“Law & Order: SVU” star Mariska Hargitay loves her role as the iconic Olivia Benson. However, she recently decided it’s time to explore other avenues as well. Now, the 62-year-old is proudly stepping onto the Broadway stage to star in “Every Brilliant Thing.”
After 27 years on “SVU,” Hargitay will star in the show for six weeks. She’s opening up about the daring decision and how the show has added so much color to her life.
Mariska Hargitay Fell in Love With “Every Brilliant Thing”
Mariska Hargitay is definitely no stranger to acting. However, she admits that live performance is very different from filming a television show.
“It definitely feels like you’re going out without a net, but that’s also the thrill of it,” the actress told PEOPLE. “Even though I’m still challenged at ‘SVU,’ I know the drill. I’m a boss lady. I can say, ‘Cut. Sorry guys, let’s go again. Can we take it from the top?'”
That isn’t a possibility on the Broadway stage, but that doesn’t scare Hargitay.
“But that’s the challenge,” she proudly told the outlet. “Bring it on, baby, let’s do this.”
“Harry Potter” alum Daniel Radcliffe originated the main role in “Every Brilliant Thing.” Mariska Hargitay is delighted to follow in his footsteps and bring her own influence to the character.
“I was in from minute one,” she told PEOPLE about reading through the script. The play follows the character’s quest for joy and meaning in life after their parent’s suicide attempt.
“I said this is a dream come true. I identified with the character in so many ways. It’s a play about healing, the stories that I love to tell,” Hargitay continued.
The ‘SVU’ Star Uses Her New Role to Tell Her Own Story
Mariska Hargitay is certainly used to long rehearsal hours. However, practicing for a Broadway show comes with its own set of challenges.
“I had no idea what I was in for. Everyone kept saying, ‘Wow, you’ve got to get your strength up.’ I was like, ‘Sweetheart, I’ve been on a show for 27 years. I got this,'” the actress quipped. “It was so exhausting in a new way.”
The show’s heavy content also forced Hargitay to dig deep into her own personal trauma. In 1967, three-year-old Mariska Hargitay was in a horrific car accident with her mother, actress Jayne Mansfield. Her mother tragically lost her life.
“After all the longing that I had or all the sadness or regret, I feel like my mom is with me now,” the “Law & Order” star vulnerably shared. “I was trapped in a car, and I had a lot of PTSD and a nervous system that was pretty wound up and scared, waiting for the other shoe to drop.”
Hargitay went on to create the 2025 documentary, “My Mom, Jayne,” as a way to cope with her mother’s passing decades before.
“The only way to heal is to be in a community and in the present and not live in the past, and making my film was cathartic,” she told PEOPLE. “It gave me a lot of internal space back. I think it changed my nervous system and I did feel so relieved and so free, and so it felt like a natural progression.”
Mariska Hargitay stars in “Every Brilliant Thing” from May 26 through July 5, 2026. Tickets may be purchased through the official Broadway website.
