Matinee Classics - Michelle Phillips Biography & Filmography

Michelle Phillips ACTOR

MICHELLE PHILLIPS BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:

Michelle Phillips was born on June 4th, 1944 in Long Beach, California with the birth name Holly Michelle Gilliam to Joyce Leon and Gardner Burnett Gilliam. She spent part of her childhood in Mexico City after her mother passed away when she was just a little girl and she relocated there with her father. Later Phillips became involved in the music industry.

She became a vocalist with the group, Mamas & the Pappas and not only sang the lyrics but also co-wrote a number of their songs. When the band came to an end in 1968 she continued performing music doing back up vocals for on the Leonard Cohen tour.

In 1976 she released her first single, "No Love Today" and followed this with the release of her solo album in 1970, "Victim of Romance". Other musical credits she added to her resume over the course of her music career where the vocals for the song, "Forever" on the soundtrack, California Dreaming.

In 1998, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and later, in 2000, she was also inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame.

In addition to a decent singing career, Phillips also began her involvement in acting in the 1970's. Some of her early film roles were in, "Dillinger" (1973), "The California Kid" (1974), "Valentino" (1977) and the television movies, "The Death Squad" (1974) and "The Users" (1978).

Along with film work she also began making appearances on television series such as, "Matt Houston", "The Fall Guy", "Vega$", "Aspen", "The Love Boat", "Fantasy Island", "Murder, She Wrote", "T.J. Hooker", "Glitter" and "Hotel".

As her career has progressed she has remained working as an actress with some of her latest roles being on the television series, "Popular" (2000), "All About Us" (2001), "Spin City" (2001), "That's Life" (2001-2002) and the films, "Harry + Max" (2004), "Kids in America" (2005) and Unbeatable Harold" (2006).

Michelle Phillips has married a total of four times throughout her lifetime, first to John Phillips, one of the members of the Mamas and the Papas, in 1962 and they had one child together, actress Mackenzie Phillips, before the marriage came to an end in 1970. She then married actor Dennis Hopper in October of 1970 however just one month later this marriage ended. Her third husband was Robert S. Burch whom she wed in 1978 but by 1982 another marriage ended in divorce. Her fourth and current husband is Steven Zax who she married in 2000.