Mike Faist

Mike Faist began his professional career in 2011, originating the role of Morris Delancey in the regional premiere of Newsies at the Paper Mill Playhouse before joining the Broadway production, where he understudied Jack Kelly. He made his feature film debut in The Unspeakable Act (2012). In 2014, he starred in the Off-Broadway production of Appropriate.

In 2015, Faist appeared in the films Yellow, Touched with Fire, and The Grief of Others, and performed Off-Broadway in A Month in the Country. That same year, he originated the role of Connor Murphy in Dear Evan Hansen, remaining with the production through its Broadway transfer in 2016. He earned a Tony Award nomination and, with the cast, won a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album and a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Musical Performance. In 2018, he voiced the audiobook adaptation of Dear Evan Hansen: The Novel.

Faist continued to work in film and television with roles in Our Time, I Can I Will I Did, Active Adults, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2017), Deception (2018), Wildling (2018), Days of Rage (2018), and The Atlantic City Story (2020).

In 2021, he starred as Dodge Mason in the Amazon series Panic before earning widespread recognition for his portrayal of Riff in Steven Spielberg's film adaptation of West Side Story. His performance earned a BAFTA Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He made his West End debut in Brokeback Mountain (2023) and appeared in Jeff Nichols' The Bikeriders (2023). In 2024, he starred opposite Zendaya and Josh O'Connor in Luca Guadagnino's Challengers. He was also announced to star in a revival of Anna Christie, though he later withdrew from the production. he will play Charles Trask in the mini series adaptation of East of Eden, which airs in Fall 2026 on Netflix.

In addition to acting, Faist helped establish the Ohio Artists Gathering, a playwrights festival that debuted in Columbus, Ohio, in 2018. He has also written short stories and has developed screenwriting projects.