Mariska Hargitay says Broadway debut pushed her to edge

Mariska Hargitay opened up about the pressure behind her Broadway debut in “Every Brilliant Thing,” saying she didn’t sleep for three days before previews and had to take a prescription sedative—before the experience flipped into something thrilling.

Mariska Hargitay didn’t just step into live theatre—she arrived at the edge of her nerves.

On her Making Space with Hoda Kotb podcast appearance. the Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning actress said her Broadway debut felt difficult at first because she was “new” to live theatre. She described the fear in blunt terms. admitting she was nervous and that it felt like “terror was running through my veins.” Before the preview. she revealed she didn’t sleep for three days. When insomnia kicked in, she said she had to take a prescription sedative.

Then, previews came—and everything changed.

Hargitay said, “We can do hard things. Being brave and being courageous and to feel those feelings again and not know what’s gonna happen was so incredibly exciting. Terrifying, yet exciting.” When she later added, “Then previews came, and it was extraordinary and thrilling. And. again. everything about it was new. ” the same production that nearly unraveled her at the start became something she couldn’t stop leaning into.

She’s set to appear in Every Brilliant Thing at the Hudson Theatre for a limited 40-performance run. Written by Duncan Macmillan with Jonny Donahoe, it’s an interactive solo show that incorporates the audience’s participation. The story opens with a mother’s suicide and a seven-year-old who creates a list of life’s joys to lift her spirits. As the show moves forward. the audience follows the narrator through college. marriage. and adulthood while exploring grief. hope. and resilience.

The production debuted on March 12, 2026, with Daniel Radcliffe in the lead role. Hargitay said the chance to join the Broadway run “came as a surprise. ” adding: “It really came and grabbed me. and I had no idea what was happening. It was one of the most beautiful and emotional and poignant and hilarious and meaningful and life-affirming plays ever that I loved. and I just couldn’t believe my good fortune to go in after Daniel Radcliffe.”.

Before each performance, she’s built a small ritual to steady herself backstage. Hargitay said she hangs photos of Billie Jean King, Lindsey Vonn, Jalen Brunson, and the cast of Hamilton. She explained the logic behind it in a way that loops right back to her nerves: “Billie Jean wrote ‘one ball at a time.’ And you think about tennis. it’s one ball at a time. and it’s one moment at a time on stage. And if something doesn’t go right or you don’t, you know, you just go, and we keep going. I think about Jalen. It’s the same thing. I think about all the Knicks,” she said.

She also credited athletes as lifelong motivators. “I think that many athletes are my heroes. My dad was an athlete. That mentality of ‘We just work harder,’” she said. Of Vonn, she added: “So much: tenacity, strength, the power of getting up again, resilience. She’s my hero. The way she does it. Her attitude. The clarity Jalen and Lindsey have.”.

Hargitay previously shared with People that Broadway is different from her television roles. and that contrast is part of what made the whole ordeal scary at first. She said. “The idea that the longest take I’ve ever done is a few minutes. five minutes even. that’s a long take. but the idea of doing an hour and 21 minutes without a break in front of 1000 people. it’s like. wow.”.

Every Brilliant Thing, starring Mariska Hargitay, will premiere on July 5 at the Hudson Theatre.

Mariska Hargitay Making Space with Hoda Kotb Broadway debut Every Brilliant Thing Hudson Theatre Daniel Radcliffe Duncan Macmillan Jonny Donahoe Law & Order SVU Billie Jean King Lindsey Vonn Jalen Brunson Hamilton Hudson Theatre limited run