West Side Story's Mike Faist, David Alvarez, and Josh Andrés Rivera Share BTS Secrets from the Film

[@glh2473]

Mike Faist was absolutely breathtaking in this movie. I could not take my eyes off of him. He brought so much emotion to the role of Riff, I’m glad he’s getting lots of praise for this performance

[@vivianawagner112]

100% agree

[@Ben-yj8ye]

So disappointing that Mike Faist was not nominated for an Oscar! But I suspect this is just the start of a great movie career.

[@frostypebbels8191]

you were right, he’s really getting recognised recently. let’s hope for some more awards coming up in his future

[@christopherknott2182]

I'm calling it now...Faist will win the Oscar.

[@durgapur_97]

Absolutely deserves it!

[@jrdkleinman]

oh he BETTER win that oscar

[@noeliajaime7656]

I hope so. He deserves it.

[@SymphonyBrahms]

That would be great. But talk is that the boy in Belfast will be nominated. So.....

[@vivianawagner112]

I hope so!

[@py528]

Mike Faist made the WSS remake. He was a league all his own, his character was like a ticking timb bomb that just jumped out off the screen and he was incredible.

[@apolonia3392]

@maxwesty is a joke?

[@madinator847]

mike was absolutely phenomenal. oscar’s please. he needs at least two

[@theytastesogood8299]

I feel like a proud aunt watching Mike. He was amazing, I'm so happy for him. Same for all the Newsies for that matter ! And I'm sorry, but Ben Tyler Cook was basically Crutchie again in this movie.

[@libena1973]

You're really his aunt?

[@catzcatzcatzcatz]

@@libena1973 “I’m like a proud aunt”. The word “like”, similarly to “as” or “than” is used in comparisons and similes.

[@ava.pluta22]

Can’t tell if that Ben comment was a compliment or insult but you just mentioned my 2 fav actors in a comment together sooo…

[@coryharbour57]

Seeing how gentle and almost shy/nervous David comes across here it makes me appreciate his performance as Bernardo even more than I already did!! He played the character so gruff, macho, and boisterous in a way his more natural demeanor seems to be at odds with, at least while being interviewed. hahah

[@disneythequeen]

As a fan of the musical and of the 1961 film, I thought Spielberg's version was amazing. But I have to say: the supporting cast knocked it out of the park. Mike, David, Ariana and Ms. Moreno were just astounding! They were the highlight for me!

[@cloudburstt]

David Alvarez as an angry older brother was the best acting I have ever seen. Also an insane dancer and singer !!!!

[@jeffwatkins352]

Saw it tonight. I'm 69, saw the original film on its initial release in 1961, have watched it every year since it came out on home video, and this new production does it and the original stage play 100% justice. You can tell how much Spielberg loves the material. Well, as he should and does. The cast is uniformly excellent, and what a joy to hear Rita Moreno sing Somewhere. As remakes go, this is one of the finest I've ever seen.

[@dexterwatson5745]

YES!!!

[@dalehoward3704]

THANKS FOR YOUR VALUABLE CRITIQUE JEFF👍❤️❤️

[@petemichael4512]

I'm with you Jeff. When I see it (which will be soon), I will glory in seeing this beloved musical. I confess it was very moving for me when I saw it in 61 at the age of 20. Having Rita Moreno return to WWS and hearing her sing Somewhere is something that is going to also bring me joy..

[@libena1973]

That is an amazing compliment.

[@karmen181]

I'm a musical junkie ,and was so bitter that this was nomed and not tick tick boom. But man when I did watch it I was blown away. And it wasn't the acting and singing that got me .it was the Dancing and the orchestra! I felt I was actually at the theater.. wow . And omg the last scene sobs

[@pragyarajesh6638]

watching mike go from newsies, to dear evan hansen, to now west side story (and everything in between) has been a wonderful journey. he is absolutely breathtaking in any role he plays.

[@kyliekisses856]

Every single WSS performer was great, but Mike Faist stole every single scene he was in.

[@solcarlosofficial]

I wish he said the name “Bernardo” in a Hispanic accent and not the American way. When I moved the USA I used to present my name with an American accent. And then I realize my name is in Spanish and I’m proud of it and shouldn’t change the pronunciation to make others life easier. All three actors did amazing! Super talented

[@hamiltonslegacy]

Mike Faist has something special in my heart and I’m so obsessed with him and his portrayal of Riff! What a handsome guy he is! Literally my celebrity crush! 🥰🥰

[@mariloom]

Sameee

[@x_aj_x1157]

Mike Faist and David Alvarez completely stole this movie. (along with Ariana DeBose) They were amazing!

[@JoshBG20]

Mike "Oscar Winner" Faist. He stole the show!

[@barbarasardella7680]

I saw the movie yesterday. Mike Faist has so much charisma, wow!

[@babushka2758]

David Alvarez is one of the best dancers I’ve ever seen

[@SymphonyBrahms]

He won the Tony for his performance in Billy Elliot on Broadway.

