Mike Faist facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mike Faist
Mike Faist in 2024
Born	Michael David Faist (1992-01-05) January 5, 1992 (age 33) Gahanna, Ohio, U.S.
Alma mater	American Musical and Dramatic Academy
Occupation	Actor
Years active	2011–present

Michael David Faist (born January 5, 1992) is an American actor. He has won a Grammy and a Daytime Emmy Award. He has also been nominated for a Tony Award and a British Academy Film Award.

Mike Faist studied at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy. He started his acting career in 2011 in Disney's musical Newsies. He performed in the Broadway show from 2012 to 2013. He then appeared in many independent films and TV shows. He also acted in Off-Broadway plays.

His big breakthrough role was in the Broadway musical Dear Evan Hansen (2015–2018). For this role, he was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. He also won a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.

In 2021, Faist starred in the TV series Panic. He also got his first major movie role as Riff in Steven Spielberg's West Side Story. This role earned him a nomination for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. Since then, he has acted in a West End theatre play of Brokeback Mountain (2023). He also starred in the romantic sports film Challengers (2024).

Early Life and Education

Michael David Faist was born on January 5, 1992, in Gahanna, Ohio. His parents, Julia and Kurt Faist, adopted him. His family owns a business that deals with real estate.

As a child, Mike knew he wanted to be a performer. He loved dancing after watching Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire in old movies. He especially liked Gene Kelly in Singin' in the Rain. Mike said that Kelly could "tell a story through movement." When he was 5, he asked his parents to enroll him in dance classes. He started trying out for local theater groups and children's plays.

He played a Lollipop Guild member in The Wizard of Oz. Later, he joined the casts of Oliver! and Alice in Wonderland. Mike really fell in love with acting while at The Academy of Performing Arts (TAPA) in Columbus, Ohio. At Gahanna Lincoln High School, he acted in several shows. These included playing Danny Zuko in Grease.

When he was 17, Mike met his birth mother and her family. Most of them are pilots. His oldest half-brother taught him how to fly. Mike has since earned his pilot's license.

In 2009, he finished high school and moved to New York. He wanted to start a career in theater. He joined the American Musical and Dramatic Academy. However, he left after two semesters. While trying out for plays, he sold tickets in Times Square. For his first professional acting job in White Christmas, he earned $150 per week. He worked hard to start his acting career.

Career Highlights

Early Work (2011–2014)

Mike Faist began his acting career in 2011. He played Morris Delancey in the first regional show of Newsies. Morris was a bully and worked for the publisher Joseph Pulitzer. When the musical moved to Broadway, Mike also learned the main role of Jack Kelly. Jack was a newsboy who led other newsboys in a strike. Mike had to switch between these roles quickly during the show's opening. He said it was important to be ready vocally and physically. He added that it was easy to have fun in Newsies, which was about young people standing up to older ways. Newsies was praised by critics and was nominated for Best Musical.

In 2012, he made his first movie appearance in The Unspeakable Act. This independent film received good reviews. In 2014, Faist starred in the play Appropriate Off-Broadway. This role also received praise from critics. In 2015, he appeared in the short film Yellow. He also had roles in Touched with Fire and The Grief of Others. He also co-starred with Peter Dinklage in an Off-Broadway play called A Month in the Country.

Theatre Breakthrough (2015–2020)

Mike Faist's big break came with the musical Dear Evan Hansen. He played Connor Murphy. The musical was highly praised. Mike was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. He also won a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album with his castmates. He also won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Musical Performance in a Daytime Program for their performance of "You Will Be Found". Mike also helped record the audiobook version of Dear Evan Hansen: The Novel.

In the next two years, Mike appeared in smaller independent films. These included Our Time and I Can I Will I Did. He also appeared in a TV crime show, Law & Order Special Victims Unit, in 2017. In October 2017, he taught acting classes. He also held a special class on how to audition.

In 2018, he was in an episode of Deception. He also starred in the play Days of Rage as Spence. He appeared in the horror film Wildling. In 2020, he played Arthur in the drama The Atlantic City Story.

Screen Breakthrough (2021–Present)

In 2021, Mike Faist co-starred as Dodge Mason in the Amazon teen drama Panic. Critics noted his striking presence in the show. The New York Times said he had a "slender charisma." Even though the series got good reviews, it was canceled after one season. Mike was nominated for Best Actor in an Action Series for his work.

Later that year, he got his first big movie role in Steven Spielberg's West Side Story. He played Riff, who was Tony's best friend and the leader of the Jets gang. The movie was a big success. Many critics thought it was even better than the 1961 film. Mike's performance was highly praised. The Washington Post called his performance "magnetic." Screenwriter Tony Kushner said Mike "really wants to think about economics, politics, psychology." Mike studied a photography book called Brooklyn Gang to prepare for his role. He said the photos showed a "nihilism" and a "wild, and primal" feeling. For his role, Mike was nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.

In May 2023, Mike made his West End debut in the play Brokeback Mountain. He played Jack Twist, opposite Lucas Hedges as Ennis Del Mar. Critics praised Mike's performance. He played photographer Danny Lyon in Jeff Nichols' movie The Bikeriders. He acted alongside Austin Butler, Jodie Comer, and Tom Hardy. Mike practiced photography and spent time with Danny Lyon to prepare. The film received positive reviews.

Mike starred with Zendaya and Josh O'Connor in the romantic drama Challengers. He played Art, a famous tennis player. He gained 30 pounds for the role and practiced tennis. The film was released in 2024 and received positive reviews.

Work as a Writer

Mike Faist writes short stories. He believes it is important for actors to write to understand scripts better. He helped create a festival for playwrights called the Ohio Artists Gathering. He described it as a "one-week theater festival" that brings artists from New York and Los Angeles to work with local actors, writers, and directors. The first festival was held in Columbus, Ohio in 2018. His director from The Bikeriders, Jeff Nichols, said that Mike was writing a screenplay. He might want to become a filmmaker himself.

Filmography

Films

Television

Theatre

Soundtrack

Cast Album

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Mike Faist para niños