Judith Light

**Judith Ellen Light** (born February 9, 1949) is a critically-acclaimed American actress. She kickstarted her professional stage career in 1970 and made her Broadway debut five years later. Light's breakthrough came with her portrayal of Karen Wolek on the ABC daytime soap opera 'One Life to Live', a role that won her two consecutive Daytime Emmy Awards. A notable role of Light's career is Angela Bower in the ABC sitcom 'Who's the Boss?'. She also stood out for her performance in the NBC crime drama 'Law & Order: Special Victims Unit', and the ABC comedy-drama 'Ugly Betty'. Since 2014, Light starred in the Amazon Studios dark comedy-drama series 'Transparent', obtaining numerous nominations for the performance. Light is notable in theater as well, with multiple Tony award nominations and wins to her name. An HIV/AIDS and LGBTQ+ activist, Light began her advocacy work in the early 1980s. The New Jersey-native graduated from high school in 1966 and later earned a degree in drama from Carnegie Mellon University. Light's stage debut was at the California Shakespeare Festival in 1970. During her career span, she faced challenging roles like an addictive housekeeper-turned-prostitute in 'One Life to Live' that won her Emmy Awards, and Judith Brown Ryland in the TNT drama series 'Dallas'. Light's performance in the play 'Wit' earned her strong reviews, and she reprised the role in a national tour. Light's continued success in TV, film, and theater projects like 'Lombardi', 'Dallas', 'Transparent' and 'The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story' made her an influential figure in the entertainment industry, leading to her Hollywood Walk of Fame recognition in 2019.