THIS HOLLYWOOD actress was born into fame and made her on-screen debut at the age of 12 – though behind the scenes her life was far from easy.
But now, after starring in classic hits including American Graffiti, Orange Is The New Black and Disney’s So Weird!, she is still smiling as she puts her past battles behind her.
Mackenzie Phillips, 64, is the daughter of Mamas And Papas singer John Phillips, with all of her family proving to be creatively inclined.
One half-sister, Chynna, is the singer of Wilson Phillips, whose song Hold On became an international smash hit.
Another half-sister, Bijou Phillips, is an actress who starred in Almost Famous and was married to the now-shamed Danny Masterson.
But it was Mackenzie who paved the way for the siblings when, at the age of 12, she made her on-screen debut as an actress in American Graffiti, and it shot her straight into the spotlight.
The 1973 George Lucas film was nominated for five Oscars that year.
She later landed a long-standing role as Julie Cooper in sitcom One Day At A Time, but by 1977 her life began to go off the rails publicly.
ONE DAY AT A TIME
At the age of 17, she was arrested for disorderly conduct, with her growing alcohol and drug abuse – particularly to cocaine – meaning she struggled to work, often arriving late on set and speaking incoherently.
In 1979, she married band manager Jeffrey Sessler.
While show bosses attempted to give her time to get herself together, she was ultimately fired in 1980 and she checked into rehab after two brushes with death after overdosing.
They invited her back a year later after she got sober, only for her to relapse again in 1982, prompting them to let her go again after she collapsed on set.
In 1986 she married her second husband, guitarist Shane Fontayne, and they remained together through to 2000.
Determined to get clean and sober properly, Mackenzie spent nine months in a rehab facility in 1992, before going on tour with The Mamas and Pappas as their new singer.
In 1999, she landed a new role in Disney’s So Weird, playing Molly Phillips – a rock star and mother to Fiona (Cara DeLizia) and Jack (Patrick Levis).
In 2005, she married her third husband, Keith Levenson, but their marriage dissolved quickly and was over by 2007.
REVEALING THE TRUTH
However, her issues with drugs continued to be a recurring an issue, and in 2008 she was arrested by Los Angeles Airport Police for possession of both cocaine and heroin.
She pled guilty on one felony count of cocaine possession, and entered a new rehab programme, which she successfully completed.
Later speaking with Dr Phil, she stated this moment was her turning point, and she made efforts to kick her long-standing addictions for good.
In 2009, in her memoir High On Arrival, she claimed she had a 10-year incestuous affair with her father, John, which started when she was 19.
Mackenzie said she had no idea that she had been groomed until decades later.
John died in 2001 from heart failure, so was never able to respond to the claims.
LOOKING AHEAD
In 2010, she appeared on controversial reality series Celebrity Rehab, starring alongside Dennis Rodman (who had a history of heroin and cocaine use), former America’s Next Top Model star Lisa D’Amato (whose main issue was rooted in alcohol), and country music star Mindy McCready, who had become hooked on OxyContin.
It was noted before appearing on the show, Mackenzie had several months of sobriety already under her belt.
In 2016, she became a drug counsellor for other addicts at the Breathe Life Healing Center in California.
A year later, when One Day At A Time was rebooted, she made a comeback to the show in a recurring guest role, bringing her career full circle.
During Orange Is The New Black’s season six, Mackenzie took on a central role as new inmate Barbara Denning.
The character, introduced in 2018, has a bitter and destructive relationship with her sister, fellow prisoner Carol (Henny Russell).
She continues to act and has vowed to “recover out loud” hoping to inspire others to do the same.
