Skip to content
What's After the Movie?
Judith Light, actor
Actor

Judith Light: Movies & Box Office

films
31
on screen
1978–2026
box office
$83.7M
average score
73
Born
February 9, 1949 (age 77)
Birthplace
Trenton, New Jersey, U.S.
Full name
Judith Ellen Light
Citizenship
American
Occupations
Actress
Years active
1970-present
Spouses
Robert Desiderio
Known for

The Best Judith Light Movies

The highest-rated films Judith Light is credited on, by the Movie Echo Score that blends critic reviews, audience ratings and lasting impact. tick, tick...Boom! (2021) scores highest, at 85. The full ranking adds the biggest box office hits and the most awarded films.

Full ranking
Career at a glance

Judith Light's Career in Numbers

Judith Light's films in numbers — as an actor, not counting appearances as themselves: when they were made, the genres Judith Light works in most and the milestones along the way. The filmography runs from Rush It (1978) to The Punisher: One Last Kill (2026), and the 1990s were the busiest decade.

Judith Light Movies by Decade

  1. 1970s 1
  2. 1980s 3
  3. 1990s 10
  4. 2000s 1
  5. 2010s 7
  6. 2020s 8

The 1990s were Judith Light's busiest decade, with 10 films.

Judith Light Movies by Genre

  • Drama 7
  • Tv movie 7
  • Comedy 4
  • Thriller 3
  • Crime 2
  • Action 1
  • Mystery 1
  • Biography 1
  • Romance 1
  • Documentary 1

Drama is the genre Judith Light has worked in most, with 7 films, ahead of tv movie (7).

Judith Light Career Milestones

First film
Rush It 1978
Biggest box office hit
The Menu $79.6M worldwide
Best-rated film
tick, tick...Boom! Movie Echo Score 85
31 credits

Judith Light Filmography: Every Movie

Every film Judith Light is credited on, newest first, with the role, the box office and the Movie Echo Score. Rated films average a score of 73. Re-order the list to see the best-rated films or the biggest hits first.

Judith Light Movies as an Actor

30
  1. 2026 The Punisher: One Last Kill (2026) movie poster The Punisher: One Last Kill as Ma · Action Movie Echo Score: 65
  2. 2024 Out of My Mind (2024) movie poster Out of My Mind as Mrs. V · Drama Movie Echo Score: 83
  3. 2024 The Young Wife (2024) movie poster The Young Wife as Cookie · Comedy Movie Echo Score: 82
  4. 2024 Before (2024) movie poster Before as Lynn · Mystery
  5. 2023 Down Low (2023) movie poster Down Low as Sandy · Comedy Movie Echo Score: 69
  6. 2022 The Menu (2022) movie poster The Menu as Anne · Thriller Movie Echo Score: 82
  7. 2021 tick, tick...Boom! (2021) movie poster tick, tick...Boom! as Rosa Stevens · Biography Movie Echo Score: 85
  8. 2020 Ms. White Light (2020) movie poster Ms. White Light Drama Movie Echo Score: 79
  9. 2019 Transparent: Musicale Finale (2019) movie poster Transparent: Musicale Finale as Shelly Pfefferman · Tv movie
  10. 2019 Hot Air (2019) movie poster Hot Air as Judith · Drama Movie Echo Score: 38
  11. 2019 Ms. White Light (2019) movie poster Ms. White Light as Val · Comedy Movie Echo Score: 80
  12. 2019 Escaping the Madhouse: The Nellie Bly Story (2019) movie poster Escaping the Madhouse: The Nellie Bly Story as Matron Grady · Thriller Movie Echo Score: 66
  13. 2014 Last Weekend (2014) movie poster Last Weekend Drama
  14. 2012 Scrooge & Marley (2012) movie poster Scrooge & Marley as Narrator (voice) · Romance
  15. 2010 2Everything2Terrible2: Tokyo Drift (2010) movie poster 2Everything2Terrible2: Tokyo Drift as (archive footage) · Documentary
  16. 2000 Joseph: King of Dreams (2000) movie poster Joseph: King of Dreams as Zuleika (voice) · Animation
  17. 1997 Too Close to Home (1997) movie poster Too Close to Home as Diana Donahue · Tv movie
  18. 1996 A Step Toward Tomorrow (1996) movie poster A Step Toward Tomorrow as Anna Lerner · Tv movie
  19. 1996 Murder at My Door (1996) movie poster Murder at My Door as Irene McNair · Tv movie
  20. 1996 A Husband, a Wife and a Lover (1996) movie poster A Husband, a Wife and a Lover as Lisa McKeever · Tv movie
  21. 1995 Lady Killer (1995) movie poster Lady Killer as Janice Mitchell · Thriller
  22. 1994 Against Their Will (1994) movie poster Against Their Will as Alice Needham · Crime
  23. 1994 Betrayal of Trust (1994) movie poster Betrayal of Trust as Barbara Noël · Tv movie
  24. 1993 Men Don’t Tell (1993) movie poster Men Don’t Tell as Laura MacAffrey · Drama
  25. 1991 Wife, Mother, Murderer: The Marie Hilley Story (1991) movie poster Wife, Mother, Murderer: The Marie Hilley Story as Marie Hilley · Tv movie
  26. 1990 In Defense of a Married Man (1990) movie poster In Defense of a Married Man as Laura Simmons · Crime
  27. 1989 My Boyfriend’s Back (1989) movie poster My Boyfriend’s Back as Vickie Vine · Music
  28. 1989 The Ryan White Story (1989) movie poster The Ryan White Story as Jeanne White · Drama
  29. 1983 Intimate Agony (1983) movie poster Intimate Agony as Marsha · Drama
  30. 1978 Rush It (1978) movie poster Rush It Comedy
Biography

