HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

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 daytime soap opera ''
One Life to Live ''One Life to Live'' (often abbreviated as ''OLTL'') is an American soap opera broadcast on the ABC television network for more than 43 years, from July 15, 1968, to January 13, 2012, and then on the internet as a web series on Hulu and iTunes ...
'' from 1977 to 1983, where she played the role of Karen Wolek; 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 in the NBC 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 th ...
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 The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...
in 2007. From 2013 to 2014, she played the role of villainous Judith Brown Ryland in the TNT drama series, ''
Dallas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...
''. 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'', for which she received nominations for several
Golden Globe The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of ...
, Primetime Emmy, and Critics' Choice Award nominations. She received another Primetime Emmy and Critics' Choice Award nominations for playing Marilyn Miglin in '' The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story'' in 2018. In 2019, she was awarded a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Calif ...
. 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 c ...
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'' and ''
The Assembled Parties ''The Assembled Parties'' is a play written by Richard Greenberg. It relates the story of a Jewish family living on the Upper West Side of New York City over a twenty-year period, from 1980 to 2000. The play, which premiered on Broadway in 2013, re ...
''. 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 An accountant is a practitioner of accounting or accountancy. Accountants who have demonstrated competency through their professional associations' certification exams are certified to use titles such as Chartered Accountant, Chartered Certifi ...
. Light graduated from high school in 1966 at St. Mary's Hall– Doane Academy in
Burlington, New Jersey Burlington is a city in Burlington County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is a suburb of Philadelphia. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 9,743. Burlington was first incorporated on October 24, 1693, and was ...
. She graduated from
Carnegie Mellon University Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. One of its predecessors was established in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie as the Carnegie Technical Schools; it became the Carnegie Institute of Technology ...
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 Richard III (2 October 145222 August 1485) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. His defeat and death at the Bat ...
'' at the ''California Shakespeare Festival'' in 1970.


Career


Early work and breakthrough

Light made 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 ''
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 ...
'' 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 Mount Herzl ( he, הַר הֶרְצְ� ...
''. Light also acted for such theatre companies as the Milwaukee Repertory Theater and the Seattle Repertory Theatre. In the late 1970s, Light went through a real crisis after a period of not landing any parts. Broke, she almost quit acting, because she felt that she was not contributing to the theater. 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 a ...
role in the ABC
soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio drama ...
''
One Life to Live ''One Life to Live'' (often abbreviated as ''OLTL'') is an American soap opera broadcast on the ABC television network for more than 43 years, from July 15, 1968, to January 13, 2012, and then on the internet as a web series on Hulu and iTunes ...
''. 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 Karen Wolek, 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'' fr ...
. 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) from being convicted of killing Karen's pimp, Marco Dane ( Gerald Anthony) by admitting to the entire town, including her faithful husband, Dr Larry Wolek ( Michael Storm), 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 listings information as well as entertainment and television-related news. The company sold its print magazine division, TV Guide Magazine LLC, in 2008. Corporat ...
''. In 1980, this won Light her first
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 ...
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 ''St. Elsewhere'' was an American medical drama television series created by Joshua Brand and John Falsey, that originally ran on NBC from October 26, 1982, to May 25, 1988. The series stars Ed Flanders, Norman Lloyd, and William Daniels ...
'' 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; and the critically acclaimed biographical drama ''
The Ryan White Story ''The Ryan White Story'' is a 1989 American made-for-television biographical drama film starring Lukas Haas, and Judith Light, directed by John Herzfeld. The film first aired on the ABC network on January 16, 1989. It is based on the true 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. Light appeared in '' Wife, Mother, Murderer'' (1991), in which she played
Audrey Marie Hilley Audrey Marie Hilley (née Frazier; June 4, 1933 – February 26, 1987) was an American murderer. Her life and crime spree are the subjects of the 1991 telefilm '' Wife, Mother, Murderer''. Early life and first crimes Audrey Marie Frazier was born ...
. After ''Who's the Boss?,'' Light starred in another ABC sitcom, '' Phenom'', which ran for one season, 1993–94, before being canceled. In 1998 she starred in another short-lived sitcom, '' The Simple Life'' on CBS. She spent most of the 1990s starring in made-for-TV and feature films including '' Men Don't Tell'' and 1997's ''Too Close to Home'', which co-starred Ricky Schroder. 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 ...
-winning play ''
Wit Wit is a form of intelligent humour, the ability to say or write things that are clever and usually funny. Someone witty is a person who is skilled at making clever and funny remarks. Forms of wit include the quip, repartee, and wisecrack. For ...
''. 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 NBC 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 ''
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 ...
'' as
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 th ...
, the mother of Alexis 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 Comedy is a genre of fiction that cons ...
in 2008, for her performance in show. Light appeared in a number of films in the 2000s. She co-starred opposite Chris Messina and Jennifer Westfeldt in the 2006 romantic comedy film '' Ira & Abby''. 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
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 c ...
, for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play. Another role on Broadway followed, as Silda Grauman in '' Other Desert Cities'' 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 Madi ...
's drama ''Eden'', both in 2011 and neither of which were green-lit to continue. Light appeared on Broadway as Faye in the 2013 play, ''
The Assembled Parties ''The Assembled Parties'' is a play written by Richard Greenberg. It relates the story of a Jewish family living on the Upper West Side of New York City over a twenty-year period, from 1980 to 2000. The play, which premiered on Broadway in 2013, re ...
'', and won her second Tony Award for Featured Actress in a Play for her performance. In the same year, she joined the cast of TNT's continuation of the television series ''
Dallas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...
'', in the role of Judith Brown Ryland, 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 serie ...
(despite being only three years older than Mitch Pileggi 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 ...
'' naming her the "scene-stealer" of the series. In 2014, she was cast opposite Jeffrey Tambor 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'' created by Jill Soloway. 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 and Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film 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 in ...
in the 2014 rom-com, '' 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 ''We'll Never Have Paris'' is a 2014 American romantic comedy directed by Simon Helberg (in his directorial debut) and Jocelyn Towne. It stars Helberg, Melanie Lynskey, Zachary Quinto, Maggie Grace, Jason Ritter and Alfred Molina. It is based on t ...
'', the same year. She returned to Broadway in 2015 as
Madame Raquin Madame may refer to: * Madam, civility title or form of address for women, derived from the French * Madam (prostitution), a term for a woman who is engaged in the business of procuring prostitutes, usually the manager of a brothel * ''Madame'' ...
in
Helen Edmundson Helen Edmundson (born 1964) is a British playwright, screenwriter and producer. She has won awards and critical acclaim both for her original writing and for her adaptations of various literary classics for the stage and screen. Early life E ...
's adaptation of '' Thérèse Raquin'', 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 ...
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 numerous accolades, including four Golden ...
, 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 The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Calif ...
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 animat ...
. She later starred in the comedy-thriller '' The Menu''. 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 especi ...
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 Ne ...
series '' Julia'', both having premiered in 2022.


Personal life

Light has been married to television actor Robert Desiderio 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. ...
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 restauran ...
. She has practiced
Kundalini yoga Kundalini yoga () derives from '' kundalini'', defined in tantra as energy that lies within the body, frequently at the navel or the base of the spine. In normative tantric systems kundalini is considered to be dormant until it is activated ( ...
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 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 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 stimulat ...
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