Judith Ellen Light (born February 9, 1949) is an American actress. She made her professional stage debut in 1970, before making her

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

debut in the 1975 revival of ''

A Doll's House ''A Doll's House'' ( Danish and nb, Et dukkehjem; also translated as ''A Doll House'') is a three-act play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It premiered at the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 21 December 1879, having be ...

''. Her breakthrough role was in the

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

daytime soap opera '' One Life to Live'' from 1977 to 1983, where she played the role of

Karen Wolek Karen Wolek is a fictional character appearing on the American soap opera ''One Life to Live'' between May 1976 and February 1983. The role was most notably performed by Judith Light beginning in November 1977. Karen ultimately departs for an of ...

; for this role, she won two consecutive

Daytime Emmy Award The Daytime Emmy Awards, or Daytime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the New York–based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences ...

s for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. Light starred as Angela Bower in the long-running ABC sitcom '' Who's the Boss?'' from 1984 to 1992. Light played the recurring role of

Elizabeth Donnelly Elizabeth "Liz" Donnelly is a fictional character from the NBC crime drama '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'', portrayed by Judith Light. She made her first screen appearance during the third season episode "Guilt", which was broadcast on M ...

in the

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

legal crime drama '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' (2002–2010) and also played

Claire Meade Claire Meade is a fictional character in the American dramedy series ''Ugly Betty'', portrayed by Judith Light. Light's performance as Claire has resulted in a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series at t ...

in the ABC comedy-drama ''

Ugly Betty ''Ugly Betty'' is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Silvio Horta, which was originally broadcast on ABC. It premiered on September 28, 2006, and ended on April 14, 2010. The series is based on Fernando Gaitán's Colombi ...

'' (2006–2010), for which she was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in 2007. From 2013 to 2014, she played the role of villainous

Judith Brown Ryland ''Dallas'' is a continuation of the 1978–1991 series of the same name which tells the story of two rivalling families, the Ewing family and the Barnes family. The following is a list of characters and cast members who appeared on the show. The ...

in the

TNT Trinitrotoluene (), more commonly known as TNT, more specifically 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, and by its preferred IUPAC name 2-methyl-1,3,5-trinitrobenzene, is a chemical compound with the formula C6H2(NO2)3CH3. TNT is occasionally used as a reagen ...

drama series, ''

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

''. In 2014, she began starring as Shelly Pfefferman in the critically acclaimed

Amazon Studios Amazon Studios is an American television and film producer and distributor that is a subsidiary of Amazon. It specializes in developing television series and distributing and producing films. It was started in late 2010. Content is distributed th ...

dark comedy-drama series ''

Transparent Transparency, transparence or transparent most often refer to: * Transparency (optics), the physical property of allowing the transmission of light through a material They may also refer to: Literal uses * Transparency (photography), a still, ...

'', for which she received nominations for several Golden Globe, Primetime Emmy, and Critics' Choice Award nominations. She received another Primetime Emmy and Critics' Choice Award nominations for playing

Marilyn Miglin Marilyn Miglin ( Klecka; October 18, 1938 – March 14, 2022) was an American entrepreneur, inventor, and longtime host on the Home Shopping Network. She has been referred to as the "Queen of Makeovers". Miglin garnered significant media attent ...

in '' The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story'' in 2018. In 2019, she was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Light received her first nomination for a

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

in 2011, for her performance in the original Broadway play '' Lombardi''. In 2012 and 2013, she won two consecutive Tony Awards for Best Featured Actress in a Play, for her performances in ''

Other Desert Cities ''Other Desert Cities'' is a play by Jon Robin Baitz. The play premiered Off-Broadway in January 2011 and transferred to Broadway in November 2011, marking the Broadway debut of a Baitz play. The play was a finalist for the 2012 Pulitzer Prize f ...

'' and '' The Assembled Parties''. Light is a prominent LGBTQ+ and HIV/AIDS activist. Her advocacy work began in the early 1980s, in the early days of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

Early life

Light was born to a

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

family in

Trenton, New Jersey Trenton is the capital city of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. It was the capital of the United States from November 1 to December 24, 1784. She is the daughter of Pearl Sue (née Hollander), a model, and Sidney Light, an accountant. Light graduated from high school in 1966 at St. Mary's Hall–

Doane Academy Doane Academy is a coeducational, independent day school for grades from Pre-K to 12 located in Burlington, Burlington County, New Jersey, United States. Originally called St. Mary's Hall, it was founded in May 1837 by Episcopal Bishop George ...

in Burlington, New Jersey. She graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with a degree in drama. She recalled graduating with a class of 15 actors who were there all four years. She said "it was a really rigorous program and I thank God for it because it was an amazing training program." She made her professional debut on stage in '' Richard III'' at the ''California Shakespeare Festival'' in 1970.

