Judith Light
Encyclopedia
Judith Ellen Light is an American actress. Her television roles include Karen Wolek
on the soap opera One Life to Live
, Angela Bower on the sitcom Who's the Boss?
, Claire Meade
on ABC
's TV series Ugly Betty
and Judge Elizabeth "Liz" Donnelly
on Law & Order Special Victims Unit.
, 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
, now Doane Academy, in Burlington, New Jersey
.
She graduated from Carnegie-Mellon University with a degree in drama. She recalled the university as "rigorous" and "amazing". Afterwards, she started out on stage, making her professional debut in Richard III
at the California Shakespeare Festival in 1970, before moving to Broadway
to star in A Doll's House
in 1975. She also starred in the 1976 Broadway play Herzl
. 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.
role in the ABC
soap opera
One Life to Live
. Never wanting to be attached to a soap opera or a sitcom, she initially rejected the idea, until she was told that she would have a daily salary of US$350. At the audition, she realized that "the format reaches a lot of people", and that she could thereby "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
. This role was quite lucrative for Light and spawned one of the show's most-remembered storylines; Light's character became a prostitute after she became bored with her life as a housewife.
On trial, Karen saved her friend Viki Lord Riley
from being convicted of killing her pimp
by admitting to the entire town, including her faithful husband, that she had been a prostitute. In 1980, this won Light her first Daytime Emmy Award
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:
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 9th time even though her husband claimed he 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.
After this success on daytime, she landed the role of assertive advertising
executive Angela Bower on the ABC sitcom Who's the Boss. Co-starring Tony Danza
, who played her housekeeper (and eventual lover), the show ran for eight seasons from 1984 to 1992. TV Guide
has Who's the Boss? ranked as the 109th best sitcom of all time.
Light spent most of the 1990s starring in made-for-TV and feature films
such as Men Don't Tell and 1997's Too Close to Home, which co-starred Rick Schroder
. She also starred on the sitcom Phenom
, which ran for only one season (1993–1994) before being canceled.
In 2000 she received critical acclaim when she starred on stage as Dr. Vivian Bearing in Wit, Margaret Edson
's Pulitzer Prize
-winning play about an academic dying from ovarian cancer.
Since 2002, she has had a recurring role on NBC
's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
, where she plays Judge Elizabeth Donnelly
, who served as an EADA and Bureau Chief in the Manhattan District Attorney
's office before being appointed to the bench in Season 7.
In 2006 she landed the recurring role of Claire Meade
, the alcoholic mother of Daniel
and Alexis Meade
, on ABC's Ugly Betty
. The role earned her an Emmy nomination.
Light appeared in a May 2006 episode of Family Guy
("Untitled Griffin Family History
") wherein she voiced a cartoon version of herself obsessed with former co-star Tony Danza
and making out with a constructed dummy of Tony in her house. She also recently appeared in an episode of the NBC sitcom Twenty Good Years
.
In 2007 Light starred as a radical Christian woman in Save Me an independent film. 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, gay son, and the movie chronicles the challenges of the two as they learn to accept each other as they are.
In 2011 Light was nominated for a Tony award for her role in the Broadway production of Lombardi.
since 1985, when they met while co-starring on One Life to Live
. They have no children. She speaks French fluently.
and helped former Who's the Boss? co-star Danny Pintauro
in coming out
. She has done work for many LGBT
charities. She sits on the board of the Matthew Shepard Foundation
and spoke at the 1993 March on Washington. In 1998, she had a library named after her at the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center
.
She is also a prominent AIDS
activist and played Ryan White
's mother in a 1989 TV movie on his life. Also, she sits on the board of Point Foundation
, a LGBT
organization that provides financial support, mentoring, leadership training and hope to meritorious students who are or feel marginalized due to sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.
On April 1, 2010, Judith Light joined Cyndi Lauper
in the launch of her Give a Damn campaign to bring a wider awareness of discrimination
of the GLBT community as part of her True Colors Fund. The campaign is to bring straight people to stand up with the gay
, lesbian
, bisexual, transgendered community and stop the discrimination. Other names included in the campaign are Whoopi Goldberg
, Jason Mraz
, Elton John
, Cynthia Nixon
, Kim Kardashian
, Clay Aiken
, Sharon Osbourne
, Kelly Osbourne
and Jesse Tyler Ferguson
.
