Interview: Alex Brightman Dishes on Tonight's Episode of LAW & ORDER: SVU!

Broadway's Beetlejuice, Alex Brightman, is scheduled to appear alongside fellow Tony nominee Eva Noblezada on tonight's brand new episode of "Law & Order: SVU."

Eva guest stars as Zoey, a camgirl who is assaulted by one of her clients. When he (Alex Brightman) decides to represent himself in court, she's forced to give him access to the crime scene (her apartment) so he can shore up his case.

BroadwayWorld caught up with Alex by email to talk about tonight's episode, which airs at 9 p.m. EST on NBC.

Watch BroadwayWorld's exclusive clip from tonight's episode here.

Alex Brightman is a writer and Tony-nominated actor who has been seen on Broadway in Beetlejuice, School of Rock, Matilda, Big Fish, Wicked, Glory Days; on TV in "Documentary Now!," "SMILF," "Important Things w/ Demetri Martin;" and in one horror film where he was brutally murdered on a toilet. His musical writing credits include It's Kind of a Funny Story(Universal Theatrical), The Whipping Boy, and Make Me Bad, all with his writing partner Drew Gasparini. His newest plays, We Left It Here and Everything Is Fine, were presented in New York City in 2019.

Read the full interview below!

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I know you've done some voiceover work during the pandemic, but was this your first time back on a set? What was that like?

Being back on a set with other real human beings that weren't my family was something I thought I'd be prepared for. But I wasn't. I hadn't really "acted" with other people in months and months. On Deadendia (the animated project I'm working on), it's just me in the studio. So being on set with hundreds of other people was thrilling...but it was inevitably a bit new all over again. It felt like I had forgotten how the whole "acting" thing went. But thankfully the cast and crew were ridiculously supportive and understanding of the world around us and were so encouraging every moment we were on. By day two, it really felt good to stretch my legs again and remember what it felt like to make choices and be consistent and genuinely listen to your scene partners. It gave me chills...something I haven't felt since Beetlejuice closed.

Was this your first time working with Eva?

Eva is the definition of a professional. She's prepared, she's consistent, she's raw, and she's magic in human form. Getting to act with her was a bucket list item I didn't realize I had on the list. But it was so satisfying and I owe her a ton for how wonderful of a scene partner she was. She didn't have it easy...and she crushed this. I love that this was our first time working together and I'm praying it's not our last.

How did your stage background prepare you for SVU?

One thing that I'm thrilled about when it comes to having been on stage eight times a week for this many years is that it has given me the gift of consistency. I know how to deliver a performance over and over again. And that's what TV/film is about. Consistency is key. So having a background doing Broadway shows (sometimes hundreds of times) really helped with getting the performance consistent, while still making it interesting on every take.

What are you excited for audiences to take away from the episode?

I'm really hoping that audiences are uncomfortable. Art isn't always comfortable. Sometimes art is a mirror. It reflects the world around us. And right now, our world is a bit cracked. This episode deals with a woman (Eva Noblezada) who finds a way to provide for her family in a career that others may view as dirty or offensive. But it's a complicated issue portrayed in a genuinely complicated way, and I hope people see the episode and understand that sometimes human beings are more than what they do. They are who they are. And also, what you may consider sinful or unconscionable, others might consider their livelihood. Human beings contain multitudes and we have done a pretty good job at forgetting that. So I'm hoping this episode is a reminder of that.

What do you miss most about live performance?

I miss the audience. I miss the instant feedback. I miss applause and laughter. I miss meeting people after a show. I miss risk. I miss the reward that sometimes accompanies that risk. I miss it all.

What are some upcoming projects you have in the works?

I am in the process of developing a television series that I'm so looking forward to talking about when I can. I am also on Deadendia on Netflix which will premiere this coming fall. I am writing multiple projects with my writing partner, Drew Gasparini. One of my plays, "Everything is Fine," which was just a finalist in the ScreenCraft Stage to Screen Adaptation competition, is hopefully getting an official reading this year. Other than that, I'm cooking a lot...and loving every minute of it. Oh yeah! You can hear me as one of the three narrators of the audiobook version of "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark."

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The new episode of "Law & Order: SVU" premieres tonight, January 14th, at 9 p.m. EST on NBC!

Photo Credit: Virginia Sherwood/NBC