Before becoming a global sensation, a younger Daniel Radcliffe found joy in simple pleasures: Bart Simpson, ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,’ bouncy castles, and even French fries enjoyed on quintessentially ‘English beaches.’
These cherished memories predate his international stardom, his life in New York, and his journey into fatherhood. Yet, these small joys are now central to his preparation for a challenging new Broadway role. He’s set to portray a character who, as a child, begins compiling a list of life’s wonders to support his mother struggling with suicidal thoughts.
Radcliffe, at 36, admits his return to Broadway comes as a personal surprise. Having just secured his first Tony Award in 2024 for the acclaimed revival of ‘Merrily We Roll Along,’ a project that occupied him for nearly two years, he had fully intended to step away from the stage. With a young toddler, a new television series, and a burgeoning writing endeavor, his plate already seemed full.
Daniel Radcliffe will be the sole actor in ‘Every Brilliant Thing,’ a unique play featuring voluntary audience participation. He anticipates that the audience’s engagement will make each performance a fresh and enjoyable experience.
However, a determined director presented him with the script for ‘Every Brilliant Thing.’ Radcliffe, who had never seen the production, was immediately drawn to its inherent risk — a feeling that has often shaped his unconventional career choices. His instinct told him: ‘This seems perilous. I should do that.’
He shared in multiple conversations, ‘Sometimes I find myself getting too comfortable, sensing it’s been too long since I’ve tackled something genuinely daunting.’
He referenced a widely circulated David Lynch quote: ‘Whenever I learned something in life, it came from doing something new.’ Radcliffe believes this role will be a similar transformative experience for him.
The true challenge lies in the play’s unique format: Radcliffe is the sole professional cast member, but not the only performer. ‘Every Brilliant Thing’ is an interactive monologue relying on substantial, yet entirely voluntary, audience involvement. This means an actor, who spent a decade as Harry Potter evoking strong emotions of adoration, familiarity, and wonder from millions he never met, will now engage in a blend of improvisation and role-playing with strangers, eight times a week.
He acknowledged the potential complexities: ‘It’s complicated, simply because some people react intensely to famous individuals.’ However, he remains optimistic: ‘I also believe there’s a general warmth people feel towards Harry Potter, and by extension, me. I hope this will encourage them to take this leap with me.’
A young Daniel Radcliffe in the 2001 film ‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.’ (Credit: Warner Bros.)
‘Every Brilliant Thing’ is an 85-minute exploration of gratitude, grief, resilience, and human connection, infused with music. The play originated from a short monologue by Duncan Macmillan staged two decades ago in England. Macmillan later collaborated with comedian Jonny Donahoe to develop it into the full-length piece that Donahoe first performed in 2013.
Since its debut, the show has traveled globally, performed in 66 countries and 44 languages. Notable artists like Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Minnie Driver have taken on the role. Its adaptable nature has seen it staged everywhere from music festival tents to private living rooms in Bangladesh, and in Argentina, 11 different actors have rotated through the part. Donahoe himself has performed it over 400 times, including in a 2014 Off Broadway run.
Radcliffe, keen to develop his own unique interpretation, has intentionally avoided seeing previous productions. He has, however, thoroughly reviewed the script’s 73 footnotes, which serve as Macmillan’s dynamic compilation of insights and anecdotes from past performances. These notes often include adaptations for each performer and location; for instance, a special nod to Bart Simpson is included for Radcliffe, a self-professed fan.
The Universal Appeal
The Hudson Theater, with approximately 975 seats, will host Radcliffe’s performance, making it the largest venue for ‘Every Brilliant Thing’ to date. It’s also the same historic theater where ‘Merrily We Roll Along’ enjoyed its recent revival. During an interview in the theater’s spacious lounge, Radcliffe spotted his own image in a cast photo on the wall. He humorously exclaimed, ‘Oh, no, not under that,’ and insisted we relocate.
In person, Radcliffe exudes a remarkable presence. While maintaining clear conversational boundaries, he is also notably patient, unpretentious, highly self-aware, and profoundly reflective about his career and acting.
Radcliffe stated, ‘I find many aspects of this character relatable, both in how they experience sadness and how they discover joy.’
Our conversation extensively covered fame, a topic particularly relevant given how it might influence a solo show with significant audience interaction. Radcliffe frequently encounters people eager to approach, engage, and confide in him. While he remains gracious, managing these interactions can be overwhelming. He often wears a hat and mask when out, and notes that a current benefit of his life is the comfort his friends now feel socializing at his home.
During a rehearsal, it became clear that the play’s sensitive themes might encourage some audience members to share their personal struggles at the stage door. Radcliffe, however, is accustomed to such encounters. ‘They do anyway — that’s been happening for years,’ he explained. ‘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, co-directing the Broadway production with Macmillan, observed that Radcliffe offers a unique dimension to the role: audiences remember him from childhood. This connection could intensify the experience of watching his character recount his early years. Herrin remarked, ‘He’s got an everyman quality, doesn’t he? He’s got a kind of optimism, and a resilience about him.’
