Mariska Hargitay Will Make Broadway Debut In ‘Every Brilliant Thing’

Law & Order: SVU star Mariska Hargitay will make her Broadway debut in the hit, acclaimed play Every Brilliant Thing, taking over for current star Daniel Radcliffe when he ends his limited engagement in May.

“I read Every Brilliant Thing and cried, rejoiced, laughed, cried some more, and loved it so much,” said Hargitay in a statemebnt. “I’m always drawn to themes of healing and renewal, especially when the journey is rendered in all its complexity. It feels like an extraordinary gift to make my Broadway debut, the fulfillment of a lifelong dream, with a play that affirms life so emphatically. For me, the triumph of this beautiful piece of work—this luminously brilliant thing—is that through a deeply personal story, we experience the universal endeavor of keeping ourselves pointed towards light, compassion and hope.”

Radcliffe (Merrily We Roll Along, the Harry Potter films), will play his final performance on Sunday, May 24. Hargitay debuts Tuesday, May 26. The play, written by Duncan Macmillan with Jonny Donahoe, and directed by Jeremy Herrin, has extended its run through Sunday, June 28, at the Hudson Theatre.

Hargitay’s casting was announced today by producers Second Half Productions, Seaview, and Gavin Kalin Productions.

Hargitay, of course, is best known for her award-winning, long-running performance as Olivia Benson in the hit NBC series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. She appeared on stage in the early 2000s in the Off Broadway production of The Exonerated.

Off screen, Hargitay founded the non-profit organization Joyful Heart Foundation to help survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse. As a producer her credits include the Emmy-winning documentary I Am Evidence, Nuns vs The Vatican, My Beautiful Stutter and Emanuel. In 2025, Hargitay made her feature-film directorial debut, with the documentary My Mom Jayne, examining the life, career, and the complicated legacy of her mother, Hollywood star Jayne Mansfield.

In Every Brilliant Thing the central character – it’s a one-person play, with some help from the audience – looks back at their life and the glimmers of hope that carried them through significant hardship, all told through a list of every brilliant thing that makes life worth living. In London, the production has featured such performers as Minnie Driver, and comedian Jonny Donahoe, among others.