Mike Faist

Born on January 5, 1992, in Gahanna, Ohio, Michael David Faist developed a passion for performing arts at a young age. Inspired by Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire, he began taking dance classes at five and soon auditioned for community and children’s theatre productions, including “The Wizard of Oz” and “Oliver!”. He further honed his acting skills at The Academy of Performing Arts (TAPA) in Columbus and continued performing in high school productions. At 17, Faist graduated a year early and moved to New York to pursue a stage career. He briefly attended the American Musical and Dramatic Academy before focusing on auditions, supporting himself by selling tickets in Times Square and working other odd jobs.

Faist’s professional acting career began in 2011, originating the role of Morris Delancey in “Newsies” at the Paper Mill Playhouse. He continued with the production during its transfer to Broadway, also understudying the lead role of Jack Kelly. This dual role demanded significant vocal and physical preparation, marking his Broadway debut. He then appeared in independent films like “The Unspeakable Act” (2012) and “The Grief of Others” (2015), as well as Off-Broadway plays such as Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ “Appropriate” (2014) and “A Month in the Country” (2015) alongside Peter Dinklage. His theatre career reached a pivotal point when he originated the role of Connor Murphy in “Dear Evan Hansen,” a role he played from the workshop phase through its successful Broadway run from 2016 to 2018. This critically acclaimed performance earned him a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Musical and contributed to a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album for the cast.

Following his Broadway success, Faist expanded his presence in film and television. In 2021, he co-starred as Dodge Mason in Amazon’s teen drama “Panic” and achieved widespread recognition for his role as Riff in Steven Spielberg’s film adaptation of “West Side Story.” His portrayal of Riff was met with universal praise from critics and earned him a BAFTA Award nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. He continued to take on diverse roles, starring as Roger Sharpe in “Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game” (2022) and portraying photographer Danny Lyon in Jeff Nichols’ “The Bikeriders” (2023). In 2023, he made his West End debut in the stage adaptation of “Brokeback Mountain” as Jack Twist. Most recently, Faist starred as Art Donaldson in Luca Guadagnino’s romantic sports film “Challengers” (2024), further cementing his standing as a versatile and emotionally incisive actor.