Career

Early work and breakthrough

Light made her

debut in ''

'' in 1975. She also starred in the 1976 Broadway play ''

Herzl Herzl is both a given name and a surname. Notable people with the name include: Given name: *Herzl Berger *Herzl Bodinger *Herzl Rosenblum *Herzl Yankl Tsam Surname: *Theodor Herzl See also *Mount Herzl *''Herzl (play) ''Herzl'' is a 1976 play w ...

''. Light also acted for such theatre companies as the

Milwaukee Repertory Theater Milwaukee Repertory Theater ("Milwaukee Rep") is a theater company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded as the Fred Miller Theatre Company, the group is housed in the Patty & Jay Baker Theater Complex, which includes the Quadracci Powerhouse Theater, ...

and the

Seattle Repertory Theatre Seattle Repertory Theatre (familiarly known as "The Rep") is a major regional theatre located in Seattle, Washington, at the Seattle Center. It is a member of Theatre Puget Sound Broke, she almost quit acting, because she felt that she was not contributing to the theater. Judith Light crop

In 1977, her agent phoned Light to have her audition for an

understudy In theater, an understudy, referred to in opera as cover or covering, is a performer who learns the lines and blocking or choreography of a regular actor, actress, or other performer in a play. Should the regular actor or actress be unable to ap ...

role in the

soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...

'' One Life to Live''. Not wanting to be attached to a soap opera or a sitcom she initially rejected the idea, until she was told her daily salary would be $350. At the audition she realized that "the format reaches a lot of people". She could "make a difference" and "make money" at the same time. Instead of landing an understudy role, she was recast in the role of

, a role that had previously been portrayed by actresses Kathryn Breech and

Julia Duffy Julia Margaret Duffy (née Hinds; June 27, 1951) is an American film, stage, and television actress. She began her career in television, appearing in minor guest roles before being cast in the role of Penny Davis in the series ''The Doctors (1963 ...

. This role was quite lucrative for Light and spawned one of the show's most-remembered storylines; Light's character became an alcoholic prostitute after she became bored with her life as a housewife. On trial, Karen saved her friend Viki Lord Riley (

Erika Slezak Erika Alma Hermina Slezak (; born August 5, 1946) is an American actress, best known for her role as Victoria "Viki" Lord on the American daytime soap opera ''One Life to Live'' from 1971 through the television finale in 2012 and again in the ...

) from being convicted of killing Karen's pimp,

Marco Dane Marco Dane is a fictional character from the American soap opera ''One Life to Live''. The role was played by actor Gerald Anthony from its debut in 1977 through 1986, and from May 17, 1989 until 1990. Anthony crossed over in the role on sister soa ...

(

Gerald Anthony Gerald Anthony Bucciarelli (July 31, 1951 – May 28, 2004) was an American actor. Life and career Anthony was born Gerald Anthony Bucciarelli, the son of Italian immigrants had roles and appearances on many shows such as '' Another World'' and ...

) by admitting to the entire town, including her faithful husband, Dr Larry Wolek (

Michael Storm Michael Storm (born August 9, 1939) is an American musician and actor. Music career After playing in a folk music trio called the Other Singers, Storm founded the Good Time Singers, a band formed to replace the New Christy Minstrels on ''The ...

), that she had been a prostitute. Light's portrayal of Karen brought the show critical acclaim and is credited with garnering ''One Life to Live'' ratings successes from the late 1970s into the early 1980s. Light's dramatic, confessional courtroom performance of a housewife-turned-prostitute on the

witness stand A courtroom is the enclosed space in which courts of law are held in front of a judge. A number of courtrooms, which may also be known as "courts", may be housed in a courthouse. In recent years, courtrooms have been equipped with audiovisual ...

is regarded as one of the most memorable moments in television by ''

TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or t ...

