A reformed, drug-addicted wild child-model turned actress from a notable celebrity lineage, Bijou Phillips’ uninhibited club-kid childhood proved fodder for the celebrity-obsessed masses as its lurid details were documented in nearly every tabloid on the shelves. Yet despite the traps and temptations that she may have fallen victim to in her early years, Phillips has restored her existence from tabloid headlines to forge a successful career in film and music. Born in Greenwich, CT, in 1980 to Mamas & Papas founder John Phillips and actress Genevieve Waite, Bijou’s early years were accelerated into overdrive when she began modeling at the age of 13. Emancipated from her parents the following year, Phillips went out on her own in New York City and although she initially resisted the lure of its cocaine-fueled nightlife after witnessing its effects on her sister and father’s lives, soon began to experiment with drugs after being ostracized by the city’s substance-powered movers and… read more
A reformed, drug-addicted wild child-model turned actress from a notable celebrity lineage, Bijou Phillips’ uninhibited club-kid childhood proved fodder for the celebrity-obsessed masses as its lurid details were documented in nearly every tabloid on the shelves. Yet despite the traps and temptations that she may have fallen victim to in her early years, Phillips has restored her existence from tabloid headlines to forge a successful career in film and music. Born in Greenwich, CT, in 1980 to Mamas & Papas founder John Phillips and actress Genevieve Waite, Bijou’s early years were accelerated into overdrive when she began modeling at the age of 13. Emancipated from her parents the following year, Phillips went out on her own in New York City and although she initially resisted the lure of its cocaine-fueled nightlife after witnessing its effects on her sister and father’s lives, soon began to experiment with drugs after being ostracized by the city’s substance-powered movers and shakers. Though she would become the youngest model ever to appear on the cover of Vogue and once again became the center of attention for appearing in Calvin Klein’s revealing and controversial ad campaign, life in the fast lane was bleeding Phillips of both her soul and vital energy. It was only a few short months later that the former champion equestrian pleaded with her father to be allowed to return home and attend rehab — a plea that was initially denied until her father awoke to the mirror-image dangers his daughter was facing. Recovering from her accelerated youth more focused and wiser from experience, Phillips began to turn life around by focusing on her music and film career. As the animal-loving and self-proclaimed bipolar actress emerged to appear in such films as Almost Famous (2000) and renegade director Larry Clark’s Bully (2001), she also began to reach into her past to find inspiration as a singer/songwriter. Utilizing the 12 chords her father had taught her on a guitar at age 15, and drawing from the harrowing experiences that nearly destroyed her in her early teens, Phillips crafted her debut album entitled I’d Rather Eat Glass. An unguarded musical eulogy to her former life, Phillips’ debut as a songwriter may not have broken as much new ground as her father in his prime, though it marked a maturity and growth that hinted toward the good things to come from a reformed free spirit reclaiming her youthful vigor. —allmovie guide
