The Beautiful Spirit of Mackenzie Phillips

At the very beginning of her career Mackenzie Phillips was best known for her role in the 1973 hit movie ‘American Graffiti.’ Two years later, she got the role that changed her life in the 1975 sitcom ‘One Day at a Time’ as rebellious teenager Julie Cooper Horvath.


Mackenzie Phillips attended Highland Hall Waldorf School in Northridge, California. At age 12, she formed a band with three of her classmates and was spotted by a casting agent during one of their performances.  From the mid-1980s to the early 1990s, Mackenzie performed with a re-formed version of The Mamas & the Papas known as The New Mamas and The Papas.


In 1999, Mackenzie co-starred in the Disney Channel series ‘So Weird,’ playing a fictional rock star coincidentally named Molly Phillips. She was mother to Fiona, played by Cara DeLizia, and Jack played by Patrick Levis. 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.’ Mackenzie has since guest-starred on episodes of ‘ER,’ ‘Without a Trace,’ ‘7th Heaven,’ and ‘Cold Case.’


Mackenzie 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, Canada for her performance as Sharon in the 2010 independent film ‘Peach Plum Pear.’ 


Mackenzie has been married twice, first to rock-group manager Jeffrey Sessler from 1979 to 1981, and to rock guitarist Shane Fontayne from 1996 to 2000. She has one child, a son, Shane Barakan born 1987, also a musician.


Mackenzie has had a lifetime troubled by drug abuse.  She pleaded guilty to one felony count of cocaine possession, and was sentenced to a drug rehabilitation program. Her drug case was dismissed after she successfully completed a drug diversion program. "Mackenzie deserves great credit for seizing the opportunity she was given to get clean and prove she was worthy of the dismissal of her case," her attorney Blair Berk said in a statement.


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





AM:  Mackenzie you have been a lot more visible since your book came out.  How did the book do?


MP:  It debuted at number three on the New York Times Bestseller list in 2009.


AM:  Was it difficult to promote the book when it came out?


MP:  It was absolutely devastating.  Maybe I’m naive, and you would think with a history like mine, I wouldn’t be, but I’m still full of wonder like a little kid.  I always think the best of people and I’m very positive.


AM:   Those are lovely traits to have.


MP:  I’m ridiculously cheerful and too trusting.  Anyway I was shocked and devastated at some of the reaction, not only from members of the press but also from people who are very close to me.


AM:  That must be hard.


MP:  It was really hard.  I was not at all emotionally prepared for the onslaught.


AM:  So how did you deal with it?


MP:  I have a great program for recovery and I have really great friends.  I have an absolutely magical 26 year old son.  My ex-husband, who is his father, is one of my dearest friends.  His name is Shane Fontayne and he’s a real good Rock n’ Roll guitar player.  When Springsteen got rid of the E Street Band he became Bruce’s player.  He’s also been out with Crosby, Stills & Nash.  I also have a great support system.  I have lovely people in my life.  We are all born with a family of origin and some of us end up with a family of choice and I’m OK with that.


AM:  Everyone ultimately ends up choosing a kind of family with their friends anyway.


MP:  Yes, I just didn’t expect that to be the arbiter of change.


AM:  The common assumption is that anything tough that someone goes through makes them a stronger person.  Do you feel stronger?


MP:  I’ve always been an incredibly strong person.  I feel that God, or whatever you want to call it, didn’t bring me this far to drop me in a ditch.  I’ve always believed you must persevere, be of service and help other people.  Be the change you want to see in the world.





AM:  Is this how you fill your time now?  What’s a regular day like for you?


MP:  I live in my dream home with my son.  We have four dogs and five cats.  My time is pretty much my own so I do whatever pleases me.  I help take care of my elderly mother, Susie, who lives in an assisted living center near by.  I’m very active in a program of recovery.  I have a really good life.  I have no right to complain.  Compared to most I have really simple problems.  I have to remember that at times.  Sometimes if I find myself complaining I just tell myself to cool it and shut up.


AM:  Do you donate a lot of time to helping others now and is it natural for you?


MP:  Whenever I can and yes it is absolutely natural for me.  I think I’m a born councillor.  I almost finished my degree in counseling but then acting jobs came up and I never finished it.  I donate my time by speaking on recovery and addiction to care-givers, families and employee assistant programs and addicts.  I do a lot of things.  I’m a busy girl, but I’m not as busy as I pretend to be.


AM:  Nobody is, that’s the new lie.


MP:  Nobody is.  Everyone always says,”I’m too busy.”  Meanwhile I’m liking kitten pictures on Facebook!


AM:  Are you active on social media?


MP:  I’m really active.  I built my Twitter following brick by brick.  I have over 44,000 followers.

AM:  Are you still interested in acting?


MP:  Oh yes!  It’s my passion.


AM:  Do you audition?


MP:   Yes I do and I work.  Last year I had a great guest role on ‘Criminal Minds.’  I played a serial killer.  Then I played in a Lifetime movie that was really fun.   I just finished a couple of independent films.


AM:  It’s hard to work these days.


MP:   It is hard to work, especially for a woman of a certain age.  They hire 40 year olds to play the parents of 30 year olds.   With everything there is an ebb and flow.  I believe it will get back to more realistic relationships in terms of age but right now it just isn’t.


AM:  Is there anything you want to happen or do that you haven’t yet?


MP:  I’d like to be a grandmother.


AM:  How does your son feel about that?  Is he ready to be a father?


MP:  Are you kidding me?  He’s a brilliant guitarist, a great songwriter and he works for a music library.  He’s into video games.  Forgive me Shane if you ever read this, but from my perspective, 26 is the new 15.  I don’t know how I would have gotten through a lot of this stuff without him.  He’s a spectacular human being.


AM:  I love that you gave birth to a soul mate.


MP:  Oh my God, he’s incredible.