''. In 1980, this won Light her first

for "Lead Actress in a Daytime Drama Series"; the scene in which she confessed her guilt in court is held in such high esteem that it is used in acting classes to the current day. Light recalled: "I was scared before those courtroom scenes. I was afraid to put myself out that much. With the agony of pulling it out piece by piece and having the prosecutor stick the knife in her gut, I couldn't help but let everything spew out of her." Light won another Emmy in the role in 1981. She appeared in an episode of '' St. Elsewhere'' in its first season, called "Dog Day Hospital", in which she played a housewife who became pregnant for the ninth time even though her husband claimed he had had a vasectomy. In an effort to punish the doctor who botched the job she took an operating room hostage though it was later revealed that her husband had not had the procedure.

Continued success and film expansion

After her success on daytime television Light landed the leading role of assertive advertising executive Angela Bower on the ABC sitcom '' Who's the Boss?''. Co-starring

Tony Danza Tony Danza (born Anthony Salvatore Iadanza; April 21, 1951) is an American actor. He is known for co-starring in the television series ''Taxi'' (1978–1983) and '' Who's the Boss?'' (1984–1992), for which he was nominated for an Emmy Award a ...

, who played her housekeeper (and eventual boyfriend), the show ran for eight seasons from 1984 to 1992. The series was successful in the ratings, consistently ranked in the top ten in the final primetime ratings between the years of 1985 and 1989, and has since continued in syndication. ''TV Guide'' ranked ''Who's the Boss?'' as the 109th best sitcom of all time. Along with her work in ''Who's the Boss?,'' she starred in several television films, including ''Stamp of a Killer'' (1987) alongside

Jimmy Smits Jimmy L. Smits (born July 9, 1955) is an American actor. He is best known for playing attorney Victor Sifuentes on the 1980s-1990s legal drama '' L.A. Law'', NYPD Detective Bobby Simone on the 1990s-2000s police drama ''NYPD Blue'', Matt Santos ...

; and the critically acclaimed biographical drama '' The Ryan White Story'' (1989), in which she played the mother of

HIV/AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual ...

positive teenager

Ryan White Ryan Wayne White (December 6, 1971 – April 8, 1990) was an American teenager from Kokomo, Indiana, who became a national poster child for HIV/AIDS in the United States after his school barred him from attending classes following a diagn ...

Light appeared in ''

Wife, Mother, Murderer ''Wife, Mother, Murderer'' is a 1991 American made-for-television drama film directed by Mel Damski and starring Judith Light, David Ogden Stiers, Kellie Overbey, David Dukes, and Whip Hubley. The screenplay concerns Alabama murderer Marie Hilley ...

'' (1991), in which she played Audrey Marie Hilley. After ''Who's the Boss?,'' Light starred in another ABC sitcom, ''

Phenom Phenom may refer to: * AMD Phenom, the 64-bit AMD desktop processor line based on the K10 microarchitecture ** Phenom II, a family of AMD's multi-core 45 nm processors using the AMD K10 microarchitecture * Phenom (electron microscope), a fast elec ...

'', which ran for one season, 1993–94, before being canceled. In 1998 she starred in another short-lived sitcom, ''

The Simple Life ''The Simple Life'' is an American reality television series starring Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie. It depicts the two wealthy socialites, as they struggle to do manual, low-paying jobs such as cleaning rooms, farm work, serving meals in fast ...

'' on

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

. She spent most of the 1990s starring in made-for-TV and feature films including ''

Men Don't Tell ''Men Don't Tell'' is a 1993 American made-for-television drama film starring Peter Strauss and Judith Light. It was directed by Harry Winer. The film first aired on CBS network on Sunday, March 14, 1993. The film was based on the true story of a ...

'' and 1997's ''Too Close to Home'', which co-starred

Ricky Schroder Richard Bartlett Schroder (born April 13, 1970) is an American actor and filmmaker. As a child actor billed as Ricky Schroder he debuted in the film '' The Champ'' (1979), for which he became the youngest Golden Globe award recipient, and went o ...

. In 1999, Light returned to the stage in the off-Broadway production of

Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prize () is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and musical composition within the United States. It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made h ...

