Michelle Phillips Net Worth

What Is Michelle Phillips' Net Worth?

Michelle Phillips is an American singer and actress who has a net worth of $10 million. Michelle Phillips married musician John Phillips when she was eighteen. She and John formed the musical group The Mamas and the Papas in 1965. The group also featured Cass Elliot and Denny Doherty. They quickly became one of the most recognizable musical acts of the era with their blend of folk, rock, and pop. Their debut album, "If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears" (1966), included the timeless hit "California Dreamin'," a song that became an anthem for the counterculture generation. The single "Monday, Monday" won them a Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. The band's music often spoke to the dreams and aspirations of the youth of the day, resonating with themes of freedom and a longing for connection.

The Mamas and the Papas' tenure was short but impactful, with a career that spanned just half a decade but left a lasting legacy. They released a total of five studio albums and numerous singles, many of which climbed the charts, before their dissolution in 1968. Two years later, John and Michelle broke up.

Michelle and John co-wrote some of their most beloved songs, including "California Dreamin'."

Michelle attempted to launch a solo career in the '70s, but the effort was largely unsuccessful, though she did provide backing vocals on a number of other artists' successful tracks. She also launched an acting career in the mid-1970s, as well, and has worked steadily ever since. She has appeared in such projects as "Dillinger," "The California Kid," "Spin City," "7th Heaven," "No One Would Tell," "Knots Landing," and "Beverly Hills, 90210."

Early Life

Michelle Phillips was born Holly Michelle Gilliam on June 4, 1944, in Long Beach, California. She was the younger daughter of Joyce Leone Gilliam, an accountant, and Gardner Burnett Gilliam, a merchant mariner. She grew up alongside her older sister, Russell Ann, until a formative tragedy reshaped her childhood. When Michelle was five years old, her mother died suddenly from a brain hemorrhage.

After her mother's death, the family relocated to Buffalo, New York, where her father worked as a bartender. Their life remained unsettled for several years, marked by frequent moves. Eventually, the family returned to California before relocating again, this time to Mexico City. Gardner Gilliam enrolled at Mexico City College under the GI Bill to study sociology, and the family remained there for approximately six years. During that period, Michelle attended school in Mexico City, became fluent in Spanish, and was exposed to a broader cultural environment than most American children her age.

When she was 13, the family returned to the United States and settled in Los Angeles. Michelle attended several different high schools in the area and gravitated toward music, spending much of her free time singing and immersing herself in the folk scene that was beginning to take hold on the West Coast.

The Mamas & the Papas

At 17, Phillips moved to San Francisco, initially pursuing work as a model. She quickly became embedded in the city's folk and countercultural music scene. In 1961, she met John Phillips, who was touring with the Journeymen. Their personal and creative partnership developed rapidly, and the two married soon afterward.

After relocating to New York City, Michelle and John joined with Denny Doherty and Cass Elliot to form The Mamas & the Papas in 1965. The group became one of the defining acts of the 1960s, blending folk, pop, and rich vocal harmonies. Phillips co-wrote several of the band's most enduring songs, including "California Dreamin'," and contributed to albums such as "If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears" and "The Mamas & the Papas." The group enjoyed enormous commercial success but was also plagued by internal tensions. They disbanded in 1971, shortly before releasing their final album, "People Like Us."

Transition to Acting

Even before the band dissolved, Phillips had begun exploring acting. Her first screen appearance came in the 1969 film "Saturation 70." Following the breakup of the Mamas & the Papas, she committed more seriously to acting, enrolling in classes and studying under Peggy Feury.

Her early film roles included a small part in "The Last Movie" in 1971, but her breakthrough came two years later when she was cast in the title role of the crime thriller "Dillinger." The film was well received, and Phillips earned particular praise for her performance, leading to a Golden Globe nomination for Most Promising Newcomer. She followed this with roles in "The California Kid" opposite Martin Sheen and the critically acclaimed "Shampoo," both released in the mid-1970s.

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Solo Music and Continued Film Work

In 1975, Phillips signed a solo recording contract with A&M Records. Her only solo album, "Victim of Romance," was released in 1977. While it did not achieve the commercial success of her earlier work, it marked an effort to establish an independent musical identity separate from her past group success.

During this period, she continued acting in films including "Valentino" in 1977 and the Sidney Sheldon adaptation "Bloodline" in 1979. In the early 1980s, she appeared in films such as "The Man with Bogart's Face" and "Savage Harvest," steadily building a résumé as a reliable screen presence.

Television Success

Phillips found sustained success on television in the 1980s. From 1983 to 1986, she was a regular cast member on the drama series "Hotel." In 1987, she joined the cast of Knots Landing as Anne Matheson Sumner, a role that brought her widespread recognition and career stability. She remained on the series until its conclusion in 1993.

While appearing on "Knots Landing," she continued to work in film, with roles in "Let It Ride," "Scissors," and the action thriller "Joshua Tree." In the mid-1990s, she appeared in the series "Second Chances," the television film "No One Would Tell," and provided voice work for the animated series "Spicy City."

Later Career and Documentaries

In the 2000s, Phillips appeared in films including "Jane White Is Sick & Twisted," "Harry + Max," and "Unbeatable Harold." She also held a recurring role on the family drama "7th Heaven" from 2001 to 2004. By the late 2000s, she largely stepped away from acting, though she continued to make appearances as herself in music and cultural documentaries. These included "Feminists: What Were They Thinking" and the music history documentary "Echo in the Canyon," both of which revisited the cultural era that first made her famous.

Personal Life

Phillips met John Phillips in San Francisco in 1961, when she was 17. Despite his being married at the time, the two entered a relationship, and he divorced his first wife before marrying Michelle on December 31, 1962, when she was 18. Their marriage was turbulent and marked by periods of separation and reconciliation. They welcomed a daughter, Chynna, in February 1968, but divorced in May 1969.

In October 1970, Michelle married actor Dennis Hopper, though the marriage famously lasted only eight days. During the mid-1970s, she was romantically involved with Warren Beatty, whom she later described as the love of her life. She married Robert Burch in 1978, and the couple divorced the following year.

In the early 1980s, Phillips was in a long-term relationship with actor Grainger Hines, with whom she had a son, Austin, in 1982. From 1987 to 1996, she was in a relationship with pianist Geoffrey Tozer, during which time they adopted Aron Wilson, the son of a close friend. Her longest partnership began in 1999 with artist Steven Zax, and the two remained together until his death in 2017.

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