News
Judith Light On Her Career Highlights: "One Life to Live In The Late ’70s. That Changed My Life.”
Photo Credit: HutchinsPhoto.com
She has done it all including: a daytime soap opera, a massive hit primetime sitcom, made-for-TV dramatic movies, motion pictures, and the theatre. After winning two Tony Awards and two Daytime Emmy Awards, and being nominated for her extraordinary work in Amazon Prime’s Transparent, Judith Light has had an acting career filled with some of the most riveting and choice roles out there.
But soap opera fans will never, ever forget her stunning portrayal of Karen Wolek on One Life to Live back in the late 70’s. And as we have reported numerous times over the years, no will ever forget Karen’s courtroom confession, which eventually won Judith her first of two Daytime Emmys, and stands among the greatest television moments in history.
This weekend in the New York Post’s Page Six, Light had spoken about some of the highlights of her critically-acclaimed career, where she noted: “When I came back to the theater in 1999, I did a play called ‘Wit,’ and that really turned a lot of things around for me. As well as appearing on the soap opera ‘One Life to Live’ in the late ’70s. That changed my life.”
Earlier this year in February, On-Air On-Soaps spoke with Judith during her run in the play, “God Looked Away” where she spoke of OLTL creator Agnes Nixon, as well as her role of Karen being one of the standout roles of her career.
After the jump, watch a segment of Judith’s interview with The Archive of American Television from 2015, where she discusses Karen’s courtroom confession, and the impact it has not only on her life, but that of others in the viewing audience, and more.
So, what do you think of Judith paying tribute to her soap roots and OLTL? Comment below!
She done a good courtroom scene and i know i will be in the minority here but i was never truly a fan…did like Who’s The Boss…however, the courtoom scene has been talked to death like daytime done no better…dayrtmes greatest actress was the late great Beverly Mckensie who was great in every scene she played..she may never got an emmy but every thing she did on AW and GL was award winning to me!!!
Karen’s testimony is always mentioned as one of the greatest moments in daytime because it was the perfect culmination of storytelling and character development. What really made it so memorable were the months of character driven writing with scenes of Karen falling into a life of prostitution because she felt unloved and unworthy that led up to it. Those scenes never get the play that Karen’s testimony does because they were quieter and more subtle but many of them were even more heartbreaking, watching her sleep with a parade of an anonymous men in pursuit of feeling loved for a hour or two and then feeling even more empty and alone afterward.
My mother is convinced that Judith Light’s court testimony was the highlight in all of One Life to Live’s long history.
She was great on DALLAS!
I LOVED her on Dallas. AMAZING!
Charday/dmr…Unfortunately I missed Judith’s earlier career on soaps, but like both of you loved her in Dallas. Remember the scene when she met the drug dealer and went through the pat down? Gutsy! Think I’ll see if I can find it on youtube.
Thank you so much. Just love her
She was outstanding! And glad to see her pay tribute to OLTL! A lot of former soap stars don’t.
Judith Light is a superb actress and always a joy to behold. I remember the courtroom confession as if it were yesterday. Karen Wolek was a very complex character and Ms. Light’s performance was always so very powerful.
I was born in 1980, but always knew of the courtroom scene, and watched the episode on a “Daytime to Remember.” I’ve also watched it on YouTube, and she was outstanding. That was when storylines were full of heart and soul, and performances were of raw emotion.
She was so intense on Dallas I loved her
“We are in the service business”–I love that
I loved her on OLTL and did not miss one day of her storyline. She was just awesome. It was an unforgetable performance for me…
Scenes as powerful as that just don’t exist anymore. Some daytime stars do their best to make it come close but nothing can possibly compare to that courtroom episode. The pages of dialogue those actors had to learn had to have been very overwhelming. Very nice trip down memory lane.
And one of the reasons for that is the writing, and one of the reasons for THAT is a point JL made in the first clip, which is that the courtroom scenes were the climax of a year and half of story involving multiple characters–carefully plotted and executed story, and the viewers had been allowed to see every moment, every beat play out before their eyes. Soaps got away from that kind of storytelling at some point, on the assumption that viewers–younger ones, especially–don’t have the patience for that anymore (an assumption I’m not sure really would hold up, if tested), but they did so at the price of the kind of scenes that Viki’s trial provided. You can’t have the payoff without the buildup, and the soaps just don’t invest the time to do the buildup anymore. My own argument would be that that–and not the “short attention span” of viewers–is why the ratings have continued to deteriorate.
Damn JL was good in that scene! I forget just how good, and then I watch it again, and damn, there it is.
WWOW!That’s ACTING!Thank you,Judith.That was Oscar worthy!!!
