‘One Day at a Time’ premiered on CBS in December 1975 and ran for nine seasons
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NEED TO KNOW
- Mackenzie Phillips recently claimed that Richard Masur “wasn’t very nice” to her while working on One Day at a Time
- Phillips admitted the two eventually made peace after Masur apologized years later
- The 66-year-old actress recalled the encounter while discussing her time on the CBS sitcom with former costar Valerie Bertinelli
Mackenzie Phillips recently opened up about the behind-the-scenes dynamics of One Day at a Time, including the costar she remembers as being particularly difficult when the sitcom was just getting started.
Phillips, who played Julie Cooper on the CBS comedy, made the revelation while speaking with longtime friend and former costar Valerie Bertinelli on the Getting Naked podcast.
When Bertinelli asked about their early castmates, Phillips, 66, identified Richard Masur, 77, who played Ann Romano’s divorce lawyer and love interest David Kane, as someone who didn’t leave her with a good impression.
“One person, and I have made peace with this person and we’ve spoken, but Richard Masur wasn’t very nice,” Phillips told Bertinelli, also 66.
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Phillips’ relationship with Masur eventually took a different turn, however, when the two ran into each other years after his brief run on the series. She recalled meeting him at a Comic-Con event, where Masur apologized for his behavior on set.
“I don’t even remember what it was. I don’t even remember what I said, but whatever I said, I’m really sorry. And I’ve always thought you were so incredibly talented and we were all so young,” Phillips recalled Masur saying.
At the time, Phillips played Julie, the older daughter of divorced mom Ann Romano, played by the late Bonnie Franklin, while Bertinelli played her younger sister, Barbara. The show followed the family as Ann raised her daughters and they dealt with dating, relationships and growing up.
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Phillips starred on the show from 1975 to 1980, when her character was ultimately written off after she was fired for breaking her “morals contract” while dealing with addiction off-screen. Although she returned for a guest arc, she exited for good in 1983.
Masur, meanwhile, played David, Ann’s divorce lawyer who later became her love interest, but his short tenure on the show wasn’t entirely surprising given that the actor has previously acknowledged having mixed feelings about his time on the sitcom.
Credit: CBS via Getty
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While speaking with The A.V. Club, Masur recalled asking creator Norman Lear to kill David off because he didn’t want the character to have any possibility of returning. However, he claimed that Lear refused.
David was ultimately written out after the first season but returned for a guest appearance in season 6. Still, despite his frustrations, Masur has said he ultimately appreciated what the sitcom meant for his career.
“Listen, I am so grateful for One Day at a Time, even though for years and years and years people would go, ‘Oh, you were on One Day at a Time,’” the actor told the outlet. “I [am on the show] for about seven months and then this haunts me for the rest of my life. No, I had no regrets. I was very grateful.”
Reps for Masur did not respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
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