The Boy Who Lived, come to Broadway! While best known for his role in the Harry Potter film franchise, Daniel Radcliffe boasts an incredibly impressive screen and stage résumé. From plays to musicals to revivals, he has truly done it all! Fresh off the opening of his newest Broadway project, Every Brilliant Thing, let’s take a look back at his impressive on-stage career.
2008: Equus, Broadhurst Theatre
While Radcliffe technically made his stage debut as a celebrity guest in the West End production of The Play What I Wrote in 2002, he took on his first true major role beginning in 2007. During a break between shooting Harry Potter films, he starred in a West End revival of Peter Shaffer’s play Equus, the first revival since its original 1973 run. He played the lead role of Alan Strang, which was seen as an attempt to showcase his ability to perform more mature, adult roles, as the part involved a nude scene. Following the opening of the show February 2007, Radcliffe’s performance amassed lots of media attention, critical acclaim, and audience favor.
The play then transferred to Broadway in 2008. Opening at the Broadhurst Theatre that September, the production marked his official Broadway debut. Remaining in the lead role, Radcliffe starred alongside Kate Mulgrew and Anna Camp, and was later nominated for a Drama Desk Award for his performance. The production also featured Richard Griffiths, who starred alongside Radcliffe in the the Harry Potter films as Uncle Vernon.
2011: How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Al Hirschfeld Theatre
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying is a musical that follows a window washer, J. Pierrepont Finch, who manages to weasel himself into an executive corporate position. Radcliffe, undertaking his first musical, stepped into the role of Finch for the musical’s third revival, in 2011, celebrating the show’s 50th anniversary. He remained in the role until January 2012. His performance earned him nominations for Drama Desk, Drama League, and Outer Critics Circle awards. The production itself also received nine Tony Award nominations.
2014: The Cripple of Inishmaan, Cort Theatre (now James Earl Jones Theatre)
The 2013 revival of Martin McDonagh’s dark comedy The Cripple of Inishmaan brought the play back to London’s West End for a second time after its premiere in 1996 and Off-Broadway run in 2008. Radcliffe joined the cast in the titular role of Billy Claven, a disabled orphan who has hopes of landing a Hollywood part. His performance ended up winning him a WhatsOnStage Award for Best Actor in a Play. The production fully sold out its limited run, and ended up transferring to Broadway in 2014. Radcliffe remained in the role when it moved back to New York, where the show made its Broadway debut at the Cort Theatre, now renamed the James Earl Jones Theatre. The 2014 revival ended up garnering six Tony Award nominations, including Best Revival of a Play.
2018: The Lifespan of a Fact, Studio 54
The Lifespan of a Fact is a 90-minute comedy play adaptation of the book of the same name written by John D’Agata and Jim Fingal. The story featured an essay written by D’Agata and the fact checker assigned to review it, Fingal. Starring alongside Bobby Cannavale and Cherry Jones, Radcliffe played the role of Fingal. To prepare for the role, Radcliffe actually spent a day working in the fact checking department of The New Yorker. The Broadway play officially opened at Studio 54 in October 2018, with Radcliffe remaining in the cast until the show’s closing in January 2019.
2023: Merrily We Roll Along, Hudson Theatre
The iconic Stephen Sondheim and George Furth musical saw its first Broadway revival in 2023 following a wildly successful limited run Off-Broadway at the New York Theatre Workshop. Starring alongside Jonathan Groff and Lindsay Mendez, Radcliffe held the role of Charley Kringas. The fan-favorite musical returned to Broadway on the Hudson Theatre stage, where it swept audiences and critics off their feet, racking up a total of seven Tony Award nominations and taking the win for four, including Radcliffe’s win for Best Featured Actor in a Musical, his first Tony win. The pro-shot of the musical was later released in major movie theatres across the U.S. in December 2025.
2026: Every Brilliant Thing, Hudson Theatre
Radcliffe is back on Broadway in an interactive one-man play at the Hudson Theatre. With tons of audience interaction and belly laughs incoming, Every Brilliant Thing brings you along with a man who is looking back on his life and the joy that has carried him through it. The production is currently in previews, with an opening date set for March 12, and will run for 13 weeks only in this limited engagement. Be sure to get your tickets now to explore the brilliant things of life with Daniel Radcliffe!
