Mariska Hargitay fulfills ‘lifelong dream’ with career move away from Law & Order: SVU

Mariska Hargitay is swapping out the cop car for the stage.

The Law & Order: SVU star has confirmed she will be making her Broadway debut, starring in the one-person play Every Brilliant Thing, which opened March 12. 

She will be replacing Daniel Radcliffe come May 26 for its extended run, which will come to an end June 28. 

“I read Every Brilliant Thing and cried, rejoiced, laughed, cried some more, and loved it so much,” Mariska said in a statement. “I’m always drawn to themes of healing and renewal, especially when the journey is rendered in all its complexity.”

Every Brilliant Thing, which was written by Duncan Macmillan and Jonny Donahoe, is about a seven-year-old child who starts a list of everything worth living for to cheer up their suicidal mother, continuing the list into adulthood as a way to process depression and find hope.

It has previously featured in its solo leading role its co-creator Jonny, as well as Lenny Henry, Ambika Mod, Sue Perkins, and Minnie Driver.

“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,” Mariska further shared in her statement.” 

“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,” she added.

Upon sharing the news of her Broadway debut on Instagram, fans and celebrity friends alike were quick to take to the comments section under the post with their congratulations, with her good friend Ali Wentworth stating: “See you opening night!!” 

© Getty Images

Others followed suit with: “Congratulations beautiful!! I cannot wait to be in the audience opening night with my daughter! My tickets have been secured!” and: “OH MY GOD MARISKA!!! This is incredible!!! AHHH!!!” as well as: “This is such exciting news!”

© Instagram

Mariska is based in New York City, with her husband Peter Hermann, who she married in 2004, and their three children, son August, 19, daughter Amaya Josephine, 14, who they adopted in 2011, and son Andrew Nicholas, 13, who they adopted six months later. 

In 2024, she celebrated the milestone 25th anniversary of Law & Order: SVU, which is currently airing its 27th season. Last year, she also premiered her directorial debut, a documentary titled My Mom Jayne, about the life and early death of her mother Jayne Mansfield.