Karen Wolek
Karen Wolek is a fictional character on the American soap opera One Life to Live. The character first appeared May 1976, originated by relative newcomer Kathryn Breech, and most notably portrayed by actress Judith Light. Light stepped into the role in 1977, subsequently winning two consecutive...
on the soap opera One Life to Live
One Life to Live
One Life to Live is an American soap opera which debuted on July 15, 1968 and has been broadcast on the ABC television network. Created by Agnes Nixon, the series was the first daytime drama to primarily feature racially and socioeconomically diverse characters and consistently emphasize social...
, Angela Bower on the sitcom Who's the Boss?
Who's the Boss?
Who's the Boss? is an American sitcom created by Martin Cohan and Blake Hunter, which aired on ABC from September 20, 1984 to April 25, 1992...
, Claire Meade
Claire Meade
Claire Meade is a fictional character in the American dramedy series Ugly Betty. She is played by Judith Light.Light's performance as Claire has resulted in a nomination for outstanding guest actress in a Comedy series at the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards, when Claire was a recurring regular in season...
on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's TV series Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Silvio Horta, which premiered on ABC on September 28, 2006, and ended on April 14, 2010. The series revolves around the character Betty Suarez and is based on Fernando Gaitán's Colombian telenovela soap opera Yo soy Betty, la fea...
and Judge Elizabeth "Liz" Donnelly
Elizabeth Donnelly
Elizabeth Donnelly is a fictional character on the NBC crime drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, portrayed by Judith Light since 2002.-Character overview:...
on Law & Order Special Victims Unit.
Early life
Light was born in Trenton, New JerseyTrenton, New Jersey
Trenton is the capital of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Trenton had a population of 84,913...
, 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
St. Mary's Hall-Doane Academy
Doane Academy is a coeducational private day school located in Burlington, New Jersey. Founded in May 1837 by Bishop George Washington Doane. Doane Academy was originally an all-girls boarding school, predating Mount Holyoke College by several months...
, now Doane Academy, in Burlington, New Jersey
Burlington, New Jersey
Burlington is a city in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States and a suburb of Philadelphia. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 9,920....
.
She graduated from Carnegie-Mellon University with a degree in drama. She recalled the university as "rigorous" and "amazing". Afterwards, she started out on stage, making her professional debut in Richard III
Richard III (play)
Richard III is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in approximately 1591. It depicts the Machiavellian rise to power and subsequent short reign of Richard III of England. The play is grouped among the histories in the First Folio and is most often classified...
at the California Shakespeare Festival in 1970, before moving to Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
to star in A Doll's House
A Doll's House
A Doll's House is a three-act play in prose by the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It premièred at the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 21 December 1879, having been published earlier that month....
in 1975. She also starred in the 1976 Broadway play Herzl
Herzl (play)
Herzl is a 1976 play written by Dore Schary and Amos Elon based on the biography written by Elon. The show opened at the Palace Theatre, Broadway on November 30, 1976 and closed on December 5, 1976 after 8 performances.-Setting:...
. Light also acted for such theatre companies as the Milwaukee Repertory Theater
Milwaukee Repertory Theater
Milwaukee Repertory Theater, founded by Mary Widrig John in 1954, as the Fred Miller Theatre Company, is now located on the east bank of the Milwaukee River in the Patty and Jay Baker Theater Complex at 108 E Wells St, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is home to an eleven member Resident Acting Company...
and the Seattle Repertory Theatre
Seattle Repertory Theatre
Seattle Repertory Theatre is a major regional theatre located in Seattle, Washington, at the Seattle Center. It is a member of Theatre Puget Sound and Theatre Communications Group. Founded in 1963, it is led by Artistic Director Jerry Manning and Managing Director Benjamin Moore...
. 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.
Career
In this period, Light was called by her agent to audition for an understudyUnderstudy
In theater, an understudy is a performer who learns the lines and blocking/choreography of a regular actor or actress in a play. Should the regular actor or actress be unable to appear on stage because of illness or emergencies, the understudy takes over the part...
role in the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
One Life to Live
One Life to Live
One Life to Live is an American soap opera which debuted on July 15, 1968 and has been broadcast on the ABC television network. Created by Agnes Nixon, the series was the first daytime drama to primarily feature racially and socioeconomically diverse characters and consistently emphasize social...