Thank you so much for your input!!! I have been on a rage about how our stories used to be compared to now. You made my day with your response!!!
Gavel : just because
“…the courtroom scenes were the climax of a year and half of story involving multiple characters–carefully plotted and executed story, and the viewers had been allowed to see every moment, every beat play out before their eyes. ”
beautiful
I agree that soaps were very detailed and played out longer then…but I also think there are a couple of reasons why they don’t anymore.
First, back then soaps were pretty guaranteed to be ongoing. When soaps were abruptly canceled, many were devastated that there was no closure. They had been written at a leisurely pace not anticipating that they wouldn’t have “tomorrow.” Because of the current climate of soap uncertainty, I think they feel it’s best to wrap up stories quickly and move on to the next…
As for attention span…look at the responses we get here. So many of the posters here complain that the story is dragging out. I really don’t think the soap audience of today has the attention span, patience…whatever you want to term it, as the audience did back then when they were riveted….
@rebecca1: I think when people complain that a story is dragging it is because today’s writers don’t understand the way to write long term story with several “reveals” and plot twists before the actual climax of the story. Today’s viewers could and would easily invest in a story that took a year or more to play out if it were carefully constructed and character-based. It’s all about the audience’s investment in a character: if the characters are beloved, the viewers will follow them through anything. The failure of most shows — daytime and nighttime — comes from underestimating the viewers’ intelligence.
Hi Alan…agree…in theory. Still, I’m not sure about today’s daytime soap audience. I UNDERSTAND what you mean, and I agree about beloved characters, etc…still…I just don’t see, gauging from many reactions here, that many have the desire to see a story played out like they did “back in the day.”
LOL. I must beg to differ regarding failure of primetime! I think TV…cable AND network shows have really outdone themselves. Gone is the time when a film actor would be caught dead on a television show. Many of these shows are as good if not better than film! The problem lies with the audience in many cases. I can’t count how many quality shows were canceled because the ratings weren’t there; yet garbage like The Kardashians and other mindless crap is thriving.
Viewer “intelligence” varies….
Karen Wolek!!!
absolutely chilling performance! brilliant…and, oh…Larry Wolek, Marco Dane, Herb Callison…oh, the days when they actually filled scenes with the actors and not a sprinkling of extras….
Michael Storm (Dr. Larry Wolek) should come to Port Charles for a romance with Monica!
Judith’s performance was brilliant but what made it even more powerful were the reactions of all the people Karen loved and lied to — her sister, her husband, her best friend, her former pimp (who was posing as his own brother) — and the reveal that not only was Talbot Huddleston was one of Karen’s tricks (and Mario Corelli’s killer and the one who beat Katrina Carr to a pulp) but that he was also the driver who ran down Brian Kendall. Karen’s testimony was edge of your seat material but waiting for her individual scenes with Larry, Jenny, Marco/Mario, Ed Hall, etc as she had to face the music for what she had done added even more levels of drama and suspense.
Gordon Russell and Sam Hall spent nearly two years setting up numerous stories to have them intersect and culminate at Viki’s trial, resulting in even more story. Genius writing.
Kudos to you and your memory! Seriously…sounds like it was yesterday. I would never in a million years have remembered those stories; still don’t, LOL. But, I agree with your “review.” Sad that Gerald Anthony passed so young…love my idea about a Larry Wolek siting on GH…the actor is still living as far as I know. Would be great to see him again….
Like the concept of a a Larry/Monica pairing, however Michael Storm is not a “friend of Frank”. He stopped appearing on OLTL entirely shortly after FV took over. Despite his longevity on the show, he was not asked back for even a cameo in the show’s final months.
Larry always seemed to get the short end of the stick. Meredith died. Karen moved on to more things. exciting things. Brenda fell for his son Danny. You would have thought when Ivan Kipling controlled Larry’s brain, he would have given him an excitement jolt!
She’s magnificent!
Karen Wolek in the courtroom, on the stand, was actually the first time I watched OLTL! Was a fan till the end…
What people don’t mention is that scene was the end of 6 months plus of story telling about Karen being forced into prostitution and trying to defend the beloved Viki Lord. I was just a teenager but remember that storyline like it was yesterday! Life long fan!
she is an extraordinary actress!!
The courtroom scene can never be outdated or old. It’s one of the most powerful moments in the history of Daytime. I saw it live as a child; definitely influenced my love of soaps. Judith is amazing.
Like you and Robert, I saw it live as a child. Still the best courtroom scene I remember seeing on daytime or nighttime television. Definitely the most memorable scene in the 45 year history of OLTL.
Absolutely.
