Raúl Esparza warns 'SVU' costar Mariska Hargitay ahead of Broadway debut

Raúl Esparza has some words of wisdom for his erstwhile Law & Order: Special Victims Unit costar Mariska Hargitay ahead of her Broadway debut.

For those unaware, Esparza played Rafael Barba and Hargitay breathed life into Olivia Benson’s character in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit alongside an ensemble cast, including Christopher Meloni, Richard Belzer, BD Wong, Kelli Giddish, Ice-T, and others.

At the Hudson Theatre in New York City on Tuesday, June 2, the 55-year-old American actor opened up to PEOPLE magazine about the advice he shared with Hargitay.

He told the outlet, “I told her it's going to be hard. I also said, 'Take care of yourself. It's okay.’”

"This is harder than anything you've ever done and also more rewarding. It's okay to take breaks and get some rest and be really nice to yourself,” the Hannibal star added.

For those unaware, the 62-year-old American actress and philanthropist is set to play the role of an unnamed protagonist in the one-woman show Every Brilliant Thing. It is her first time doing any live shows on Broadway.

On the other hand, Esparza’s first Broadway show was in a revival of The Rocky Horror Show in 2000 and landed another opportunity to play the lead role of Jonathan in the original Off-Broadway production of Tick, Tick... Boom!

It is pertinent to mention that Every Brilliant Thing is running at the Hudson Theatre in New York City from February 21 through August 9, 2026.