-winning play '' Wit''. She earned strong reviews for her portrayal of Vivian Bearing, a university professor battling ovarian cancer, and reprised the role for the national tour. Light shaved her head for the role in the play. Light returned to television with the recurring role of Judge Elizabeth Donnelly in the

legal crime drama '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' in 2002. She appeared in 25 episodes of the series from 2002 to 2010. In 2004 she starred in another short-lived CBS sitcom, '' The Stones''. In 2006, Light joined the cast of the ABC comedy-drama series ''

'' as

, the mother of

Alexis Alexis may refer to: People Mononym * Alexis (poet) ( – ), a Greek comic poet * Alexis (sculptor), an ancient Greek artist who lived around the 3rd or 4th century BC * Alexis (singer) (born 1968), German pop singer * Alexis (comics) (1946–1977 ...

and

Daniel Daniel is a masculine given name and a surname of Hebrew origin. It means "God is my judge"Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 68. (cf. Gabriel—"God is my strength" ...

. She was a recurring guest-star during the first season and was promoted to series regular as of the second. Light appeared in the show until the series finale in 2010. She was nominated for the

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series Prime time or the peak time is the block of broadcast programming taking place during the middle of the evening for a television show. It is mostly targeted towards adults (and sometimes families). It is used by the major television networks to ...

in 2007, and for the

Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series The Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast (or Ensemble) in a Comedy Series is an award given by the Screen Actors Guild to honor the finest ensemble acting achievements in comedy series. Winners and nominees 1990s 20 ...

in 2008, for her performance in show. Light appeared in a number of films in the 2000s. She co-starred opposite

Chris Messina Christopher Messina (born August 11, 1974)Hochberg, Mina.Chris Messina stars in 'Ruby Sparks'��. ''Newsday'' (Long Island, New York). August 8, 2012: “...the actor, who turns 38 Saturday ugust 11, 2012 After graduating from Northport ew Yor ...

and

Jennifer Westfeldt Jennifer Westfeldt (born February 2, 1970) is an American actress, screenwriter, director, and producer. She is best known for co-writing, co-producing, and starring in the 2002 indie film '' Kissing Jessica Stein'', for which she received an ...

in the 2006 romantic comedy film ''

Ira & Abby ''Ira & Abby'' is a 2006 American romantic comedy film directed by Robert Cary and released in the United States by Magnolia Pictures. The poignant love story stars Chris Messina and Jennifer Westfeldt (who also wrote the screenplay) in the title ...

''. In 2007, Light starred as a radical Christian woman in the independent film '' Save Me''. Light's character, Gayle, runs a Christian ministry known as Genesis House, which works to help gay men recover from their 'affliction.' She is challenged by the arrival of Mark, an ill gay man who reminds Gayle of her dead, homosexual son, and the movie chronicles the challenges of the two as they learn to accept each other as they are.

Acclaim in theater and return to television

From 2010 to 2011, Light appeared on Broadway as witty alcoholic Marie Lombardi in the play '' Lombardi'', for which she received a nomination for the

, for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play. Another role on Broadway followed, as Silda Grauman in ''

'' from 2011 to 2012, which garnered Light her first Tony Award for Featured Actress in a Play and the 2012 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play. Light also starred in two television pilots, ABC's sitcom ''Other People's Kids'' and

USA Network USA Network (simply USA) is an American basic cable television channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. It was originally launched in 1977 as Madison ...

's drama ''Eden'', both in 2011 and neither of which were

green-lit To green-light is to give permission to proceed with a project. The term is a reference to the green traffic signal, indicating "go ahead". Film industry In the context of the film and television industries, to green-light something is to ...

to continue. Judith Light 2011

Light appeared on Broadway as Faye in the 2013 play, '' The Assembled Parties'', and won her second Tony Award for Featured Actress in a Play for her performance. In the same year, she joined the cast of

's continuation of the television series ''

'', in the role of

, villainous mother of

Harris Ryland Harris Ryland is a character in the American television series ''Dallas'', played by Mitch Pileggi. Harris is the son of Judith Brown Ryland (Judith Light) and ex-husband of Ann Ewing (Brenda Strong). Casting Mitch Pileggi was cast in the series ...

(despite being only three years older than

Mitch Pileggi Mitch Pileggi (born April 5, 1952) is an American actor. He played Horace Pinker in '' Shocker'', Walter Skinner on ''The X-Files'', Colonel Steven Caldwell on ''Stargate Atlantis'', Ernest Darby in ''Sons of Anarchy'', and Harris Ryland in the ...

who plays her TV son). She received positive reviews for her recurring role in ''Dallas'', with ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...

