Actress Judith Light has repeatedly taken on challenging and unconventional roles. Light graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with a degree in drama shortly before making her professional debut in Richard III at the California Shakespeare Festival in 1970. She debuted on Broadway in 1975 in A Doll’s House but almost quit acting when she was unable to land any parts for a time. In 1977, after some hesitation, she joined the cast of One Life to Live; her role as Karen Wolek, a housewife-turned prostitute, earned her two Daytime Emmy Awards. From 1984 through 1992, Light played a successful ad executive and mother on Who’s the Boss. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, she starred in several made-for-TV and feature films. In 1999, she returned to the stage in the off-Broadway production of Wit, which earned her high praise. She continued to work in television, with recurring roles on Law & Order SVU from 2002 to 2010 and on Ugly Betty from 2006 to 2010. In 2010, she returned to the stage yet again for Lombardi, which earned her a Tony nomination. From 2011 to 2012, she starred in the Broadway play Other Desert Cities, resulting in her first Tony award. She won her second Tony a year later, for her performance in The Assembled Parties. In 2014, she joined the cast of Transparent as the ex-wife of a transgender woman; her performance earned her Golden Globe, Primetime Emmy, and Critics' Choice Television Award nominations. In 2021, Light played Rosa Stevens in the biographical musical drama film Tick, Tick... Boom! directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda. A year later, she starred in the comedy-thriller The Menu. An outspoken supporter of LGBT rights and AIDS activism since the early 1980s, Light has served on the boards of the Matthew Shepard Foundation and the Point Foundation, which offers financial support and leadership training for students who face discrimination for their sexual orientation or gender expression.