I cut school for 43 days (in the afternoon) in 8th grade to watch the trial. When the trial was over – I went back and my teacher asked me why I came back and I told the truth – “the trial was over” – I actually watched this unfold everyday! Yes, i graduated, lol.
LOL! Ummmm…I guess either your mom was an ardent viewer or you had some secret place to watch it???
Judith Light has ALWAYS BEEN an A+ CLASS ACT!!!!! ALWAYS!!!!!
News
Susan Flannery and Ian Buchanan Visit the Set of ‘The Bold and the Beautiful’; Daytime Emmy Winners Reflect on Show Then and Now
The one and only Susan Flannery (ex-Stephanie Forrester) dropped in to see her former co-stars on The Bold and the Beautiful at their Sunset Las Palmas Studio in Hollywood, along with her good friend and another B&B co-star Ian Buchanan (ex-James Warwick) on Tuesday October 20.
It was the first time in a very long time that The four-time Daytime Emmy winning actress was reunited with Katherine Kelly Lang (Brooke), Jacqueline MacInnes Wood (Steffy), executive producer and head writer, Brad Bell, Jennifer Gareis and even her TV sister, Alley Mills (Pam, B&B now Heather, GH) showed up for the day too!
Flannery played the Forrester matriarch from 1987 until 2012. It was then that after playing the part of Stephanie for 25 years that Susan made the decision to retire from acting and in one of the most heartbreaking sendoffs, passes away from lung cancer in Brooke’s arms in November of 2012. During her B&B tenure, Flannery won 3 of her 4 Daytime Emmys, the other being for her first soap role as Laura Horton on Days of our Lives back in 1975.
Photo: Bell-Phillip TV
As for Ian Buchanan, he played Dr. Warwick, psychiatrist, from 1993 to 1999. He returned for other runs in 2014 and 2017. Buchanan took home his Daytime Emmy in 1997 for his work as James. Soap fans also remember, Ian as mobster Duke Lavery on General Hospital, and Dr. Greg Madden on All My Children,
Both Susan and Ian shared their thoughts on coming back to The Bold and the Beautiful, for Susan 14 years later since he exited and for Ian close to 9 years since his last appearance below.
Susan said, “It’s definitely like coming home in a way, even though it’s not the same studio. It’s really lovely to see old faces and old faces with new faces. It takes you back mentally. You start remembering what it was like back then, even things like how much your feet would ache at the end of the day from wearing six-inch heels. It was just lovely to be back and see everybody.”
Photo: Bell-Phillip TV
Ian expressed, “It’s a mind trip, you know. When I was sitting looking at the big Forrester set, it was like stepping back in time, almost. It takes you back mentally, and you start remembering what it was like when you were here before.”
“It’s lovely to see all these people again, even if you don’t know everybody,” explained soap vet Buchanan. “There’s something really special about coming back and seeing the show and the people who have been part of it for so long.”
So, happy to see Susan and Ian with some of their former castmates? Do you think Stephanie and Brooke is one of the greatest frenemy stories in daytime history? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
Beyond the Gates
Tabitha Brown and Kandi Burruss Guest Star on ‘Beyond the Gates’ for Dani’s ‘Welcome to Your Life’ TV Special; What Could Go Wrong?
As previously announced, Beyond the Gates is bringing chef, author and actress Tabitha Brown and Grammy Award-winning songwriter, singer and actress Kandi Burruss to Fairmont Crest in a special episode of the CBS daytime drama airing Thursday, October 22.
In the episode, Dani’s (Karla Mosley) best friend Pamela Curtis (Cady McClain), arranges a “Welcome to Your Life” television special for her. As it turns out, Brown will play the show’s host, Tia Allen, while Burruss takes on the role of Dani’s first modeling agent, Kalista Kilroy, who turns the celebration of her life into a bad trip down memory lane.
Dani’s parents Anita and Vernon (Tamara Tunie, Clifton Davis), sister Nicole (Daphnee Duplaix), and daughters Chelsea (RhonniRose Mantilla) and Naomi (Arielle Prepetit) all join the show to celebrate and support her but also witness how things so south. Also appearing in the episode are Molly Figueroa as Tatum Stewart and fan-favorite Anita Williams (Tunie) impersonator Jackie Tyree!
PhotoL JPI
THE 411 ON TIA AND KALISTA
Speaking with TV Insider, about their soapy experience in Fairmont Crest, Tabitha Brown previewed about her host with the most, “Tia is very professional, but she’s a girl’s girl. She is a protector of women and wants to tell their stories in a beautiful way, but she also wants to make sure they’re seen in a very good light.”
