Before He Was Zendayas Simp, Mike Faist Stole the Show in Spielbergs 'West Side Story'

The Big Picture

• Mike Faist's portrayal of Riff in West Side Story showcases his emotional depth and vulnerability, adding a unique twist to the character.
• Faist brings a nuanced approach to Riff, showcasing the character's fear, anxiety, and inner turmoil, which sets him apart from traditional portrayals.
• The tragic and poignant death scene of Riff in Spielberg's rendition of West Side Stor y adds a sense of realism and emotional weight to Riff's character arc.

Mike Faist is currently on everyone's mind thanks to his dynamic performance in Luca Guadagnino's edgy tennis drama, Challengers. The sexy sports movie sees Faist as pro tennis player Art Donaldson. He and his wife, tennis prodigy turned coach, Tashi Duncan (Zendaya) find themselves in direct competition with Art's former best friend and Tashi's ex-boyfriend, Patrick Zweig (Josh O'Connor). Not all is what it seems, as the sensual past the three share comes to a head on the court. Faist's performance as Art is key to the film's powerplay dynamics. Throughout, he carefully balances a gentle empathy with a slightly pathetic nature that makes him both a victim and his own antagonist. But before he faced off with O'Connor, Faist gave a breakout performance in a film adaptation of an iconic musical.

Helmed by master director Steven Spielberg (in his first-ever musical), 2021's West Side Story introduced moviegoers to Rachel Ziegler and earned Ariana DeBose a historic Oscar win. Faist's work as the pivotal character Riff brought the actor mountains of praise among moviegoers and industry professionals. Yet, to much disappointment, he was surprisingly left out of Oscar contention, although he did receive a nomination at the BAFTAs. As Riff, Faist gave a stand-out presentation, utilizing both skills from his past and challenging himself to move outside his comfort zone to perfect some of the role's more rigorous requirements. His efforts impressed Spielberg, and exemplify just how versatile he is as an actor, and devoted he was to elevating the movie. Faist felt as though he were destined to play Riff, telling ScreenDaily. "It really is crazy. I remember sitting down with Steven, very early on in rehearsals, and telling him, ‘I was born to do this.’ This was meant to be.”

West Side Story

Two youngsters from rival New York City gangs fall in love, but tensions between their respective friends build toward tragedy.

What Are Mike Faist Was Destined to Play Riff

Per Playbill.com, Faist's first foray into major league theater came when he joined the original cast of Disney's stage version of Newsies. Despite being based on a flop film, the adaptation was a massive hit. Originally a member of the ensemble and then the villainous Morris Delancey when the show had its premiere at New Jersey's Papermill Playhouse, Faist became the understudy for the lead role of Jack Kelly. The show allowed Faist to participate in large-scale musical numbers, a skill that would be of great use to him when he eventually auditioned for West Side Story.

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Following his departure from Newsies, Faist continued to work in the New York theater scene, cutting his teeth in Off-Broadway productions such as Appropriate and A Month in the Country, per BroadwayWorld.com. Following the latter, he joined the regional premiere of Dear Evan Hansen as Conner Murphy, a depressed teen who takes his own life. He followed the show through to Off-Broadway before it made the leap to a Broadway theater. The emotionally motivated Hansen was a massive hit and brought Faist a Tony Award nomination. He became a bonafide star for theatergoers, and his collective experience made him not only a front-runner in the eyes of Spielberg but the only true choice for the role of Riff.

Mike Faist's Take on Riff Stands Out from the Rest

Steven Spielberg has created some of the most influential and important films in modern cinema and has tried his hand at nearly every genre imaginable. West Side Story was his first foray into the musical canon, and he knew he had found a musical star in Mike Faist. In a featurette Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment produced on Mike, the esteemed director had this to say on the star: "I was actually considering delaying the movie to get Mike Faist to be in it. I saw him dance before he read for the part. And his dancing was off the charts."

Indeed, on the dancing front, Faist delivers a cool, casualness to the iconic moves for which the Jets are known. His movements are precise and sharp. They symbolize Riff's external control and the persona he wishes to portray as a "leader." Even when he's not performing choreography, Faist keeps Riff's dominance present whenever he's around the other Jets. The character has typically been played as the film's antagonist of sorts, but Faist saw Riff as a more nuanced role, telling Vulture he didn't approach the character with a black or white judgment of him: "I can’t do that as the actor. My job is to be like, 'No, this guy’s the victim.' Now, I accept that this guy does a lot of racist stuff. But where it’s coming from is the xenophobia of it all. It’s the fear of the unknown."

That fear and anxiety are key to a more complex Riff that audiences usually see. When he has private meetings with Tony, there is a true sense of fear, anxiety, and even trauma. While it's mentioned that Riff has had a hard life, Faist shows that desperation as he begs Tony (Ansel Elgort) to come back to the Jets. Faist faces this rejection from his best friend not with anger but with weary disappointment. He then masterfully flips back to "Alpha Riff," when Valentina (Rita Moreno) urges him to leave the newly reformed Tony. Though brief, the sequence is a prime example of how deeply troubled Riff is and encapsulates Faist's vulnerable approach to the character.

Of the actor's emotional depth, Spielberg says in the featurette that "Mike is a soulful, deep thinker; a deep feeler, as a human being and as an actor." This becomes even more clear as the film progresses, and Riff's anxieties manifest in an almost "false prophet" way. The approaching rumble with the Sharks urges Tony to confront Riff to call off the fight. The scene has historically been played with an arrogance on Riff's part, Faist doubles down on the "troubled young man who's in too deep" approach. During the song "Cool," Riff and Tony have something of a power play. Tony tries to convince Riff to call off the rumble, but his friend won't cooperate. The sequence is the pinnacle of Riff's external vs. internal struggle. He can't let down his guard in front of the other Jets and performs with strength and assurance when he has their backup. But when Tony challenges Riff, the balance of his two personas is hard to miss. Faist doesn't employ any over-the-top actions, instead opting to use subtle and relatable expressions for an effective show of his emotions. Despite his obvious uncertainty, Riff does, of course, go through with the rumble, which leads to the tragedy that thrusts the film into its climactic chaos that comes from Riff's death.

Mike Faist Makes Riff's Death Even More Tragic

In the original film, Riff's demise is very theatrical, drawn out, and played tragically. Faist's version changes the execution entirely. It's quick, almost uncomfortably so. There is no feeling of the sequence having been choreographed, making it feel painfully real. After being stabbed, Riff smiles at Tony and tells him "It's okay." He falls quickly and dies instantly. While it may seem less dramatic, it's the perfect way to send this version of Riff out. After living with fear and unhealthy anxiety since the film's beginning, there's a sense of freedom and relief in Faist's portrayal, which only serves to make the character's exit and arc all the more tragic.

Despite everything he's put Tony, his friends, and even his enemies through, Riff's hastily paced exit is painful. Though it's a well-known plot point, Faist found a fresh way to make the death feel shocking and heavy. Despite exiting at West Side Story's midpoint, Faist's limited screen time is truly a cornerstoneof what makes the film work. Mike Faist has come a long way since his early days on Broadway. While a lot of moviegoers are being introduced to him now as he sweats on the court, Challengers is not Faist's only screen performance that should be celebrated. From challenging himself to move out of his comfort zone, to blowing away the likes of director Steven Spielberg, and truly exemplifying the thesis of West Side Story in his performance, Faist's take on Riff is a movie musical performance to be remembered. We'll next be seeing Faist as part of Jeff Nichol's ensemble, The Bikeriders, which drives into theaters on June 21.

West Side Story is available to stream on Disney+ in the U.S.

Stream on Disney+

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