Editing Judith Light (section)

===Early work and breakthrough===
Light made her [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] debut in ''[[A Doll's House]]'' in 1975.<ref name="biography.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.biography.com/people/judith-light-222414|title=Judith Light|website=[[Biography.com]]|publisher=[[A&E Networks]]|access-date=September 8, 2014|quote=Judith Ellen Licht was born on February 9, 1949, in Trenton, New Jersey. Now known as Judith Light...|archive-date=July 3, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180703220944/https://www.biography.com/people/judith-light-222414|url-status=dead}}</ref> She also starred in the 1976 Broadway play ''[[Herzl (play)|Herzl]]''. Light also acted for such theatre companies as the [[Milwaukee Repertory Theater]] and the [[Seattle Repertory Theatre]].<ref name=tvg>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/judith-light/bio/3000029728/|title=Judith Light|website=TVGuide.com}}</ref> In the late 1970s, Light went through a real crisis after a period of not landing any parts.<ref name="bigthink" /> Broke, she almost quit acting, because she felt that she was not contributing to the theater.<ref name="bigthink" />
[[File:Judith Light crop.jpg|thumb|Light at the Governor's Ball following the 1989 Annual Emmy Awards|left|upright]]
In 1977, her agent phoned Light to have her audition for an [[understudy]] role in the [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] [[soap opera]] ''[[One Life to Live]]''. 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.<ref name="bigthink" /> 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.<ref name="bigthink" /> 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 an alcoholic prostitute after she became bored with her life as a housewife. On trial, Karen saved her friend [[Victoria Lord|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, [[Larry Wolek|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'' [[List of US daytime soap opera ratings#1970s|ratings successes]] from the late 1970s into the early 1980s.<ref>{{cite book |title=Inside the Soaps |last=Denis |first=Paul |year=1985 |publisher=[[Citadel Press]] |location=[[New York City]] |isbn=0-8065-0940-6 |page=103 }}</ref><ref name="Culture">{{cite book |last1=Browne |first1=Ray Broadus |last2=Browne |first2=Pat |year=2001 |title=The Guide to United States Popular Culture |location=[[Madison, Wisconsin]] |publisher=[[University of Wisconsin Press]] |isbn=9780879728212 |page=589 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=U3rJxPYT32MC&pg=PA589 |access-date=26 December 2013}}</ref> Light's dramatic, confessional courtroom performance of a housewife-turned-prostitute on the [[witness box|witness stand]] is regarded as one of the most memorable moments in television by ''[[TV Guide]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.judithlight.com/pdf/Judith-Highlights.pdf|title=Professional Highlights|publisher=Judith Light official website|access-date=28 October 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120415094542/http://www.judithlight.com/pdf/Judith-Highlights.pdf|archive-date=15 April 2012}}</ref> In 1980, this won Light her first [[Daytime Emmy Award]] for [[Daytime Emmy Awards|Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series]];<ref name="1980 Win">{{cite news|title='Guiding Light' Wins Top Daytime Emmy|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=MPVdAAAAIBAJ&dq=daytime%20emmy&pg=1476%2C558877|access-date=May 18, 2013|newspaper=[[Observer–Reporter]]|date=June 5, 1980|agency=Associated Press|page=8|location=[[Washington County, Pennsylvania]]}}</ref> the scene in which she confessed her guilt in court is held in such high esteem that it is still used in acting classes.{{citation needed|date=May 2023}} 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."<ref>"Judith portrays ex-hooker sensitively" by Steven H. Scheuer, ''[[Boca Raton News]]'', September 28, 1979. p. 10</ref> Light won another Daytime Emmy Award in the role in 1981.<ref name="1981 Win">{{cite news|title='General Hospital' tops Emmy list|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Oe1eAAAAIBAJ&dq=daytime%20emmy&pg=1393%2C3636240|access-date=May 18, 2013|newspaper=[[St. Joseph Gazette]]|date=May 20, 1981|agency=Associated Press|page=104|location=[[St. Joseph, Missouri]]}}</ref>

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 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.