Mackenzie Phillips

Diagnoses

Personal

Vocation

Lifestyle

Notable

Family

American actress and noted family, the daughter of John Phillips, formerly of the "Mamas and Papas." She made her film debut at 13 and began a starring role on the TV series "One Day at a Time" two years later. By the age of 18, she moved away from home into her own $150,000 bachelor girl home in the high rent district of the Hollywood Hills. With too much money and not enough control, she was already traveling in the fast lane with one drug bust behind her. A product of the golden ghetto, rich and spoiled, she started smoking pot at the age of 12 and drank heavily by the time she was 14. An abuser of coke and psychedelics, she became erratic on the TV series. When she was fired, she took some TV and film roles but was increasingly unreliable and sickly, losing weight. Mackenzie and her dad, who was on heroin, entered a drug rehabilitation program together in New Jersey, 1980, to kick their addiction habits. She returned to her series in the fall of '81 and since then, she and her father have toured and lectured on the dangers of drugs. Phillips, however, fell by the wayside once again, entering rehab at the Alina Lodge in Blairstown, NJ, in 1992. She spent nine years as a rocker, touring the world with a reconstructed Mamas and Papas, 1983-1992. She was already house mates with the group's guitarist from 1981, Shane Fontayne; their son Shane was born in 1987. Phillips separated with Fontayne and quit the tour in 1992. She moved to their mountain hideaway home near Stroudsbury, PA to make her most serious attempt to kick the habit, supported by AA and the love of her son. Reevaluating her life, she moved back to Hollywood in 1994 looking for work. In 1995 she played a guest role in two episodes of "Melrose Place" and landed a role in the TV series "Beverly Hills 90210." In 1999 she has started in the role of traveling mom in the Disney TV series "So Weird" which allows her to continue her talents of both acting and singing. To date, she claims that her greatest achievement has been to stay clean and sober for seven years. She is involved in many organizations that are recovery-oriented. Phillips filed for divorce from her husband of three years, Michael Barakan, 2/16/2000 and they will share custody of their 13-year old son, Shane. On 3/18/2001, her dad, John, 65, died peacefully at 8:10 AM, West Hollywood. She was one of his five kids from his first three marriages. Her memoir, "High on Arrival" was released in September 2009. In the tell-all book she reveals an incestuous relationship with her dad and describes her battle with drugs. Link to Wikipedia biography