Despite their similar last names, Busy Philipps and Mackenzie Phillips are unrelated. However, both are celebrated American actresses with impressive careers and numerous film credits.
Busy has been active in the entertainment industry since 1999 and maintains a consistent presence. Her breakout role was Kim Kelly in Freaks and Geeks, and she debuted in film with The Smokers. Later, she joined Dawson’s Creek as Audrey Liddell in 2001.
Her notable films include Home Room, White Chicks, and Made of Honor. On TV, she starred in Love, Inc., had a recurring role on ER, and portrayed Laurie Keller in Cougar Town.
She co-wrote the story for Blades of Glory and appeared in He’s Just Not That Into You. She contributed to the stage radio show The Thrilling Adventure Hour and starred in HBO’s Vice Principals.
In 2018, she hosted the late-night show Busy Tonight on E!, launched a podcast in 2020, and joined the cast of Peacock’s Girls5eva, which later moved to Netflix.
Conversely, Mackenzie Phillips began acting at age 12 in American Graffiti, playing Carol Morrison.
She gained fame in the 1970s as Julie Cooper on One Day at a Time, earning $50,000 a week. Struggles with substance abuse led to her firing in 1980, though she briefly returned in 1981 before being permanently dismissed in 1983.
From the mid-1980s to early 1990s, she toured as a singer with The New Mamas and The Papas.
In 1999, she starred as Molly Phillips in Disney Channel’s So Weird and appeared in several shows. She earned acclaim for her role in the indie film Peach Plum Pear.
Mackenzie became a drug rehab counselor in 2016 and revisited One Day at a Time in 2017 and 2019. In 2018, she appeared in Netflix’s Orange Is the New Black.
Busy Philipps Isn’t Related To Mackenzie Phillips
Busy Philipps and Mackenzie Phillips are unrelated despite their surnames’ similarity. Upon closer inspection, Busy’s surname is spelled Philipps, while Mackenzie’s is Phillips. There is also a 20-year age gap between the two actresses.
There has also been speculation that Busy is related to Bijou Phillips, another actress, but these rumors are unfounded. Busy and Bijou share no familial ties.
Bijou, however, is Mackenzie Phillips’ half-sister through their father, John Phillips. The two are close, and Mackenzie has confided in her younger sister about her relationship with their father.
Elizabeth Jean “Busy” Philipps, the daughter of Barbara and Joseph Philipps, was born in Oak Park, Illinois, on June 25, 1979. Her parents have been married for over 50 years, although their professions are not publicly known.
On their 50th anniversary, Busy surprised them by wearing Barbara’s wedding dress and shared snapshots of the celebration on social media.
She comes from a non-acting family. Her late grandfather, Joseph Philipps, dedicated over 75 years to the plumbing and pipefitting industry and was a World War II Army veteran.
Busy has a sister, Leigh Ann Dolan, who is married to Bob Dylan. Leigh has also appeared as a guest on Busy’s podcast, Busy Philipps Is Doing Her Best.
On the other hand, Mackenzie Phillips’s mother, Susan, hailed from a wealthy family and served as Robert McNamara’s secretary at the Pentagon.
After divorcing John Phillips, she married Charles James, Jr., in 1984. Susan passed away on June 18, 2016, after battling dementia.
Mackenzie has one biological brother, Jeffrey Phillips, and three half-siblings: Bijou Phillips, Tamerlane Phillips, and Chynna Phillips.
In her 2009 memoir High on Arrival, Mackenzie Phillips revealed harrowing details about her life, including drug use starting at age 11 and a disturbing relationship with her father, John Phillips.
She disclosed on The Oprah Winfrey Show that their relationship involved abuse and manipulation, describing it as “Stockholm syndrome” while also acknowledging the initial incident as rape.
The abuse ended after she conceived a child and had an abortion, paid for by her father.
