Judith Light

Judith: (on why she does philanthropic work) I've always felt that celebrity was wonderful for all the perks that it could give you. It was also wonderful because you got to work on your craft and understand yourself more through the parts that you played. But celebrity doesn't mean anything unless you use it for finding some way to give back, and I've always felt that way.

Judith: (on her nude scene in Wit) I think it will become part of the play and people will say, 'Well, this is no big deal.' I hope people won't hold it in any other way. It's not a scene where you can see a lot of the body. I'm hoping that it's not treated as something that is crass, with people saying, 'Oh my God, let's go see her without clothes on!' When you have something like this [nude scene] and it's part of the piece – part of the arc of the character – it's very important because of what it says about the character and about her transformation.

Judith: (on shaving her head for Wit) The contract called for the actress to shave their head but this play is an incredible opportunity and a chance to strip away vanity and find out about yourself. So I'll leave my hair and my husband behind for 10 months and take the challenge.

Judith: (on her character Allison in "Sorrows and Rejoicing") I see Allison as universal symbol for the way most of us go through life until something stunning stops us in our tracks, and we realize that we have lived, and are living closed-down, freighted, in regret, in sorrow.

Judith: (on her marriage to actor Robert Desiderio) I have a wonderful, incredibly supportive husband. He is willing to talk about everything, which is really important, and I've seen him grow through the years. We also look to Herb and Jonathan, who are our closest friends and have been together as business partners and life partners for 25 years, and take inspiration from the way they relate to each other.

Judith: (on balancing TV and Broadway) I come back and forth to New York for my recurring role on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. I play the head of the unit, but I think we're going to change my position on the show. The people there are extraordinary: Mariska Hargitay, Chris Meloni, B.D. Wong; it's a very special place to work.

Judith: (on how her and former co-star Tony Danza have both done Broadway) Oh, Tony transformed himself completely. I love Tony.

Judith: (on getting the script for Colder Than Here) When they sent this play to me, my first thought was, 'You can't really want me to read another play about a woman dying of cancer!' But when I did, I wanted to do it. The piece is really about family dynamics and how we as human beings deal with our feelings about dying. For the most part, we all live in denial of death. It's difficult for us to look at it and subsequently at our lives. I think we would live differently if we were able to face death. What's wonderful about my character is that she keeps trying to be brave and strong and find the humor in everything. That makes her heroic—it makes the whole family heroic—and that's why I think people will be drawn to it. The play is very funny, too; it's not didactic in any way. You're not sure at first if you should be laughing, but you do.

Judith: I want to control everything, and it's silly. I'm really working to let go of control and let myself be guided.