered Fair Oaks Hospital voluntarily for treatment. In 1981, the producers of One Day at a Time invited her back to the show. However, in 1982, Phillips relapsed into cocaine use and the following year, she collapsed on the show's set. After refusing to take a drug test, she was fired permanently, and her character written out of the series. In 1992, Philips entered a drug rehab program for nine months. From the mid-1980s to the early 1990s, Phillips performed as a singer and toured with a re-formed version of her father John Phillips's band 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 fictional rock star 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.People Entertainment Almanac, Volume 2001 pp. 583
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 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. In 2016, Phillips began working at the Breathe Life Healing Center in West Hollywood, California as a drug rehab counselor. In 2017, Phillips appeared in an episode of the rebooted One Day at a Time as Pam Valentine, a counselor. She reprised the role in 2019 in two episodes of the third season. In 2018, Phillips appeared as Barbara Denning in episodes of the Netflix original series Orange Is the New Black.
Personal life Phillips has been married three times: first to rock group manager Jeffrey Sessler, son of Freddie Sessler (from 1979 to 1981); then to rock guitarist Shane Fontayne (from 1986 to 2000); and then to Keith Levenson in 2005 (they subsequently divorced). She has one child, son Shane Barakan (b. 1987), a musician. In an interview in March 2022, she stated that she has dated both men and women.
Substance abuse and arrest Phillips has struggled with drug abuse for much of her life. On August 27, 2008, she was arrested by the Los Angeles Airport Police on charges of possession of cocaine and heroin, discovered after she went through airport security screening. On October 31, 2008, she pleaded guilty to one felony count of cocaine possession and was sentenced to a drug rehabilitation program. Phillips's drug case was dismissed after she successfully completed a drug diversion program. 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.Episode guide: The View, first aired: March 17, 2010, TV Guide
Allegations of abuse by biological 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 Oprah Winfrey that she first tried cocaine when she was 11 years old and that her father had given her drugs 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 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,High on Arrival p. 110 asking why he had raped her, her father simply replied: "Raped you? Don't you mean we made love?" Phillips told Winfrey of having a "consensual" sexual relationship with her father, describing her participation as "sort of Stockholm syndrome, where you begin to love your captor". 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." The alleged abuse ended after Phillips conceived a child and, worried about its parentage, subsequently had an abortion, for which her father paid.
Geneviève Waïte, John Phillips's third wife, denied 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". However, Chynna Phillips, Mackenzie Phillips's half-sister and Michelle Phillips's daughter, stated that she believed Phillips's claims and that Phillips first told her about the relationship during a phone conversation in 1997, approximately 11 years after the supposed relationship had ended. Jessica Woods, daughter of the Mamas and the Papas member Denny Doherty, said that her father had told her that he knew "the awful truth" and that he was "horrified at what John had done".
Filmography +Film Year Title Role Notes1973 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 2002 Double Teamed Mary Burge 2005 Nurse Harding 2011 Hercules Saves Christmas Helen Dunn Alternate title: Santa's Dog Peach Plum Pear Sharon 2014 Suburban Gothic Mrs. Richards Blackout Sarah Short film North Blvd Linda 2015 Girl on the Edge Deborah Green 2016 Sacred Journeys Tiff Short film2018 North Blvd Linda
+Television Year Title Role Notes1973Go Ask AliceDoris Television film1974Movin' OnChessieEpisode: "Roadblock"1975Miles to Go Before I SleepRobin Williams Television filmBarettaMindyEpisode: "On the Road"FrancieEpisode: "Mary's Delinquent"1975–1983One Day at a TimeJulie Mora Cooper HorvathMain cast; 123 episodes 1976The JacksonsHerself Episode: "Mackenzie Phillips" Eleanor and FranklinYoung Eleanor Roosevelt Television film1976–1979Child WorldHerselfTV commercials1978Allison ScottEpisode: "The Big Deal"1979Fast FriendsSusan Television filmLisa SwanEpisode: "Metamorphosis"1980Lillian Gish Television film1982Rachel JohnsonEpisode: "Gopher's Roommate"1985Murder, She WroteCarol NeedomEpisode: "Murder in the Afternoon"1986Kate's SecretDeyna Television film1994Beverly Hills, 90210Counselor Ellen MarksEpisode: "Intervention"1995Melrose PlaceMaureen Dodd2 episodes1996Guiding LightRachel Sullivan4 episodesNYPD BlueMary DonaldsonEpisode: "Sorry, Wong Suspect"1997Caroline in the CityDonna SpadaroEpisode: "Caroline and the Singer"Walker, Texas RangerEllen Simms2 episodes1998Chicago HopeValerie BoydEpisode: "Risky Business"ViperHeidi RosenEpisode: "The Full Frankie"1999–2001So WeirdMolly PhillipsMain cast; 63 episodes2000Boo WestonEpisode: "Down to Earth"2001Kate BrasherTracy Del ReyEpisode: "Tracy"Crossing JordanElaine StahlerEpisode "The Dawn of a New Day"2002Double TeamedMary Burge Television filmERLeslie MillerEpisode "Damage Is Done"2003Carol JohnsonEpisode: "Thus with a Kiss I Die"2004Without a TraceTheresa CaldwellEpisode: "Lost and Found"NYPD BlueLorraine StuvalEpisode: "Fish Out of Water"7th HeavenAllison DaviesEpisode: "Why Not Me?"2007Cold CaseSheila SwettEpisode: "That Woman"2009Radio NeedlesTonya Taylor Television film2012Interns: The Web SeriesCEOEpisode: "Accepted"Criminal MindsEllen RussellEpisode: "The Pact"She Made Them Do ItJamie Long Television film2014Phineas and FerbFemale Judge / Jump Instructor (voice)Episode: "Act Your Age" The Daily Helpline Herself Co-Hostes Episode: "Mackenzie Phillips"2015Hot in ClevelandKaylinEpisode: "About a Joy"2016–2018Milo Murphy's LawPrincipal Elizabeth Milder (voice) 7 episodes 2017 Battle of the Network Stars Herself Episode: "TV Moms & Dads vs. TV Kids"2017–2020One Day at a TimePam Valentine 9 episodes 2018Orange Is the New BlackBarbara "Barb" Denning 6 episodes
+Stage Year Title Role Notes 1994–1998 Grease Betty Rizzo Broadway touring revival 1999 The Vagina Monologues Performer Westside Theatre 2001–2002 A Delicate Balance Julia Ford Theatre 2002 Same Time, Next YearDoris Shubert Theater 2004–2005 How I Learned to DriveL'il Bit Alex Theatre 2005–2007 Annie Lily St. Regis Touring revival
Bibliography 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 2005 TV Land Awards Favorite Singing Siblings (Shared with: Valerie Bertinelli) One Day at a Time 2012 LA Femme International Film Festival Meritorious Achievement Award 2017 Behind the Voice Actors Awards Best Vocal Ensemble in a New Television Series (Shared with cast) Milo Murphy's Law
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