Mike Faist Returns as Charles Trask in Netflix's East of Eden

Mike Faist is back on screen for the first time in two years, playing Charles Trask in Netflix's East of Eden.

The miniseries, meaning a drama told in a single limited run, was released on Oct. 1, according to The Hollywood Reporter. It is an adaptation of John Steinbeck's novel East of Eden, as set out in Netflix's Tudum guide.

The series comes from creator Zoe Kazan. Kazan is the granddaughter of director Elia Kazan, whose 1955 film version starred James Dean as Cal Trask.

That film covered only the fourth and final section of the novel, centred on the sons of Adam and Cathy, Aron and Cal. This version starts earlier. It opens in 1899 with half-brothers Adam and Charles Trask finding Cathy Ames on their doorstep after she was nearly beaten to death.

Florence Pugh stars as Cathy Ames. Christopher Abbott plays Adam Trask, with Faist as his half-brother Charles. Tracy Letts plays Cyrus Trask, the father of Adam and Charles.

For Faist, the part ends a screen break. East of Eden is his first acting job since his 2024 films Challengers and The Bikeriders. His breakout big-screen role came earlier, in Steven Spielberg's West Side Story in 2021.

The Ohio native moved to New York at age 17 to pursue acting. He later played Jack Twist in the 2023 West End production of Brokeback Mountain.

To prepare for Charles, Faist studied Dean's performance as Cal in the 1955 film. He told IndieWire he picks roles using the word "dread", a feeling he follows towards difficult material, as reported in IndieWire.

What makes this stand out is the focus. Kazan said she built the adaptation around a love story between brothers, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. For viewers, that puts Adam and Charles at the centre from the first episode.