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At 75, Judith Light is Having the Time of Her Life

Actor says, 'It's very important to be proactive' when it comes to choosing roles at her age


spinner image Judith Light
AARP (Victoria Will)

Emmy- and Tony-winning actor Judith Light, 75, has a secret to her successful career: “Don’t let yourself be pinned down." In the past decade, Light has executed that plan by landing some of the most interesting and diverse roles of her career in series like Transparent, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, Julia and Poker Face. Along the way, she's earned enthusiastic reviews, new fans and her first primetime Emmy Award. She continues that streak in Before, an Apple TV+ psychological thriller series starting Oct. 25 where she plays Lynn opposite Billy Crystal's Eli, whose recent death may not be quite what it seems. Light caught up with AARP to share the ups and downs of life at 75, which actor she would most like to collaborate with, and the many reasons why she looks back so fondly on Who’s the Boss.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

This was your first time working with Billy Crystal — how was it?

It was an experience of a lifetime. I adore that man. He is multitalented, generous to everyone, kind. He set the tone for the entire production. He's really stunning and remarkable. A lot of people associate Billy with comedy, but this is a great dramatic role for him. And the writing is really gorgeous. It was really a very special time.

You’ve had some of the best roles of your career recently. What do you think is driving this?

I feel strongly about the choices that I want to make, and I've communicated that to my team. We're on the same page. When you have that kind of collaboration, it makes an enormous difference. When you know that you want to have longevity, everybody's in sync. ... [but] don't let yourself be pinned down — a lot of people want to put you in a box. They want to say, "This is what you do." I never wanted to get locked into something even though I've done things for long periods of time which I loved, like Who's the Boss and One Life to Live. I knew that there were other things that I could do.

spinner image Judith Light, left, and Billy Crystal in "Before," which premieres Oct. 25 on Apple TV+.
Judith Light, left, and Billy Crystal in "Before," which premieres Oct. 25 on Apple TV+.
Apple TV+

You've spoken out about ageism in Hollywood, but yet here you are, having the time of your life at 75 — explain that.

There are certain things where you know that there's a reality, but you also don't have to buy into it. You don't have to believe everything that everybody says. Just because somebody thinks it doesn't make it true. You don't have to lock yourself into it. Now, sometimes it happens that they don't want somebody in your age range, but there's also an expanse of age. [Hollywood is] evolving. It's important to remember that.

What are the ups and downs of life at 75?

I don't think about it in terms of numbers because that locks you in — Oh, this is what 75 is. This is what 75 looks like. I don’t talk about it like that, and not [because I'm] hiding it. It's just, I am what I am. I feel fantastic ... I do yoga, I meditate, and I eat well. Also one's spirit, one's gratitude, one's appreciation are the things that lift you and other people around you. When you have that, the body responds.

spinner image Judith Light, left, in an episode of "Who's the Boss?" with Tony Danza.
Judith Light, left, in an episode of "Who's the Boss?" with Tony Danza.
Craig Sjodin/Columbia Pictures Television/Courtesy Everett Collection

I remember Who's the Boss so foundly from my childhood. How do you look back at those days?

Fondly is absolutely the way I look at it. It's the connections, the time, the joy that people felt when they watched us. To this day, people come up to me [about the show]. And I love Tony [Danza] so much. I learned so much from him about comedy and timing. Young women come up to me and say, "I knew I could be in the workplace because of [my character] Angela Bower." It was a very different time, but it was about the time when the feminist movement was happening and we were all a part of it. We were really looking at how women were being treated [and how we] wanted to be treated. [We were] looking at our power, owning our power, and all of a sudden within the entertainment industry, there was this lovely, beautiful show that spoke to that.

What do you like to watch on TV?

I'm pretty much a news junkie — I want to know what's happening in our world. That's really important to me. My husband's really the one who says, "We should be looking at this." I just saw [Paramount+ mini-series] called A Gentleman In Moscow with Ewan McGregor. It took my breath away, it was gorgeous. Every aspect of it, every character. The storytelling was so beautiful and so sensitive and so fragile. I just loved that. I also loved [the Netflix series] Ripley. That terrified me.

Is there anyone on your wish list that you want to collaborate with?

Anthony Hopkins. I really, really want to work with Anthony Hopkins. I love what he says: "Just learn your lines and come to work." I mean, talk about joy! He doesn't make it this mysterious thing. I just really appreciate the way he talks about the work, and of course I think he's just extraordinary.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

Don't worry. It's all going to work out wonderfully.

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