Why 'One Life to Live' and 'Transparent' Feel Like Gifts to Judith Light

The legacy of the Emmy and Tony Award-winning actress transcends the screen

To soap fans, she’s the dramatic Karen Wolek from One Life to Live. To sitcom lovers, she’s ad exec Angela Bower from Who’s the Boss? But while Emmy and Tony winner Judith Light’s 50-year career reads like a bucket list of iconic roles, her legacy extends far beyond the screen.

Throughout her decades in theater, film and television, Light has consistently made it about others, including—and notably—through her pioneering advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community and those diagnosed with HIV/AIDS.

Muse caught up with Light at Tribeca X to discuss artist misconceptions, the impact of her work and the power of perseverance.

Where did you grow up and where do you live now? How do the two places compare?

I grew up in Trenton, N.J. My parents were both from New York—my father is from the Bronx and my mother is from Scarsdale—but we moved to Trenton because my father was opening a fruit and produce business there.

Now, I live with my husband between New York and Los Angeles. They don’t compare at all. I grew up in a very different kind of circumstance. In Trenton, I lived in a semi-detached house. It was actually bigger than the tiny apartment we have in New York right now. We have a nice house in Los Angeles, and it is just different. I was very grateful for [what we had] when I was growing up, and I’m very grateful for what we have now.

What is one thing people misunderstand about actors?

That all of us only think about ourselves and that we only think about our work, and that it’s the only thing we are willing to talk about. But most of the people in my world and my friendships think about a whole lot of other things. They use [those experiences] for their work, but it isn’t all they talk or think about. Actors are artists, and they are much more expansive than people know or understand.

What is the best career advice you’ve actually followed?

Don’t make it about yourself. Make it about other people. Make it about the work you are doing to serve others. I hope that I have been able to live up to that.

Do you have a favorite project from your career?

I don’t have just one favorite. I have had so many projects that have been such gifts to me. One Life to Live was a gift. Who’s the Boss? was a gift. Wit was a gift, a Pulitzer Prize-winning play written by the wonderful, creative Margaret Edson about a woman dying of fourth-stage ovarian cancer. I had to be bald and nude on stage, and it was transformative for me.

Transparent and Ugly Betty…the things that have mattered to me in the most powerful ways. The show I just finished, The Devil in Silver for AMC+, which had a really powerful impact on me. And a project for Marvel, The Punisher, with Jon Bernthal.

On The Devil in Silver, I got to work with Dan Stevens and a lot of my friends from the New York theater [scene]. All of these projects have different components and touchstones for me. The friendships and connections we made were powerful because [the stories] actually talk about who human beings really are. Those are the [projects] that always stick with me the most.

Can you tell us about a time a project almost didn’t come to fruition? How did you persevere?

When it comes to perseverance, I can tell you that it’s just what I do all the time. My husband, Robert [Desiderio], is a writer. He had his first novel published in 2020 called The Occurrence, and he’s currently working with someone [to adapt it]. We have a bunch of other projects we’re really interested in that he has created or written, where I am attached partly as a producer and possibly to act in them.

Development takes much longer than I would have expected. Keeping the perseverance alive—even if it’s a light in the distance that’s potent and connected—is essential if you’re going to make anything in this business. I just had a project that people were incredibly interested in, and then it fell through. These things happen all the time. But your resilience and your perseverance are what keep you going, plus the joy and creativity of the work.

I take immense inspiration from Robert and his perseverance. He has one novel published, two others written, and he just handed his latest [novel] to his literary agent. It’s a feeling thing, not just an intellectual thing.

Fill in the blank: When I am in a creative rut, I ________.

Sometimes it happens when I’m working on a play or a specific project. When it does, I just stop. I recognize it and say, “Oh, look at you. You’re in a rut.” Though it’s not really a rut; it just means something isn’t flowing.

I feel the best thing to do is simply stop. Go into the garden. Get a glass of water. Take a bath. Just stop. Don’t drive yourself crazy thinking, “It’s not happening, it’s not happening.” Let it be. Let it rest, and something will come. Something always comes. It’s always about evolution.

What is the last great book, article or video you consumed?

One of the last great books I read was Victor LaValle’s The Devil in Silver. It is pretty extraordinary. I wanted to read it while we were shooting the show, and it had a massive impact on me. I’m also in the middle of reading my husband Robert’s latest book that he just sent to his agent, which is very exciting for me. Aside from that, I read a lot of powerful articles in The Atlantic that feed me in terms of understanding our culture and what is happening in our country right now.

If you weren’t acting, what would you be doing?

Years ago, I always said I would go into psychology. The world of psychology is deeply important to me because it’s exactly what I use to understand myself and create my characters. Beyond that, I’ve always been interested in history, archaeology, astronomy and the law. I have also always loved working with and supporting young people to help them realize their potential and growth. Those are all arenas I would likely seek out.

You have two minutes with the entertainment industry. What is your hot take or message to Hollywood?

I think it is absolutely essential for our culture that we be mindful of who we are, and that we stay awake and aware of the ways we operate in the world.

The Devil in Silver on AMC+ is fundamentally about how we treat people with mental illness. There are so many complications in people’s lives—private, personal moments where they are worried, frightened, upset, or in despair. As a society, we don’t pay enough attention to that.

We don’t look at ourselves, and we aren’t mindful of how we could be more thoughtful, kinder, gentler, connected, and unified. I truly believe our world would be entirely different if we all did that just a little bit more. It is so incredibly valuable.