Honestly, if you only know Mike Faist as the guy with the racket in Challengers or the leader of the Jets in West Side Story, you're kinda missing the best parts of the story. Most people see him as this overnight sensation who suddenly appeared on Steven Spielberg’s radar, but that’s basically a myth. He’s been around. He’s been grinding. And he has a filmography that is way weirder and more interesting than a few blockbuster hits.
It’s easy to get distracted by the high-profile stuff. You’ve seen the memes. You’ve seen the tennis shorts. But Mike Faist movies and shows actually span a really wide range—from gritty indie dramas about pinball to short-lived Amazon series that deserved a second season. He has this specific energy, right? It’s a mix of "I haven't slept in three days" and "I am the most intense person in this room."
He’s an Ohio kid who moved to New York at 17 with nothing but a few bucks and a lot of nerve. That scrappiness is all over his work.
The Breakthroughs: West Side Story and Challengers
Let’s get the big ones out of the way first. In 2021, Spielberg’s West Side Story hit theaters, and suddenly everyone was asking, "Who is Riff?" Mike Faist didn't just play the role; he basically reinvented it. Usually, Riff is played like a tough-guy athlete. Faist played him like a feral cat. He was gaunt, vibrating with nervous energy, and looked like he was about to explode at any second.
Then came Challengers in 2024. If you haven't seen it, Luca Guadagnino basically turned a tennis match into a high-stakes psychological thriller. Faist played Art Donaldson, a pro tennis player who is simultaneously very successful and deeply exhausted. The way he handled the chemistry with Zendaya and Josh O'Connor was incredible. It wasn't just about the sports; it was about the quiet, pathetic desperation of a man trying to hold onto his marriage and his career at the same time.
What’s wild is that he almost didn't get these roles. For West Side Story, he originally auditioned for Tony—the lead. Can you imagine? Spielberg saw the tape and basically said, "No, you’re Riff." It was the right call.
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The "Hidden" Mike Faist Movies You Haven't Seen
If you really want to understand his range, you have to look at the smaller projects. Honestly, some of these are better than the big-budget stuff because he has more room to be "Mike Faist."
- Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game (2022): This movie is a gem. He plays Roger Sharpe, the real-life guy who overturned the ban on pinball in New York City. It’s a quirky, 70s-style biopic. He wears a mustache. He acts with a pinball machine. It’s great.
- The Bikeriders (2023): He’s Danny Lyon in this one, the photographer who captured the Chicago outlaw motorcycle club. He’s the observer. It’s a quieter role, but he grounds the whole movie while Austin Butler and Tom Hardy are being all "tough biker guy."
- The Atlantic City Story (2020): This is a super small indie. He plays Arthur, a young gambler who strikes up a weird, platonic friendship with an older woman. It’s moody and sad and shows he doesn't need a big musical number to be captivating.
- Wildling (2018): This is a dark fantasy/horror movie. It’s not his biggest role, but it shows his willingness to do genre stuff before he was "Famous Mike Faist."
The TV Side: What Happened to Panic?
Television hasn't been a huge part of his career yet, but when he does it, he goes all in. His biggest TV credit is the Amazon Prime series Panic (2021).
In Panic, he played Dodge Mason, the mysterious new kid in a small town where teenagers play a dangerous game to win a life-changing amount of money. The show only lasted one season, which is a bummer because his performance was easily the best thing about it. He brought that same "death wish" energy he had as Riff to a contemporary setting.
He’s also popped up in the standard New York actor rites of passage. He was in an episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2017) called "Complicated" and had a guest spot on Deception (2018). It’s funny looking back at those early clips now that he’s a BAFTA nominee.
The Broadway Roots (The "Secret" Weapon)
You can't talk about Mike Faist movies and shows without mentioning the stage. That’s where the "triple threat" thing comes from. He can dance and sing at a level that most Hollywood actors just can’t touch.
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He originated the role of Connor Murphy in Dear Evan Hansen. If you’ve listened to the soundtrack, that’s him singing "Sincerely, Me." He got a Tony nomination for that. Before that, he was in the original Broadway cast of Newsies. He was an understudy for Jack Kelly and played Morris Delancey.
Stage work is where he learned how to use his whole body to tell a story. When you watch him in Challengers, notice how he moves. It’s precise. That’s years of musical theater training manifesting in a drama about tennis.
Mike Faist Project Timeline (Key Highlights)
| Year | Title | Format | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | The Unspeakable Act | Movie | His film debut (very indie). |
| 2012 | Newsies | Broadway | His big break in the NYC theater scene. |
| 2016 | Dear Evan Hansen | Broadway | The role that got him a Tony nod and a Grammy. |
| 2021 | Panic | TV Series | Proved he could lead a major streaming show. |
| 2021 | West Side Story | Movie | The Spielberg effect. Total career game-changer. |
| 2024 | Challengers | Movie | Solidified him as a leading man in Hollywood. |
What's Next? (The Future Projects)
As of early 2026, he’s still making big moves. There was a lot of buzz about him starring in a revival of Anna Christie alongside Michelle Williams at St. Ann’s Warehouse, but he actually stepped away from that project in late 2025 (replaced by Tom Sturridge).
Instead, he’s been focusing more on the screen. He’s attached to the Netflix limited series East of Eden, playing Charles Trask. This is a massive deal. It’s a retelling of the Steinbeck classic, and he’s starring alongside Florence Pugh and Christopher Abbott. Playing a Trask brother is basically the ultimate "serious actor" role.
Why He’s Not Your Average Movie Star
The thing about Mike is that he doesn't seem to care about being a "star" in the traditional sense. He famously moved back to Ohio, bought a house, and spends his off-time renovating it and flying small planes. He’s not hanging out at the Ivy every night.
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This groundedness makes his characters feel real. Whether he’s a 1950s gang leader or a modern-day tennis pro, there’s a lack of vanity. He’s okay with looking sweaty, tired, or even a little bit ugly if the character requires it.
Actionable Ways to Catch Up on His Work
If you're looking to dive deeper into the Mike Faist filmography, here is how you should actually do it. Don't just watch the hits in a random order.
- Start with West Side Story (2021): It’s the best entry point to see his physical acting and screen presence.
- Watch Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game: It’s on Hulu/Disney+ usually. It shows his charm, which is a nice break from his more "intense" roles.
- Binge Panic on Amazon: Even though it’s unfinished, it’s a great showcase of his "mysterious brooding" vibe.
- Listen to the Dear Evan Hansen Cast Recording: Specifically "Sincerely, Me" and "Disappear." You need to hear the voice that started it all.
Mike Faist movies and shows are only going to get more frequent. He’s currently in that "sweet spot" of a career where he has the respect of the industry but still has the hunger of an underdog. Keep an eye on the East of Eden release—it’s probably going to be the project that finally gets him that Oscar nomination he should have had for Riff.
For the most updated viewing options, check platforms like Max and Disney+, as many of his recent projects have landed there for streaming. If you’re a physical media fan, the 4K release of West Side Story has some incredible behind-the-scenes footage of his rehearsals that really shows the work he puts into his movement.