Adrien Brody and Tessa Thompson to Make Their Broadway Debuts in The Fear of 13

Two-time Academy Award winner Adrien Brody will make his Broadway debut in The Fear of 13, a new play by Olivier Award nominee Lindsey Ferrentino and directed by Tony Award winner David Cromer. Golden Globe, Emmy and BAFTA Award nominee Tessa Thompson will make her Broadway debut alongside Brody. Performances begin March 19 at the James Earl Jones Theatre for a 16-week limited engagement. Opening night is April 15.

Brody became the youngest winner of the Oscar for Best Actor in 2003 for The Pianist, and won the award a second time in 2025 for The Brutalist. He is known for collaborating with director Wes Anderson, appearing in The Darjeeling Limited, The Grand Budapest Hotel, The French Dispatch and Asteroid City. He also portrayed Salvador Dalí in Midnight in Paris and Arthur Miller in Blonde.

Thompson starred as Hedda Gabler in 2025's Hedda, a provocative, modern reimagining of Henrik Ibsen's classic play. She also stars alongside Jon Bernthal in His & Hers, a new Netflix series based on Alice Feeney's 2020 thriller novel. Thompson played Bianca in all three Creed films and the warrior Valkyrie in the Marvel Thor movies. Other notable film roles include in Sylvie's Love (Emmy nomination), Passing and Sorry to Bother You.

The Fear of 13 had its world premiere at London's Donmar Warehouse in October 2024, where Brody made his London stage debut in the leading role. Both Brody and the play were nominated for Olivier Awards. The production is based on the documentary of the same name directed by David Sington, which tells the true story of Nick Yarris, the first person sentenced to death in Pennsylvania to be exonerated by DNA evidence.

One of Yarris' attorneys, Christina Swarns, now serves as Executive Director of the Innocence Project, a not-for-profit organization which has helped to free or exonerate more than 250 people who collectively spent over 4,000 years behind bars, and contributed to the passage of more than 250 transformative state and federal reforms. Founded in 1992 by Barry C. Scheck and Peter J. Neufeld, the Innocence Project uses DNA and other scientific advancements to prove wrongful conviction. The organization is partnering with the upcoming production to provide audiences with meaningful ways to take action beyond the theater.

Additional cast and creative team will be announced at a later date.