Mike Faust (born 24 July 1992) is an American actor and singer known for his work in film, television, and theater. He gained prominence for his performance as a teenage John Wilkes Booth in the Netflix series The Plot Against America (2020) and for portraying the title character in the Broadway musical Dear Evan Hansen (2022) as a replacement for the role of Evan Hansen. Faist received widespread critical acclaim for his role as Bill "Buster" Smith in the film West Side Story (2021), directed by Steven Spielberg, for which he earned nominations for several awards, including a Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Early Life and Education
Mike Faist was born in Portland, Oregon, United States. He attended North Salem High School in Salem, Oregon, before moving to New York City to pursue acting. He studied at the Ailey School and later at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) in New York.
Stage Career
Faist's professional stage debut came in 2015 with the Off‑Broadway production of The Last Match, followed by a role in Side Show (2016). He earned acclaim for his performance as "Olive Oyl" in the 2018 Off‑Broadway revival of The Legend of Mickey & Taqi and for playing John Hender in Lake Placid (2019). In 2022, he joined the Broadway cast of Dear Evan Hansen, replacing the original lead and performing the role until the production's closure in January 2023.
Film and Television Career
Faist's early screen appearances include small roles in television series such as The Blacklist (2014) and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2015). He expanded his filmography with supporting parts in The Trust (2016) and The Last Summer (2019). His breakout film role was as Buster Smith in Spielberg's adaptation of West Side Story (2021). In 2022, he appeared in the Netflix series The Plot Against America, portraying the fictionalized version of a young journalist named Justin Pryce. Faist has also acted in the independent drama Bones and All (2022) and the science‑fiction series The Peripheral (2023).
Awards and Nominations
- Critics' Choice Movie Awards – Nominee, Best Supporting Actor for West Side Story (2022)
- Screen Actors Guild Awards – Nominee, Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture for West Side Story (2022)
- Drama Desk Awards – Nominee, Outstanding Actor in a Musical for Dear Evan Hansen (2022)
Personal Life
Mike Faist maintains a private personal life. He is recognized for his advocacy of LGBTQ+ rights and has participated in charitable events supporting arts education.
References
- Information compiled from publicly available biographical data, film and theater credits, and award nomination records.