Judith Light reflects on how her time on 'Who’s the Boss?' with Tony Danza honed her comedic skills. Light, 75, shared her experiences with Danza, 73, during a roundtable at TheWrap’s Power Women Summit 2024 in Beverly Hills on Tuesday. Joined by Kathryn Hahn, Kali Reis, and June Squibb, the Emmy Award-winning actress discussed her initial reluctance to participate in soap operas or sitcoms. “This keeps haunting me,” Light said, referring to her past statements. “And, of course, I did both of them,” she added.
Light’s career took off with her role in the soap 'One Life to Live' before she starred in the ’80s sitcom 'Who’s the Boss?'. She admitted that she initially looked down on soaps and sitcoms, viewing them as beneath her. “That was on me; that was pejorative and discouraging and disproportionate to the work that was actually being done,” she said. She praised the dedication of soap opera actors, who work tirelessly to produce an hour of television daily.
Despite thinking she had overcome her prejudices after 'One Life to Live', Light faced them again when cast in 'Who’s the Boss?'. “I thought I’d learned my lesson and then I went, ‘No, actually you haven’t learned it. So go and look at it again,'” she recalled. However, the show taught her more than just humility; she learned about comedy and timing from Danza and the writers.
“I learned so much about comedy and timing from Tony Danza. And from those writers,” she added. “And so all of that was, you know, it’s like, if you’re the same today as you were yesterday, you’re not growing. And what I really — what was important to me was to be able to to grow.” Light emphasized the importance of growth and self-reflection, stating that the two things she said she’d never do actually helped her understand who she wanted to be as a person.
'Who’s the Boss?' celebrated its 40th anniversary this year and ran for eight seasons, earning 10 Primetime Emmy nominations and one win. At its peak, the show attracted over 30 million viewers. The series followed high-powered advertising executive Angela Bower (Light), who hired retired baseball player Tony Micelli (Danza) as her live-in housekeeper. While Angela navigated her demanding career, Tony managed the household and cared for her two children. The show also launched the career of actress Alyssa Milano.
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