However, Burruss previews that Kalista arrives with a score to settle. “She’s spicy,” shared the recording artist. “I always love playing somebody that has come to start trouble. It’s always fun to play a villain of sorts, but Kalista feels like she’s been done wrong and she’s hurt by what she feels has been done to her. So Kalista is stirring up trouble, but she feels justified putting Dani on blast. Kalista is ready for some payback.”
Beyond the Gates is produced by CBS Studios, as part of the CBS Studios/NAACP Venture, in partnership with P&G Studios, a division of Procter & Gamble. Created by head writer Michele Val Jean, executive producers include Val Jean, Sheila Ducksworth, Julie Carruthers, Tracey Thomson, Leon W. Russell, Derrick Johnson, Anna Saalfeld and Lela Coffey.
Beyond the Gates is broadcast weekdays on CBS (2:00-3:00 PM, ET/1:00-2:00 PM, PT) and is available to stream on Paramount+**.
So, looking forward to this special episode of Beyond the Gates when Dani is put on a blast during a blast from her past and Welcome to Your Life TV special? Share your thoughts via the comment section.
For months now, Days of our Lives has teased the character of Dominic Marino. In recent weeks, viewers learned that Marino is on the down low working with Sami Brady’s (Alison Sweeney) apparent fiancé ‘Dante Vitali (Franco LoPresti), and that he is the never-before-heard-of child of Stefano DiMera (the late Joseph Mascolo) and Marlena Evans (Deidre Hall)!
Up until now, the Peacock streaming soap opera has never revealed his face, but that all seemed to change on the Tuesday, October 2o episode of DAYS. In story, Dante met Sami’s parents for the first time, Roman (Josh Taylor) and Marlena.
He shows them a photo of Dominic, which he happened to have on his own phone and even commented he kind of looked like he could be Marlena’s son. The photo, which has quickly made it around Soap Twitter/X, revealed that British-born actor Kyle Pryor is the man in the photo and eagle-eyed viewers actually located said photo on Pryor’s Instagram.
Photo: Peacock
Deadline revealed Pryor started taping at the end of 2025 and will first be seen in the role, on air Monday, November 2. In addition, Days will celebrate its 61st Anniversary with two special episodes featuring Dominic’s arrival, as well the returns of Tony and Anna DiMera, played respectively by Thaao Penghlis and Leann Hunley, on Friday, November 6 and Monday, November 9.
Those in the know, are are that Pryor previously held series regular roles on Australia’s Home and Away, and the UK’s Hollyoaks and guest starred on Emmerdale. In an ironic twist, Pryor appeared in the series Spartacus: Blood and Sand which is the same action series his apparent TV brother, Dan Feuerriegel (EJ DiMera), once appeared in before coming to DAYS.
So excited to see Kyle Pryor take on the role of Dominic Marino as Days of our Lives sets its anniversary story to kick-off with is arrival in Salem? Share your thoughts in the comment section. And in case you missed our latest conversation with Conner Floyd (Chad DiMera) he weighs-in on how Dominic’s appearance will shake things up in Salem. You can check that out below.
2026 Daytime Emmy Awards: ‘Extra’ Partners with NATAS for Pre-Ceremony Red Carpet Stream; Week of Segments Leading to Ceremony and Post-Coverage
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Could Kristen Vaganos and Josh Kelly Be Exiting ‘General Hospital?’
Susan Flannery and Ian Buchanan Visit the Set of ‘The Bold and the Beautiful’; Daytime Emmy Winners Reflect on Show Then and Now
Tabitha Brown and Kandi Burruss Guest Star on ‘Beyond the Gates’ for Dani’s ‘Welcome to Your Life’ TV Special; What Could Go Wrong?
Tabitha Brown and Kandi Burruss Guest Star on ‘Beyond the Gates’ for Dani’s ‘Welcome to Your Life’ TV Special; What Could Go Wrong?
‘Beyond the Gates’ Stars Lami and RhonniRose Mantilla Cover Raye’s ‘Nightingale Lane’ in New Music Video
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Katie Stands Up to Brooke, ‘I Have Spent My Entire Life Sacrificing My Happiness for Yours. But No More!’
Days of our Lives’ Conner Floyd Talks Dominic Marino Mystery, Chad and Belle, and Susan Seaforth Hayes (Exclusive)
THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS Preview: What Has Happened to Jill?
THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS: Adam Delivers Sally’s Baby as Billy Reels from Jill’s Health Crisis in Tearjerker Episode
‘Days of our Lives’ Reveals Kyle Pryor Cast as Dominic Marino
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Finn Blows a Gasket After Steffy Reveals She’s Gone Ahead and Become Carter and Daphne’s Surrogate
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