. Never wanting to be attached to a soap opera or a sitcom, she initially rejected the idea, until she was told that she would have a daily salary of US$350. At the audition, she realized that "the format reaches a lot of people", and that she could thereby "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
Karen Wolek
Karen Wolek is a fictional character on the American soap opera One Life to Live. The character first appeared May 1976, originated by relative newcomer Kathryn Breech, and most notably portrayed by actress Judith Light. Light stepped into the role in 1977, subsequently winning two consecutive...
, a role that had previously been portrayed by actresses Kathryn Breech and Julia Duffy
Julia Duffy
Julia Duffy is an American actress from Minneapolis, Minnesota, specializing in character roles, best known as the spoiled rich girl and Dick Loudon's inn maid, Stephanie Vanderkellen, on the 1980s sitcom, Newhart.-Career:Duffy's early caeer included parts in soap operas such as One Life to Live,...
. This role was quite lucrative for Light and spawned one of the show's most-remembered storylines; Light's character became a prostitute after she became bored with her life as a housewife.
On trial, Karen saved her friend Viki Lord Riley
Victoria Lord
Victoria "Viki" Lord is the principal fictional character and matriarch of the Lord family on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live...
from being convicted of killing her pimp
Pimp
A pimp is an agent for prostitutes who collects part of their earnings. The pimp may receive this money in return for advertising services, physical protection, or for providing a location where she may engage clients...
by admitting to the entire town, including her faithful husband, that she had been a prostitute. In 1980, this won Light her first Daytime Emmy Award
Daytime Emmy Award
The Daytime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Los Angeles-based Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American daytime television programming...
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
St. Elsewhere is an American medical drama television series that originally ran on NBC from October 26, 1982 to May 25, 1988. The series is set at fictional St. Eligius, a decaying urban teaching hospital in Boston's South End neighborhood...
in its first season, called "Dog Day Hospital", in which she played a housewife who became pregnant for the 9th time even though her husband claimed he 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.
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
executive Angela Bower on the ABC sitcom Who's the Boss. Co-starring Tony Danza
Tony Danza
Tony Danza is an American actor best known for starring on the TV series Taxi and Who's the Boss?, for which he was nominated for an Emmy Award and four Golden Globe Awards...
, who played her housekeeper (and eventual lover), the show ran for eight seasons from 1984 to 1992. TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
has Who's the Boss? ranked as the 109th best sitcom of all time.
Light spent most of the 1990s starring in made-for-TV and feature films
Television movie
A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
such as Men Don't Tell and 1997's Too Close to Home, which co-starred Rick Schroder
Rick Schroder
Richard Bartlett "Rick" Schroder, Jr. is an American actor and film director.He debuted in the 1979 hit film The Champ, going on to become a child star on the sitcom Silver Spoons...
. She also starred on the sitcom Phenom
Phenom (TV series)
Phenom is an American sitcom about a tennis wunderkind that aired on ABC from September 14, 1993 to May 10, 1994. The series stars Angela Goethals, Judith Light, and William Devane.-Synopsis:...
, which ran for only one season (1993–1994) before being canceled.
In 2000 she received critical acclaim when she starred on stage as Dr. Vivian Bearing in Wit, Margaret Edson
Margaret Edson
Margaret Edson is an American playwright. She graduated with a B.A. in Renaissance History from Smith College, and received a master's in English literature from Georgetown University...
's Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
-winning play about an academic dying from ovarian cancer.
Since 2002, she has had a recurring role on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it is also primarily produced...
, where she plays Judge Elizabeth Donnelly
Elizabeth Donnelly
Elizabeth Donnelly is a fictional character on the NBC crime drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, portrayed by Judith Light since 2002.-Character overview:...
, who served as an EADA and Bureau Chief in the Manhattan District Attorney
New York County District Attorney
The New York County District Attorney is the elected district attorney for New York County , New York. The office is responsible for the prosecution of violations of New York state laws....
's office before being appointed to the bench in Season 7.
