For Mike Faist, acting is about finding freedom in the unknown and staying curious. In this interview, we explore the preparation and process behind his performance as Charles Trask in the new limited television series, East of Eden.
Faist explains how he used everything from painful boots to solitary weekends on the show’s New Zealand set to inhabit John Steinbeck’s world. He reflects on what he learned from his scene partners Christopher Abbott and Florence Pugh, the acting exercises devised by director Garth Davis, the creative community that shaped him in New York, inspiring moments with colleagues like Michael Shannon and Steven Spielberg, and the spark that keeps him going.