Once upon a time, young Daniel Radcliffe found joy in simple pleasures: the antics of Bart Simpson, the humor of ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,’ the thrill of bouncy castles, and the tangy delight of French fries with vinegar on ‘English beaches’ (he’s quick to clarify that the term ‘beaches’ might need air quotes in that context).
These were the days before he became a globally recognized actor, before New York City became his chosen home, and before he embraced fatherhood. Lately, however, he’s been reflecting on these small joys, preparing for a new Broadway challenge. He’ll portray a character who, as a child, meticulously lists reasons to appreciate life in an effort to support his mother, who struggles with suicidal thoughts.
Radcliffe, now 36, gracing the Broadway stage again is quite the surprise, even to himself. He earned his first Tony Award in 2024 for his captivating performance in the revival of ‘Merrily We Roll Along.’ Having dedicated nearly two years to that production, he had intended to step away from theater. With a toddler, a new television series, and a personal writing project in the works, it seemed he had a full plate.
However, a persistent director managed to get the script for ‘Every Brilliant Thing’ into Radcliffe’s hands. He hadn’t seen the show before, but a familiar gut feeling kicked in—the kind that has often steered his unconventional career choices: ‘This seems perilous. I should do that.’
“Sometimes I can feel myself getting a little bit too comfortable, like it’s been a little bit too long since I’ve done something that truly is scary,” he shared during our conversations.
He also referenced a David Lynch quote: “Whenever he learned something in life, it came from doing something new, and I think this is what that’ll be for me.”
The unique aspect of ‘Every Brilliant Thing’ is that Radcliffe is the sole actor, but not the only performer. It’s an interactive monologue that requires substantial, though entirely voluntary, audience participation. This means an actor, known for portraying Harry Potter for a decade and evoking deep emotions from millions of strangers—adoration, familiarity, and a sense of protectiveness—will now engage in a blend of improv and role-playing with theatergoers, eight times a week.
“It’s complicated, potentially, just because some people go crazy about famous people,” he admitted. “But I also think that there is a warmth in people’s general feeling about Harry Potter, and by extension, me, which I’m hoping will lend itself toward people actually being willing to take the plunge with me.”
‘Every Brilliant Thing’ is an 85-minute exploration of gratitude, grief, coping, and human connection, intertwined with music. The play originated from a short monologue by Duncan Macmillan two decades ago in England. Macmillan later collaborated with comedian Jonny Donahoe to develop it into a full-length piece, which Donahoe premiered in 2013.
Since its debut, the show has traveled to 66 countries and been performed in 44 languages. It’s seen Phoebe Waller-Bridge perform in a festival tent and Minnie Driver take on the role in the West End. In Bangladesh, an actress has even performed it in living rooms, while in Argentina, 11 different actors have rotated through the part. Donahoe, with over 400 performances under his belt, also starred in a 2014 Off-Broadway production.
Radcliffe has deliberately avoided seeing the play, preferring to develop his own interpretation. He has, however, meticulously read the script’s 73 footnotes, which contain Macmillan’s evolving collection of insights and anecdotes from past productions. (Each performer and location inspires unique adjustments; for Radcliffe, a devoted ‘Simpsons’ fan, there’s even a nod to Bart.)
‘An Everyman Quality’
Radcliffe’s upcoming performance will be at the Hudson Theater, a venue with approximately 975 seats, making it the largest space the play has inhabited. It’s also the same theater where ‘Merrily’ was revived. We met for an interview in a spacious lounge there, and as we prepared to sit, Radcliffe spotted himself in a cast photo on the wall. With a laugh, he insisted we move: “Oh, no, not under that.”
In person, Radcliffe possesses a striking presence. While he maintains clear boundaries in conversation, he is also remarkably patient, unpretentious, highly self-aware, and deeply reflective about his career and his craft.
We discussed at length the topic of fame, particularly how it might influence a solo show that relies heavily on interaction between the performer and the audience. Wherever Radcliffe goes, people feel compelled to approach him, engage with him, and share their stories. He handles it with grace, but it’s a significant burden. He mentioned that when he goes out, he often wears a hat and a mask, noting that a benefit of this stage in his life is that his friends are now more comfortable socializing at home.
Observing a rehearsal, it struck me that given the play’s sensitive subject matter, some audience members might arrive at the stage door eager to disclose their own sorrows and struggles. “They do anyway — that’s been happening for years,” Radcliffe confirmed. “I’m used to some very intense interactions, and sometimes really lovely ones, and sometimes ones where I say, you should talk to someone else about this.”
Jeremy Herrin, who is co-directing the Broadway production with Macmillan, noted that Radcliffe brings a unique element to the role: audiences remember him as a child, which could intensify the experience of watching his character recount his own youth. “He’s got an everyman quality, doesn’t he?” Herrin said. “He’s got a kind of optimism, and a resilience about him.”
Radcliffe articulated his connection to the role differently: “There’s a lot about this character that I relate to, both in the way that sadness hits them, and in the way that they find joy. I’ve experienced sadness, but also I’ve experienced the helplessness of knowing people that are struggling.”
He chose not to elaborate further, simply stating, “If you get to the age of 36 and you haven’t known anyone who has struggled, you’d be quite a rare person.”