In 2006 she landed the recurring role of Claire Meade
Claire Meade
Claire Meade is a fictional character in the American dramedy series Ugly Betty. She is played by Judith Light.Light's performance as Claire has resulted in a nomination for outstanding guest actress in a Comedy series at the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards, when Claire was a recurring regular in season...
, the alcoholic mother of Daniel
Daniel Meade
Daniel Meade is a fictional character in the American dramedy series Ugly Betty. He is played by Eric Mabius.-Background:Daniel is the second son of magazine publisher Bradford Meade and Claire Meade in 1974...
and Alexis Meade
Alexis Meade
Alexis Meade is a fictional character from the ABC dramedy series Ugly Betty. She was initially played by Elizabeth Penn Payne for the first 12 episodes of her appearance and was played by Rebecca Romijn for the rest of the series.-Biography:Alex Meade was a background presence in the...
, on ABC's Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Silvio Horta, which premiered on ABC on September 28, 2006, and ended on April 14, 2010. The series revolves around the character Betty Suarez and is based on Fernando Gaitán's Colombian telenovela soap opera Yo soy Betty, la fea...
. The role earned her an Emmy nomination.
Light appeared in a May 2006 episode of Family Guy
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
("Untitled Griffin Family History
Untitled Griffin Family History
"Untitled Griffin Family History" is the twenty-seventh episode of the fourth season of the animated comedy series Family Guy. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on May 14, 2006. The episode begins after robbers break in to the Griffin family home, so the family flees to safety in...
") wherein she voiced a cartoon version of herself obsessed with former co-star Tony Danza
Tony Danza
Tony Danza is an American actor best known for starring on the TV series Taxi and Who's the Boss?, for which he was nominated for an Emmy Award and four Golden Globe Awards...
and making out with a constructed dummy of Tony in her house. She also recently appeared in an episode of the NBC sitcom Twenty Good Years
Twenty Good Years
Twenty Good Years was an NBC situation comedy starring Jeffrey Tambor, John Lithgow, Heather Burns and Jake Sandvig that ran from October 11, 2006 until November 1, 2006. The series had also been slated to air on CTV in Canada...
.
In 2007 Light starred as a radical Christian woman in Save Me an independent film. 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, gay son, and the movie chronicles the challenges of the two as they learn to accept each other as they are.
In 2011 Light was nominated for a Tony award for her role in the Broadway production of Lombardi.
Personal life
Light is Jewish. She has been married to television actor Robert DesiderioRobert Desiderio
Robert Desiderio is an American actor best known for his television roles.Desiderio was born in New York City, New York, the son of Mary and Anthony J. Desiderio. He first came to prominence in soap opera, with parts in daytime dramas such as Search for Tomorrow, Ryan's Hope and One Life to Live...
since 1985, when they met while co-starring on One Life to Live
One Life to Live
One Life to Live is an American soap opera which debuted on July 15, 1968 and has been broadcast on the ABC television network. Created by Agnes Nixon, the series was the first daytime drama to primarily feature racially and socioeconomically diverse characters and consistently emphasize social...
. They have no children. She speaks French fluently.
Activism
Light is a gay rights activistActivism
Activism consists of intentional efforts to bring about social, political, economic, or environmental change. Activism can take a wide range of forms from writing letters to newspapers or politicians, political campaigning, economic activism such as boycotts or preferentially patronizing...
and helped former Who's the Boss? co-star Danny Pintauro
Danny Pintauro
Daniel John Pintauro is an American actor best known for his role on the popular American sitcom Who's the Boss? and his role in the 1983 film Cujo.-Career:...
in coming out
Coming out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
. She has done work for many LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
charities. She sits on the board of the Matthew Shepard Foundation
Matthew Shepard Foundation
The Matthew Shepard Foundation is an LGBT rights group founded in December 1998 by Dennis and Judy Shepard in memory of their 21-year-old son, Matthew, who was murdered in Wyoming in October 1998.-The Matthew Shepard Point Scholarship:...
and spoke at the 1993 March on Washington. In 1998, she had a library named after her at the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center
Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center
The Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center provides a broad array of services for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Its clinic and on-site pharmacy offers free and low-cost health, mental health, HIV/AIDS medical care and HIV/STD testing and prevention, although there are no direct...
.
