Skip Nav

Who Plays Barb on Orange Is the New Black?

You Know Orange Is the New Black's Barb, but Probably Not From Her Biggest Role

Orange Is the New Black

Image Source: Netflix

Litchfield OG Barb Denning should look very familiar — no matter what generation you're a part of. Mackenzie Phillips, who plays Orange Is the New Black's latest jailbird to rock the cage in Max, has been on the scene since her debut role as Carol (ah, the irony) in 1973's American Graffiti. She was only 12 when she landed the part and hasn't stopped acting since.

Phillips has an extensive résumé. After her breakout film role, she appeared in guest capacities on shows like The Love Boat and The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Her most iconic role, however, came when she landed the part of Julie Cooper on One Day at a Time (below, with costars Valerie Bertinelli and Bonnie Franklin) in 1975, a part she held until 1983. She later went on to appear as a different character in the Netflix reboot of One Day at a Time, which premiered in 2017.

ONE DAY AT A TIME, Valerie Bertinelli, Bonnie Franklin, Mackenzie Phillips, 1975-84

Image Source: Everett Collection

Sound like shows only your parents watched? Maybe she caught your eye in the '90s favourites Beverly Hills, 90210 and Melrose Place? And if those sound like shows your older sister used to watch, then chances are you remember her as Fi's UFO-chasing mom, Molly Phillips, in the Disney Channel supernatural thriller So Weird.

Latest Entertainment