Who Is Judith Light?

Judith Light was born in Trenton, New Jersey, U.S. in 1949 and is 77 years old. Credited on films since 1978, as an actor. The background, training and the roles that shaped the career.

Judith Ellen Light (born February 9, 1949) is a critically-acclaimed American actress. She kickstarted her professional stage career in 1970 and made her Broadway debut five years later. Light's breakthrough came with her portrayal of Karen Wolek on the ABC daytime soap opera 'One Life to Live', a role that won her two consecutive Daytime Emmy Awards. A notable role of Light's career is Angela Bower in the ABC sitcom 'Who's the Boss?'. She also stood out for her performance in the NBC crime drama 'Law & Order: Special Victims Unit', and the ABC comedy-drama 'Ugly Betty'. Since 2014, Light starred in the Amazon Studios dark comedy-drama series 'Transparent', obtaining numerous nominations for the performance. Light is notable in theater as well, with multiple Tony award nominations and wins to her name. An HIV/AIDS and LGBTQ+ activist, Light began her advocacy work in the early 1980s.

The New Jersey-native graduated from high school in 1966 and later earned a degree in drama from Carnegie Mellon University. Light's stage debut was at the California Shakespeare Festival in 1970. During her career span, she faced challenging roles like an addictive housekeeper-turned-prostitute in 'One Life to Live' that won her Emmy Awards, and Judith Brown Ryland in the TNT drama series 'Dallas'. Light's performance in the play 'Wit' earned her strong reviews, and she reprised the role in a national tour. Light's continued success in TV, film, and theater projects like 'Lombardi', 'Dallas', 'Transparent' and 'The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story' made her an influential figure in the entertainment industry, leading to her Hollywood Walk of Fame recognition in 2019.

Works with

Who Judith Light Makes Movies With

The actors and directors Judith Light shares the most films with. Rachel Matthews comes first, with 2 films together, followed by Grace Zabriskie (2).

FAQ

Judith Light: Questions & Answers

How many movies Judith Light has made, the biggest hit, the best-rated film, the award record and more, answered from the filmography above.

How many movies has Judith Light been in?

Judith Light is credited on 31 films, from 1978 to 2026. The filmography on this page lists every one of them, newest first, with the role and the Movie Echo Score.

What is Judith Light's highest-grossing movie?

The Menu (2022) is Judith Light's biggest box office hit, with $79.6M worldwide, ahead of The Young Wife (2024) ($3.96M). Across every film with box office figures, Judith Light's movies have made $83.7M.

Judith Light's biggest hits

What is the best Judith Light movie?

By the Movie Echo Score, which blends critic reviews, audience ratings and lasting impact, Judith Light's best-rated film is tick, tick...Boom! (2021) with a score of 85, followed by Out of My Mind (2024) (83).

Best Judith Light movies, ranked

How old is Judith Light?

Judith Light is 77 years old, born on February 9, 1949 in Trenton, New Jersey, U.S..

What is Judith Light's newest movie?

The most recent film on Judith Light's filmography is The Punisher: One Last Kill (2026), in the role of Ma.

Who does Judith Light work with most often?

Judith Light shares the most films with Rachel Matthews (2 films), Grace Zabriskie (2 films) and Nicholas Campbell (2 films).

The Best Judith Light Movies, Ranked

Top rated, most awarded and biggest box office hits from 31 credits.

See the ranking

Coming soon to your phone

The Plot Explained Movie Summary App

From blockbusters to hidden gems: plot summaries, endings explained and timelines on your phone. Save your favorites and never miss a twist again.

Be the first to know when it launches. Your email stays private, always. Learn more about the app