The following article was published in the August 31, 1979
issue of the
Los Angeles Times. It is accompanied by a photo of Judith Light
(Karen)
Living a Life the Fans Love to Love
by Jon-Michael Reed
NEW YORK - When she first arrived on One Life to Live as
Karen Wolek two years ago, actress Judith Light wasn't welcomed
with open arms by fans of the show.
The role was originated by an actress who was a tiny wisp of a
thing, who paraded around in bikinis and bath towels. Karen was a
young housewife who was bored with home and a working hubby. She soon
took up with enticing repairmen. That led to a little extra
shopping money when she became a daytime hooker for nefarious Marco
Dane. Audiences responded wildly to Karen as the soap woman they
most loved to hate.
Miss Light's debut marked a change for the character. She was more
mature-looking, less girlish and giddy, much more of a fire-
breathing dragon lady than her predecessor. Perhaps Judith's
interpretation of the character was vicariously more "threatening"
to the audience. Whatever, there was a considerable number of
complaints about the change in actresses. Soon, however, Judith
projected vulnerability to Karen that had the audience eating out
of her sinful hands.
"Karen was involved in all that sordidness," remembers Judith, "but
she was fighting desperately to regain what little self-respect she
had left."
Then came Marco's murder. Karen was a prime suspect. Karen waged a
relentless search to find the murderer. In the process, she won
audience sympathy, but at the expense of her reputation and marriage.
In one of the most explosive series of scenes in soap history, Karen took
the witness stand. For days, Judith was called upon to wail and beat her
breasts as Karen confessed her secret life and its web of intrigue involving
Talbot Huddleston, who was the murderer.
The audience was emotionally whipped and battered. So was Judith, who was a
shaking bundle of nerves during the following weeks when Karen's
marriage went down the drain. The former "sewer tramp" had redeemed
herself and had almost become a haloed madonna. Karen, because of
Judith's portrayal, had become a soap character that the audience loved to
love.
When Judith wasn't nominated for a daytime Emmy this year, her fans
stormed the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences with
protest mail. Because of entry deadlines, some of her dynamic courtroom
scenes will be eligible for next year's nominations. But Judith Light's
fans couldn't wait that long. Recently her fan club held a party at a
Broadway restaurant here.
Fans came from as far away as Michigan and California to meet the
Trenton, NJ beauty. The actress took hours to shake hands, sign
autographs, pose for photos and plant kisses on adoring cheeks. At the end,
the actress was drenched with sweat. "But listen," said Judith, "without
them I might not even be on the show."
She obviously knows where her bread is buttered and goes out of her
way to tour the country in personal appearances to meet her fans. At the
fan club party, she delighted throngs by bringing along her One Life to
Live castmates, including her screen husband Larry Wolek (Michael
Storm) who was beseeched to forgive his wayward wife. Another couple who
caused a ruckus were Brynn Thayer and Gerald Anthony.