Radcliffe, however, offered a more personal take on his connection to the role. ‘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,’ he revealed. ‘I’ve experienced sadness, but I’ve also felt the helplessness of knowing people who 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.’
With previews for ‘Every Brilliant Thing’ commencing on February 21, it stands as one of Radcliffe’s two active projects. He is also co-starring with Tracy Morgan in a new NBC sitcom, ‘The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins,’ where Morgan plays a football player looking for a comeback, and Radcliffe portrays the filmmaker he hires.
Daniel Radcliffe, flanked by Lindsay Mendez and Jonathan Groff, during his Tony-winning performance in ‘Merrily We Roll Along’ in 2024. (Credit: Sara Krulwich/The New York Times)
Morgan spoke effusively about his new co-star, praising Radcliffe’s humility, kindness, and humor. He also highlighted an unexpected bonus: ‘Working with Daniel Radcliffe,’ Morgan shared, ‘I became a cool dad.’
The sheer unpredictability of Radcliffe’s prolific post-Potter career has by now become his signature. Bryan Cranston, himself an actor known for transitioning between screen and stage, remarked, ‘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 Potter film’s 2011 release, Radcliffe debuted on Broadway in ‘Equus’ (2008), a role famously requiring nudity. His film choices have been equally unconventional, including portraying a flatulent corpse in ‘Swiss Army Man.’ Robert Carlock, a 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 the rare privilege he has: selecting projects based solely on his artistic preference.
He believes, ‘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. 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.’
When asked why he continues to work when he doesn’t financially need to, he responded, ‘It’s such a funny question. 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.’
Evolving Priorities
However, fatherhood has added a new layer of complexity to his career decisions. Radcliffe admits, ‘The bar for what will take me away from my family has definitely got higher.’
This new role as a father also motivated him to finally quit smoking. ‘I’d done it for long enough,’ he explained. ‘I started, honestly, just having intrusive thoughts about my own death, and not being around for his growing up.’
Jeremy Herrin, co-director of ‘Every Brilliant Thing,’ praised Radcliffe, saying, ‘He’s got an everyman quality, doesn’t he? He’s got a kind of optimism, and a resilience about him.’
Initially, he declined an offer to perform ‘Every Brilliant Thing’ in London, preferring to remain in New York with his girlfriend, Erin Darke, and their son. However, a Broadway run was appealing, as the evening performance schedule allows him to be with his son during the day.
Describing his son, Radcliffe said, ‘He’s just this ball of joy — so happy and funny and sweet — which I find both beautiful and heartbreaking. I get really protective, and I suddenly understand every instinct every parent has of home-schooling and moving to the woods.’
His son is currently too young to grasp his father’s profession or the global phenomenon of Harry Potter. When asked if he would read the Potter books to him, Radcliffe replied, ‘If he gets into them, I totally will, 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 also shared a pleasant thought: his son potentially discovering the Potter universe through the upcoming HBO series, rather than the original films. ‘Hopefully I can just put that on, and he doesn’t have to watch me in it. That’d be, honestly, the ideal.’ Regarding his public disagreements with J.K. Rowling about gender identity and their impact on his feelings towards the Potter franchise, he offered no comment, stating, ‘The minute I start talking about that, it’s going to obscure anything else.’
Radcliffe’s commitment to ‘Every Brilliant Thing’ runs through May 24. He harbors hopes that ‘Reggie Dinkins,’ filmed locally in New York, will enjoy a successful, long-term run. He is also slated for the Vietnam War thriller ‘Trust the Man’ and ultimately aspires to direct his own films.
He expressed a strong desire to direct, specifically for film, rather than theater. ‘I do not have an instinctual understanding of how to make things theatrical-wise,’ he explained, ‘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 revealed he has been working on a script ‘for ages’ and is currently revising it.
Radcliffe added, ‘I’ve always wanted the first thing that I’ve directed to be something that I had written, because that way, if I screw it up, at least I’m screwing my own material up.’
But before embarking on a directing career, he returns to Broadway, where his primary challenge will be quick-thinking interaction with the audience. Macmillan aptly described managing this participation as ‘a high-wire act, for sure.’
Prior to each performance, Radcliffe and his team will seek volunteers from the audience to read selections from his character’s ever-expanding list of ‘brilliant’ things and to embody certain pivotal figures in the narrative.
Radcliffe emphasized that all participation is entirely optional. ‘I know how a lot of people feel about audience participation,’ he stated. ‘No one will be forced to do anything.’
He recently gained some direct experience with audience engagement, having served as a guest speller in ‘The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee’ late last year. This month, during rehearsals for ‘Every Brilliant Thing,’ stand-in audience members have helped Radcliffe navigate various scenarios and potential challenges.
He enthused, ‘What people are going to bring to this show is going to make it so much fun to do every night.’
When asked about his personal motivation, he responded, ‘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. I’m not saying this show saves lives, but this show wants people to stay alive.’
Additional cinematography provided by Gus Aronson.