Tessa Thompson Is Making Her Broadway Debut
Tessa Thompson arrives at the Film Independent Spirit Awards on Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026, at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
Tessa Thompson will soon step into the world of Broadway. The Afro-Latina actress will star in critically-acclaimed drama The Fear of 13.
Thompson, who is of Panamanian and Mexican descent, has starred in films like the Creed series, Thor: Ragnarok, Thor: Love and Thunder, Hedda, and most recently the mini-series His & Hers. The actress known for playing Valkyrie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe will soon take on a role in a completely different medium: Broadway. Back in January, Thompson was announced as joining the cast of Lindsey Ferrentino’s The Fear of 13.
The Fear of 13 is based on David Sington’s documentary of the same name about Nick Yarris, a real-life man who was sentenced to death for a crime that he did not commit. After spending 22 years on death row, DNA evidence cleared Yarris of any wrongdoing in 2004. Ferrentino adapted the documentary into a stage play that became a hit in London in 2024. Tony-winning director David Cromer is at the helm of the play’s upcoming run on Broadway.
Thompson will play Jackie Schaffer, a prison volunteer and a member of the Western Pennsylvania Coalition Against the Death Penalty, and Adrien Brody will play the role of Yarris.
Preview performances of The Fear of 13 will start taking place on March 19 at the James Earl Jones Theatre. The stage play will officially open on Broadway on April 15. The Fear of 13 will mark both Thompson and Brody’s debuts on Broadway.
For more information on how to get tickets, check out the play’s official website here.