'' naming her the "scene-stealer" of the series. In 2014, she was cast opposite

Jeffrey Tambor Jeffrey Michael Tambor (born July 8, 1944) is an American actor. He is known for his television roles such as Jeffrey Brookes, the uptight neighbor of Stanley and Helen Roper in the television sitcom ''The Ropers'' (1979–1980), as Hank Kings ...

in the critically acclaimed

dark comedy-drama series, ''

'' created by

Jill Soloway Joey Soloway (previously Jill Soloway; born September 26, 1965) is an American television creator, showrunner, director and writer. Soloway is known for creating, writing, executive producing and directing the Amazon original series ''Transparent' ...

. She plays Shelly Pfefferman, ex-wife of the transgender character played by Tambor. The pilot episode debuted on February 6, 2014, and later episodes premiered on September 26, 2014. Light received

Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series The Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series is one of the award categories presented annually by the Critics' Choice Television Awards (BTJA) to recognize the work done by television actresses. Winners and ...

and

Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film The Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries, or Television Film is an award presented annually by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA). It is the Golden Globe Award given in honor of an actress who has deli ...

nominations for her performance. Light appeared opposite

Patricia Clarkson Patricia Davies Clarkson (born December 29, 1959) is an American actress. She has starred in numerous leading and supporting roles in a variety of films ranging from independent film features to major film studio productions. Her accolades incl ...

in the 2014

rom-com Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a subgenre of comedy and slice of life fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount most obstacles. In a typica ...

, '' Last Weekend'', and as the mother of

Melanie Lynskey Melanie Jayne Lynskey ( ; born 16 May 1977) is a New Zealand actress widely known for her portrayals of complex women in several independent films and television shows and also known for her command of American dialects. Lynskey is the recipi ...

's character in a comedy-drama film, '' We'll Never Have Paris'', the same year. She returned to Broadway in 2015 as Madame Raquin in Helen Edmundson's adaptation of ''

Thérèse Raquin ''Thérèse Raquin'' is an 1868 novel by French writer Émile Zola, first published in serial form in the literary magazine ''L'Artiste'' in 1867. It was Zola's third novel, though the first to earn wide fame. The novel's adultery and murder ...

'', starring opposite

Keira Knightley Keira Christina Righton (; née Knightley, born 26 March 1985) is an English actress. Known for her work in both independent films and blockbusters, particularly period dramas, she has received several accolades, including nominations for ...

and Matt Ryan. In 2017, Light was featured in the

American Theatre Wing The American Theatre Wing (the Wing for short) is a New York City–based non-profit organization "dedicated to supporting excellence and education in theatre", according to its mission statement. Originally known as the Stage Women's War Relief ...

's Working in the Theatre series on solo performance. Light received critical acclaim for her portrayal of Marilyn Miglin in 2018's '' The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story,'' a

mini-series A miniseries or mini-series is a television series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. "Limited series" is another more recent US term which is sometimes used interchangeably. , the popularity of miniseries format h ...

on FX, culminating in a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie. In 2019, Light guest-starred in the Netflix series, ''The Politician''. Together with

Bette Midler Bette Midler (;''Inside the Actors Studio'', 2004 born December 1, 1945) is an American singer, actress, comedian and author. Throughout her career, which spans over five decades, Midler has received List of awards and nominations received by Be ...

, she joined the main cast of the series for the second season, which premiered in June 2020. She received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on September 12, 2019. In 2021, Light played Rosa Stevens in the biographical musical drama film '' Tick, Tick... Boom!'' directed by

Lin-Manuel Miranda Lin-Manuel Miranda (; born January 16, 1980) is an American songwriter, actor, playwright and filmmaker. He is known for creating the Broadway musicals ''Hamilton'' (2015) and ''In the Heights'' (2005), and the soundtracks for the Disney animate ...

. She later starred in the comedy-thriller ''

The Menu ''The'' () is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite ...

''. She also was cast in the comedy-drama ''Down Low'', and comedy-drama ''The Young Wife'' starring

Kiersey Clemons Kiersey Nicole Clemons (born December 17, 1993) is an American actress. She is known for her role in the 2015 comedy-drama film '' Dope'', playing Cassandra "Diggy" Andrews. Subsequently, she went on to co-star in '' Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising ...

. On television, Light played

Courteney Cox Courteney Bass Cox (previously Courteney Cox Arquette; born June 15, 1964) is an American actress and filmmaker. She gained international recognition for her starring role as Monica Geller on the NBC sitcom '' Friends'', which aired from 1994 ...