She is also a prominent AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
activist and played Ryan White
Ryan White
Ryan Wayne White was an American teenager from Kokomo, Indiana, who became a national poster child for HIV/AIDS in the United States, after being expelled from middle school because of his infection. A hemophiliac, he became infected with HIV from a contaminated blood treatment and, when diagnosed...
's mother in a 1989 TV movie on his life. Also, she sits on the board of Point Foundation
Point Foundation (LGBT)
The Point Foundation is the first and largest national foundation to support academic achievement in higher education among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students by providing financial support, mentoring and hope to meritorious students who are marginalized due to sexual orientation,...
, a LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
organization that provides financial support, mentoring, leadership training and hope to meritorious students who are or feel marginalized due to sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.
On April 1, 2010, Judith Light joined Cyndi Lauper
Cyndi Lauper
Cynthia Ann Stephanie "Cyndi" Lauper is an American singer, songwriter, actress and LGBT rights activist. She achieved success in the mid-1980s with the release of the album She's So Unusual and became the first female singer to have four top-five singles released from one album...
in the launch of her Give a Damn campaign to bring a wider awareness of discrimination
Discrimination
Discrimination is the prejudicial treatment of an individual based on their membership in a certain group or category. It involves the actual behaviors towards groups such as excluding or restricting members of one group from opportunities that are available to another group. The term began to be...
of the GLBT community as part of her True Colors Fund. The campaign is to bring straight people to stand up with the gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
, lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
, bisexual, transgendered community and stop the discrimination. Other names included in the campaign are Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg is an American comedian, actress, singer-songwriter, political activist, author and talk show host.Goldberg made her film debut in The Color Purple playing Celie, a mistreated black woman in the Deep South. She received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress and won...
, Jason Mraz
Jason Mraz
Jason Thomas Mraz , also known as Mr. AZ and Mr. Raz, is an American singer-songwriter. Mraz released his debut album, Waiting for My Rocket to Come, which contained the hit single "The Remedy ", in 2002, but it was not until the release of his second album, "Mr. A-Z", in 2005, that Mraz achieved...
, Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
, Cynthia Nixon
Cynthia Nixon
Cynthia Ellen Nixon is an American actress, known for her portrayal of Miranda Hobbes in the HBO series Sex and the City . She has received two Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Emmy Awards, a Tony Award, and a Grammy Award....
, Kim Kardashian
Kim Kardashian
Kimberly Noel "Kim" Kardashian is an American socialite, television personality, model, actress and businesswoman. She is known for the E! reality series that she shares with her family—Keeping Up with the Kardashians, and its spin-offs including Kourtney and Kim Take New York...
, Clay Aiken
Clay Aiken
Clayton Holmes "Clay" Aiken is an American singer, songwriter, actor, producer and author who began his rise to fame on the second season of the television program American Idol in 2003. RCA Records offered him a recording contract, and his multi-platinum debut album Measure of a Man was released...
, Sharon Osbourne
Sharon Osbourne
Sharon Rachel Osbourne is an English television host, author, music manager, businesswoman and promoter as well as the wife of heavy metal singer-songwriter Ozzy Osbourne....
, Kelly Osbourne
Kelly Osbourne
Kelly Michelle Lee Osbourne is an English media personality, television personality, host, judge, fashion designer, singer, and actress, best known for being the daughter of Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne...
and Jesse Tyler Ferguson
Jesse Tyler Ferguson
Jesse Tyler Ferguson is an American actor who portrays Mitchell Pritchett on the ABC sitcom Modern Family. Previously he played the role of Richie Velch in the CBS sitcom The Class. He is openly gay.-Life and career:...
.
Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 2000 | Joseph: King of Dreams Joseph: King of Dreams Joseph: King of Dreams is a 2000 American animated musical film and the first direct-to-video release from DreamWorks Animation. The film is an adaptation of the story of Joseph from the Book of Genesis in the Bible and also serves as a prequel to the 1998 film The Prince of Egypt.- Plot :Joseph is... |
Zuleika (voice) | Direct-to-video Direct-to-video Direct-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television... |
| 2006 | Ira and Abby Ira and Abby Ira and Abby is a 2006 romantic comedy film directed by Robert Cary and released in the US by Magnolia Pictures. The poignant love story stars Chris Messina and Jennifer Westfeldt in the title roles, and co-stars Fred Willard, Frances Conroy, Jason Alexander, Robert Klein and Judith... |
Arlene Black | |
| A Broken Sole | Hilary | Short film | |
| 2007 | Save Me Save Me (2007 film) Save Me is a 2007 film directed by Robert Cary about Mark , a drug-addicted homosexual man who is admitted into an ex-gay program run by Gayle and her husband Ted... |
Gayle | |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1977 | Kojak Kojak Kojak is an American television series starring Telly Savalas as the title character, bald New York City Police Department Detective Lieutenant Theo Kojak. It aired from October 24, 1973, to March 18, 1978, on CBS. It took the time slot of the popular Cannon series, which was moved one hour earlier... |
Laetitia Palmerance | 1 episode |
| 1977-83 | One Life to Live One Life to Live One Life to Live is an American soap opera which debuted on July 15, 1968 and has been broadcast on the ABC television network. Created by Agnes Nixon, the series was the first daytime drama to primarily feature racially and socioeconomically diverse characters and consistently emphasize social... |
Karen Wolek Karen Wolek Karen Wolek is a fictional character on the American soap opera One Life to Live. The character first appeared May 1976, originated by relative newcomer Kathryn Breech, and most notably portrayed by actress Judith Light. Light stepped into the role in 1977, subsequently winning two consecutive... #3 |
Daytime soap opera Unknown episodes Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series The Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series is an award which has been given every year at the Daytime Emmys ceremony since 1974... (1980 & 1981) Soapy Award for Outstanding Actress Soapy Awards The Soapy Awards were an award presented by Soap Opera Digest magazine to the best work on American soap operas from 1977 until 1983. Unlike their successors, the Soap Opera Digest Awards, this accolade lacked a great deal of glamour. The statue itself was a tall geometic crystal were presented... (1979 & 1980) |
| 1983 | Intimate Agony | Marsha | TV movie a.k.a. Doctor in Paradise |
| St. Elsewhere St. Elsewhere St. Elsewhere is an American medical drama television series that originally ran on NBC from October 26, 1982 to May 25, 1988. The series is set at fictional St. Eligius, a decaying urban teaching hospital in Boston's South End neighborhood... |
Barbara Lonnicker | 1 episode | |
| Family Ties Family Ties Family Ties is an American sitcom that aired on NBC for seven seasons, from 1982 to 1989. The sitcom reflected the move in the United States from the cultural liberalism of the 1960s and 1970s to the conservatism of the 1980s. This was particularly expressed through the relationship between young... |
Stacey Hughes | 1 episode | |
| 1984 | The Mississippi | 1 episode | |
| Remington Steele Remington Steele Remington Steele is an American television series, co-created by Robert Butler and Michael Gleason. The series, starring Stephanie Zimbalist and Pierce Brosnan, was produced by MTM Enterprises and first broadcast on the NBC network from 1982 to 1987. The series blended the genres of romantic... |
Clarissa Custer | 1 episode | |
| You Are the Jury | Elizabeth Harding | 1 episode | |
| 1986 | Charmed Lives | Angela Bower | 1 episode |
| 1987 | Stamp of a Killer | Cathy Proctor | TV movie a.k.a. Dangerous Affection |
| 1989 | The Ryan White Story | Jeanne White | TV movie |
| My Boyfriend's Back | Vickie Vine | TV movie | |
| 1990 | In Defense of a Married Man | Laura Simmons | TV movie |
| 1991 | Wife, Mother, Murderer Wife, Mother, Murderer Wife, Mother, Murderer is an American drama film about serial killer Marie Hilley, directed by Mel Damski.-Cast:*Judith Light.....Marie Hilley/Robbi/Terri*David Ogden Stiers.....John Homan*Kellie Overbey.....Carol Hilley... |
