Why 'East of Eden' Star Mike Faist Looks Familiar

From 'Challengers' to Broadway

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Netflix's highly anticipated adaptation of John Steinbeck's East of Eden came out this week in a seven-part limited series created by Zoe Kazan, whose grandfather, Elia Kazan, directed the 1955 film starring James Dean.

Kazan's remake features Florence Pugh as the antagonist Cathy Ames, who upends the lives of brothers Charles and Adam Trask, played by Christopher Abbott and Mike Faist. If you think the latter looks familiar, you're not alone. Below, I've rounded up the major projects in which you may have seen Faist before his turn in this generational epic set in California's Salinas Valley.

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Aside from his role as Charles Trask, Faist is probably best known for Challengers, the 2024 Luca Guadagnino tennis film that starred Zendaya as Tashi, a former tennis prodigy. Faist took on the role of Art Donaldson, Tashi's husband, elite champion and now struggling player who is entered in a "challenger" tour against Tashi's ex-boyfriend and low-circuit player, Patrick Zweig (Josh O'Conner). The film went on to be critically acclaimed and nominated for four Golden Globes, including Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.

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Before Faist shared the screen with Zendaya, he actually got his start on Broadway. In 2011, Faist took on the role of Morris Delancey in Newsies at the Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey. Following the show's transfer to Broadway, Faist was also an understudy for the lead role of Jack Kelly. He followed with a turn as Rhys Thurston in Branden Jacobs-Jenkins's Off-Broadway play Appropriate.

In 2015, Faist played Connor Murphy in Dear Evan Hansen; the performance earned him a Tony Award nomination for Best Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical. Along with the cast, he was a winner of the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.

Just prior to his Challengers performance, Faist returned to the stage, starring as Jack Twist in the West End production of Brokeback Mountain.

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In terms of films, Faist's first feature appearance was 2012's The Unspeakable Act. His big breakthrough didn't come until Steven Spielberg's 2021 adaptation of West Side Story. Faist co-starred alongside Ansel Elgort, playing Riff, Tony's (Elgort) best friend and the leader of the Jets gang. Following the film's release, Faist was nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role at the British Academy Film Awards. He followed up with an appearance in the Austin Butler-led crime drama, The Bike Riders, in 2023.

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Marissa Wu

Editor, SEO and Audience Development

  • Writes across all verticals, including beauty, fashion, wellness, travel and entertainment, with a focus on SEO and evergreen content
  • Has previously worked at Popular Photography and Southern Living, with words in Martha Stewart and Forbes Vetted
  • Has a B.S. in journalism from Boston University