's mother in the Starz horror comedy series ''

Shining Vale ''Shining Vale'' is an American comedy horror television series created by Jeff Astrof and Sharon Horgan. The series stars Courteney Cox, Greg Kinnear, Sherilyn Fenn, Mira Sorvino, Merrin Dungey, and Judith Light. It premiered on Starz on Mar ...

'', and

Blanche Knopf Blanche Wolf Knopf (July 30, 1894 – June 4, 1966) was the president of Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., and wife of publisher Alfred A. Knopf Sr., with whom she established the firm in 1915. Blanche traveled the world seeking new authors and was especia ...

in the

HBO Max HBO Max is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in the United States on May 27, 2020, the service is built around the libraries of HBO, Warner Bros., Cartoon Netw ...

series ''

Julia Julia is usually a feminine given name. It is a Latinate feminine form of the name Julio and Julius. (For further details on etymology, see the Wiktionary entry "Julius".) The given name ''Julia'' had been in use throughout Late Antiquity (e.g ...

'', both having premiered in 2022.

Personal life

Light has been married to television actor

Robert Desiderio Robert Desiderio (born September 9, 1951) is an American actor best known for his roles on television. Life and career Desiderio was born in The Bronx, the son of Mary (née Demattia) and Anthony J. Desiderio. He and actress Judith Light marrie ...

since 1985. The couple live apart: she lives in New York City, and he resides in Southern California. She has a home in

Beverly Hills, California Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. B ...

and a home in Aspen, Colorado. She is Jewish and considers herself religious, without being attached to institutional religion

per se Per se may refer to: * '' per se'', a Latin phrase meaning "by itself" or "in itself". * Illegal ''per se'', the legal usage in criminal and antitrust law * Negligence ''per se'', legal use in tort law * Per Se (restaurant), a New York City restaur ...

. She has practiced Kundalini yoga for 20 years.

Activism

After being inspired by the

LGBTQ+ ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term is ...

community, Light began advocating for people diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in the early 1980s. She was one of the first celebrities to advocate against the social stigma encountered by LGBTQ+ people and those with AIDS. She has served on the boards of the

Matthew Shepard Foundation The Matthew Shepard Foundation is an LGBT nonprofit organization, headquartered in Casper, Wyoming, which was founded in December 1998 by Dennis and Judy Shepard in memory of their son, Matthew. The Foundation runs education, outreach, and adv ...

and the Point Foundation, a support organization for students discriminated against based on sexual orientation or gender. Through her role in ''Transparent'' as the ex-wife of a transgender person, Light raises these issues to a broad audience. She reported "It's something that we really haven't talked about before in pop culture, we haven't talked about transgender issues, we haven't talked about mature people's sexuality." In an interview with the magazine ''Out'', Light stated:

“It was the LGBTQ community that inspired me to be the kind of person I wanted to be. I wanted to be authentic and courageous, and for so long I wasn't. When I began doing a lot of advocacy work in the early '80s for HIV and AIDS, I saw the community and the way the community was operating against all odds, against a world and a culture and country that gave them nothing and denigrated them. ... I looked at this community and said, 'This is breathtaking. This is the kind of world and people I want to be around. These are the kind of people I want to be working with."

In 2018, Light discussed the similarities between the beginnings of the

LGBT rights movement Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) movements are social movements that advocate for LGBT people in society. Some focus on equal rights, such as the ongoing movement for same-sex marriage, while others focus on liberation, as in the ...

and the

Me Too movement #MeToo is a social movement against sexual abuse, sexual harassment, and rape culture, in which people publicize their experiences of sexual abuse or sexual harassment. The phrase "Me Too" was initially used in this context on social media in ...

. In addition to LGBT and AIDS activism, she has spoken publicly to encourage

vaccination Vaccination is the administration of a vaccine to help the immune system develop immunity from a disease. Vaccines contain a microorganism or virus in a weakened, live or killed state, or proteins or toxins from the organism. In stimulating ...

against the flu as a way to protect vulnerable populations.

Filmography

Film

Television films

Television series

Theatre

Awards and nominations

Film and television

Theatre

References

External links

* * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Light, Judith 1949 births Living people 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses Jewish American actresses American film actresses American stage actresses American television actresses American soap opera actresses Doane Academy alumni Drama Desk Award winners Tony Award winners Daytime Emmy Award winners Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series winners Carnegie Mellon University College of Fine Arts alumni Actresses from California Actresses from New Jersey People from Greater Los Angeles Actors from Trenton, New Jersey LGBT rights activists from the United States HIV/AIDS activists