Marie Hilley/Robbi/Teri | TV movie a.k.a. Wife, Mother, Murderer: The Marie Hilley Story |
| 1984-92 | Who's the Boss? Who's the Boss? Who's the Boss? is an American sitcom created by Martin Cohan and Blake Hunter, which aired on ABC from September 20, 1984 to April 25, 1992... |
Angela Bower | 196 episodes Nominated — TV Land Award |
| 1993 | Men Don't Tell | Laura MacAffrey | TV movie |
| 1993-94 | Phenom Phenom (TV series) Phenom is an American sitcom about a tennis wunderkind that aired on ABC from September 14, 1993 to May 10, 1994. The series stars Angela Goethals, Judith Light, and William Devane.-Synopsis:... |
Dianne Doolan | 22 episodes |
| 1994 | Betrayal of Trust | Barbara Noël | TV movie a.k.a. Under the Influence |
| Against Their Will: Women in Prison | Alice Needham | TV movie a.k.a. Caged Seduction: The Shocking True Story |
|
| 1995 | Lady Killer Lady Killer (1995 film) Lady Killer is a 1995 drama film directed by Steven Schachter, and stars Judith Light as a married woman who breaks off an affair with a younger man, Jack Wagner, who doesn't react well and targets her daughter, Tracey Gold.-Plot:... |
Janice Mitchell | TV movie |
| 1996 | A Husband, a Wife and a Lover | Lisa McKeever | TV movie a.k.a. A Strange Affair |
| Murder at My Door | Irene McNair | TV movie | |
| A Step Toward Tomorrow | Anna Lerner | TV movie | |
| 1996-97 | Duckman Duckman Duckman: Private Dick/Family Man is an American animated sitcom that aired from 1994–1997, created by Everett Peck and developed by Peck. The sitcom is based on characters created by Peck in his Dark Horse comic... |
Ursula Bacon 'Honey' Chicken (voice) | 3 episodes |
| 1997 | Too Close to Home | Diana Donahue | TV movie |
| Cow and Chicken Cow and Chicken Cow and Chicken is an American animated series, created by David Feiss. The series shows the surreal adventures of a cow, named Cow, and her chicken brother, named Chicken. They are often antagonized by "The Red Guy", who poses as various characters to scam or hurt them... |
Nurse (voice) | 1 episode | |
| 1998 | The Simple Life | Sara Campbell | 7 episodes |
| Carriers | Maj. Carmen Travis | TV movie | |
| 2002 | Spin City Spin City Spin City is an American sitcom television series that aired from September 17, 1996 until April 30, 2002 on the ABC network. Created by Gary David Goldberg and Bill Lawrence, the show was based on a fictional local government running New York City, and originally starred Michael J. Fox as Mike... |
Christine | 1 episode |
| 2004 | The Stones The Stones (TV series) The Stones is a sitcom television series that starred Robert Klein, Judith Light, Lindsay Sloane and Jay Baruchel as the Stone family that are divorced but still live under the same house. The show premiered on CBS on March 17, 2004 and was canceled after 3 episodes due to low ratings.... |
Barbara Stone | 9 episodes |
| 2006 | Twenty Good Years Twenty Good Years Twenty Good Years was an NBC situation comedy starring Jeffrey Tambor, John Lithgow, Heather Burns and Jake Sandvig that ran from October 11, 2006 until November 1, 2006. The series had also been slated to air on CTV in Canada... |
Gina | 3 episodes |
| 2006-10 | Ugly Betty Ugly Betty Ugly Betty is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Silvio Horta, which premiered on ABC on September 28, 2006, and ended on April 14, 2010. The series revolves around the character Betty Suarez and is based on Fernando Gaitán's Colombian telenovela soap opera Yo soy Betty, la fea... |
Claire Meade Claire Meade Claire Meade is a fictional character in the American dramedy series Ugly Betty. She is played by Judith Light.Light's performance as Claire has resulted in a nomination for outstanding guest actress in a Comedy series at the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards, when Claire was a recurring regular in season... |
72 episodes PRISM Award for Performance in a Comedy Series Nominated — Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series (2007) Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (2007) |
| 2002- present | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it is also primarily produced... |
Elizabeth Donnelly Elizabeth Donnelly Elizabeth Donnelly is a fictional character on the NBC crime drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, portrayed by Judith Light since 2002.-Character overview:... |
25 episodes |
| 2011 | Nurse Jackie Nurse Jackie Nurse Jackie is an American series that premiered on June 8, 2009, on Showtime, Movie Central and The Movie Network.The series stars Edie Falco as the title character Jackie Peyton, an emergency room nurse at All Saints' Hospital in New York City... |
Dr. Cooper's mother | 1 episode |