The show, which begins previews on February 21, is one of two projects Radcliffe is currently involved in. He’s also co-starring with Tracy Morgan in a new NBC sitcom, ‘The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins,’ which follows a scandal-ridden football player (Morgan) who enlists a disgraced filmmaker (Radcliffe) to orchestrate his comeback.
Morgan spoke glowingly of his new colleague, describing him as humble, kind, and humorous. He also highlighted an unexpected bonus: “Working with Daniel Radcliffe,” he remarked, “I became a cool dad.”
By now, the unpredictable nature of Radcliffe’s prolific post-Potter career has become his signature. Bryan Cranston, another actor who has transitioned successfully between screen and stage, observed, “Not many people have been able to make that transition as smoothly as he did, and he’s focused on theater, and it’s a great vehicle for him.”
Even before the final Harry Potter film premiered in 2011, Radcliffe made his Broadway debut in ‘Equus’ (2008), a role famously requiring nudity. On screen, he once played a flatulent corpse in ‘Swiss Army Man.’ Robert Carlock, a co-creator of ‘Reggie Dinkins,’ commented, “He’s making choices that are not necessarily financial — that are clearly creative. It looks like he’s having a lot of fun.”
Radcliffe acknowledges he enjoys the rare privilege of selecting projects purely based on his artistic inclinations.
“One of my strengths as an actor is having a good idea of what I’m good for and what I’m not good for,” he explained. “Anything that sits in a zone of sweet and kindhearted but also a little bit weird or a little bit dark — that’s a place I really like to be in.”
And why work at all, when he doesn’t have to? “It’s such a funny question,” he mused. “I’ve worked since I was 9. I don’t know what life is without some sense of this. We’ve all got to do something to distract ourselves until we die, and acting is a great, fun thing to do that with.”
New Commitments
However, fatherhood has added a new layer of complexity to his decision-making process. “The bar for what will take me away from my family has definitely got higher,” Radcliffe stated.
It also finally prompted him to quit smoking. “I’d done it for long enough,” he shared. “I started, honestly, just having intrusive thoughts about my own death, and not being around for his growing up.”
Initially, he declined an offer to perform ‘Every Brilliant Thing’ in London because he lives in New York with his girlfriend, Erin Darke, and their son. However, he was open to bringing it to Broadway; working predominantly at night allows him to spend his days with his son.
“He’s just this ball of joy — so happy and funny and sweet — which I find both beautiful and heartbreaking,” he said. “I get really protective, and I suddenly understand every instinct every parent has of home-schooling and moving to the woods.”
His son is still too young to grasp that his father is an actor, let alone who Harry Potter is. Will Radcliffe read the Potter books to him? “If he gets into them, I totally will,” he said, “but I don’t think I’ll nudge him toward them, because I don’t think I’ll need to — he’ll find them eventually.”
He’s even considered, without regret, the possibility that his son might discover Harry Potter through the upcoming HBO series adaptation rather than the films. “Hopefully I can just put that on, and he doesn’t have to watch me in it. That’d be, honestly, the ideal.” As for his disagreements with J.K. Rowling regarding gender identity affecting his feelings about the Potter franchise, he offered no comment, stating, “The minute I start talking about that, it’s going to obscure anything else.”
Radcliffe is slated to perform ‘Every Brilliant Thing’ until May 24. He hopes ‘Reggie Dinkins,’ filmed in the New York area, will evolve into a long-running series. He’s also committed to ‘Trust the Man,’ a Vietnam War thriller. Ultimately, his ambition is to direct his own films.
“Directing is the thing I would love to do, not on stage, because I do not have an instinctual understanding of how to make things theatrical-wise, but if the Malcolm Gladwell rule is true, I have many thousands of hours on set now, so I should be able to figure out how to run a film set,” he explained, adding that he’s been revising a script “for ages.”
“I’ve always wanted the first thing that I’ve directed to be something that I had written,” Radcliffe said, “because that way, if I screw it up, at least I’m screwing my own material up.”
But first, it’s back to Broadway, where the primary challenge will be his ability to think on his feet while interacting with audience members. Macmillan aptly described managing this audience engagement as “a high-wire act, for sure.”
Before each performance, Radcliffe and his team will seek out volunteers from the audience willing to read aloud entries from his character’s ever-expanding list of ‘brilliant’ things, and to portray various significant figures in his character’s life.
Radcliffe emphasizes that participation is entirely optional. “I know how a lot of people feel about audience participation,” he noted. “No one will be forced to do anything.”
He’s even gained some firsthand experience. Late last year, he attended ‘The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee’ and famously became a guest speller in the show. This month, during ‘Every Brilliant Thing’ rehearsals, stand-in audience members have been recruited to help Radcliffe navigate potential variations and challenges.
“What people are going to bring to this show is going to make it so much fun to do every night,” he said enthusiastically.
And for him personally? “I’m doing it because it’s fun and interesting and a cool theatrical experience, but also I think there’s something really important in the message of it, and something that might be vital for somebody to hear,” he conveyed. “I’m not saying this show saves lives, but this show wants people to stay alive.”
Additional cinematography by Gus Aronson.