By unknown
Submitted by ReJoys2

Judith Light talks frankly about the two men in her life

Actress Judith Light loves two men -- and they both know about it and approve. One is her Who's The Boss co-star Tony Danza; the other is her husband of three years, actor Robert Desiderio (he's on Knots Landing). When Who's The Boss is being filmed, Judith spends as much (maybe more!) time with Tony as she does at home with Robert, and she sees both the similarities and differences in the two men. "Robert is volatile, passionate, exciting, and physical -- and so is Tony," she said, as we talked in her dressing room. "And Tony is sensitive, intellectual, and smart, just like Robert. Each man presents different qualities to the world, but each has an opposite side. I see both sides of each of them."

Tony and Robert are on friendly terms, and Judith is fond of Tony's wife, Tracy, but away from the set, the Desiderios and the Danzas are not close social friends. "Tracy is a darling woman," Judith said, "and she and Tony have a two-year-old daughter, Catherine. Tracy and I have lunch together at times and we talk about Tony. With two women who love him, how could we not talk about him? But other than the fact that she and I are both blonde, we are not much alike." Judith and Robert married in 1985, having met four years earlier when both were in the New York-based soap opera One Life to Live.

"I'm from a warm, boisterous New Jersey Jewish family," Judith said. "I was drawn to the passion for life that Italian families share. It's one of the reasons why I was attracted to Robert, and why I am attracted to Tony. We share that common bond of energy and life-styles. Robert and I moved to Los Angeles in 1983 and I did an episode of St. Elsewhere and a TV movie. Then I didn't work for some eight months, until I taped an audition with Tony for Who's the Boss. I loved the part of Angela Bower and was anxious to play the scene with Tony, whom I had seen in the Taxi series. When we met it was instant chemistry. I found him appealing and immediately supportive. He had a twinkle in his eye and so did I." The script called for Judith to cross the stage wearing only a robe. As she passed in front of Tony, she had an instinct that his attention was fastened on her derriere -- which happened to be the case. "I ad libbed, 'What are you looking at?' which was not in the script. Tony broke up, and said he realized at that moment that I would get the job." "What we knew in that moment is that we had a spark together. I don't know how you define those things. But when I was in France and saw our show on TV dubbed in French, it had a quality that is very light, and sparkly, with understated sensuality." Except for two kisses in more than four years of shows, Angela and Tony Micelli have been chaste, a situation common to many comedy shows based on sexual tension and romance between two major characters (the same problem exists in shows such as Cheers and Beauty and the Beast.) Judith believes her producers should gamble and allow Angela and Tony to consummate their feelings for one another. "I think if Tony and Angela did get together, they could keep up the sexual suspense in other ways," she said. "Why should the spark between two people disappear just because they have an affair? Is the honeymoon over? How can two mature people just keep glancing at each other sideways and not do anything? I know Judith Light couldn't exercise all the restraint that Angela is demonstrating -- and neither could Tony Danza." On a personal basis, the bond between Judith and Tony has become stronger with the years. He kisses her good morning every day and gives her a parting buss when she leaves in the evening. Tony is a demonstrative man who thinks nothing of giving male members of the cast and crew an affectionate hug when he is in an expansive mood.

"He even gives Robert a hug and a kiss on the cheek when my husband comes to the set," Judith said, laughing. "It's all family with Tony." "It's funny, the sexual spark between Angela and Tony carries over in a curious way in real life between me and Tony. The truth is, if you have chemistry with somebody on-screen you have it with them off-screen. But I don't walk in every day thinking sensuous thoughts. That dynamic isn't there." "With that chemistry you have to be disciplined. Angela Bower is a character I play who has a sexual spark with Tony Micelli. Robert and I had the same sexual chemistry, which writers on One Life to Live saw between us when we worked together in the show. We were both with other people at that time, but during our first three months on the soap we were falling in love." "Robert and I are very compatible. We like art and music. We took French lessons together and like to garden and work out together. I don't know, of course, but I think if Tony and I lived together we would be as compatible. Who knows what might have happened if Tony and I had met years ago before Robert and Tracy had come into our lives." Judith is convinced that Tony's potential as an actor runs far deeper than he is allowed to reveal in their sitcom. She also defends her co-star when it is said that he can be difficult or temperamental on the set. "He's not difficult, he's smart," she said. "Tony has a sense of comedy and timing and he knows what works. He wants everyone to be the most that he can be, and I don't think that's being difficult." "There's no question that Tony is a driving force behind the series. I turn to him for advice and help all the time. If a joke doesn't work, I'll ask him, 'What am I doing wrong?'" "And he'll say something like, 'If you put the inflection on this word instead of that one, I think you'll get it.' And invariably he is right. He has directed two or three episodes and he's really good at it."

Asked how Who's the Boss would fare if Robert Desiderio were playing Tony Micelli opposite her, Judith paused before answering. She has not worked with her husband since One Life to Live. "I've never thought of that," she said. "I don't have a clue except I know it would be very different. The contrast between Angela and Tony wouldn't be so great. Robert is not as street-wise as Tony had to be. Robert doesn't have Tony's accent. And he's quieter than Tony. The Danza family was more like my loud family, screaming and yelling and expressing ourselves." "Human relationships are important to me," she said. "I'm a team player and so is Tony. I'm not being a Pollyanna. It isn't always all smiles and sweetness on the show. We have our ups and downs like any other family. Some weeks it's hard trying to make something work and we get into it, we hash it out. But we've never had any serious differences. Working with Tony has loosened me. He's helped me not take myself so seriously." What I do is not brain surgery, but it is worthwhile because it helps make people laugh and I enjoy doing that." As far as Judith is concerned, one of Tony's major contributions to the cast of Who's the Boss is his cooking. Whenever an episode of the show calls for Tony to cook, he actually makes a variety of Italian dishes. Judith says his tomato sauce is the best she's ever tasted. She has prepared Tony's tomato-sauce recipe at home for Robert. Judith recognizes her good fortune in having two caring men in her life, saying, "I don't take it for granted. But I have worked like a dog to reach this point in my life. I think I deserve it."