[@carolineauckerman3333]

He literally killed my fav character! He wasn’t good

[@Mai-sx3yf]

@@carolineauckerman3333 k

[@MeliFry]

Mike Faist I’ll fight for you so you get the Oscar you deserve. I already sent a message to the academy

[@abbeyBominable123]

David Alvarez was so handsome in the movie, couldn't take my eyes off him whenever he was on screen.

[@raindropsonroses3919]

Him and Ariana deBose had amazing chemistry

[@carolineauckerman3333]

Bro how do you like him he killed riff

[@abbeyBominable123]

@@carolineauckerman3333 I'm not someone who immediately hates a character just because they killed another character I liked 🤷‍♂️ But, I also like Bernardo way more than I like Riff, so yeah 😅 (I still like them both, tho)

[@apolonia3392]

@@carolineauckerman3333 Love David A!!! I will never get over ariana debose and david álvarez in west side story.

[@olgad.7882]

Mike as Riff is great in this film. The best Riff I have seen and this film is the 5th WSS production I have watched.

[@jrdkleinman]

absolutley LOVED west side story!!! and so so proud of mike faist (hoping he'll win the oscar!!)

[@carolineauckerman3333]

Exactly!

[@jenna_baggett]

pulling for mike to get the oscar this year

[@roberts1572]

Mike Faist as Riff was my girlfriend’s favorite character.

[@adamlarsson3828]

i love how Drew appears so (genuinely) excited and normal .... not as physically worked over and self-conscious as other ‘celebrities’. you can imagine having coffee with her and talking about dozens of your favourite films .... having a fabulous afternoon.

[@laurenmichero9003]

I love in the heights but I would put money on West Side Story sweeping the Oscars in 2022

[@SymphonyBrahms]

That would be great. But Belfast might surprise everybody.

[@lverslane820]

@@SymphonyBrahms I didn’t even know that movie existed

[@jennifer5512]

Drew was made to be a talk show host!

[@stephenc6342]

West side story was really really good! You have to go in knowing what it is but the cinematography was unbelievable!!!

[@seanquinn552]

Loved every minute of this movie it was great pure brilliant and beautiful🙌👏

[@sirpython9385]

mike 'ohmygosh uhhhhhhhh' faist everyone

[@laurenmichero9003]

It’s amazing to see Drew (from Spielberg’s ET) interview All of these amazing actors from Spielberg’s West side story

[@totemchoi]

Drews getting better and better in her Talk Show - Hope her Show will not have its Final season. Love you Drew!

[@littlemissblackdress7587]

This movie was amazing 🤩 I loved the whole cast! The sets, the acting,singing and dancing was spectacular 👏

[@user-nx3oq2yb5q]

Love Mike Faist from Japan 🇯🇵 ❤️

[@sagewiseman8790]

Josh wearing bacon and eggs underwear during dance at the gym and the chef's kiss while talking about bad 80s movies he's so funny

[@waynebulson941]

David and Drew. . .both amazing childhood actors!!

[@Psyclonus7]

Didn't like the movie outside of Mike Faist's performance. That guy, I wanna see him i more things for sure

[@apolonia3392]

same about David and Ariadna!

[@zZAD]

So awesome to see Drew (who filmed the iconic E.T. with Spielberg) interviewing the amazing CAST in West Side Story!!! Spielberg is one of our global treasures!

[@lisaciconte7409]

The new version of West Side Story was excellent!!

[@SymphonyBrahms]

Yes, it was.

[@izzybitsyspider03]

Josh andres Rivera was amazing as chino

[@miakruiz1729]

loved the interview

[@jessepferr2814]

I just saw the film yesterday me and my family were th only ones in the theater. Probably cause of omicron but whatever. It was a great film i loved it.

[@williamerasmuswaylon3860]

It's funny to hear a conversation between "Gertie" from "E.T." and three gorgeous guys, who have recently worked with the one and only Steven Spielberg.

[@legatofancier]

FIRST RATE TALENT! THESE ROLES COULDN'T HAVE BEEN BETTER CAST OR BETTER PERFORMED!

[@louiegssportsden121]

Part of me thinks Josh can play Michael Jackson.

[@WhereAmIAndWhy]

Im in love with Mike Faist

[@roserahaman3418]

Isn't the host in the 1998 movie Ever After Because she looks a lot like the Cinderella in that movie

[@jaysonbiggs8979]

I saw it the second night. 40 miles east of LA. Great movie!

[@akuadevall4398]

Billy Elliot!!!!

[@vic2958]

Josh is the cutest oh my god

[@lolz6409]

been in love with mike since newsies😭😭

[@jaytops]

And just like that, I'm craving Bacon and Eggs.

I loved this movie too much!! I LOVE both of them ❤ The first version from 60' too!!

[@dalinadanergy1432]

Jajajaja.... Davicito so funny!!

[@rogerphillips2063]

In. A good drama Drew could win an Oscar. She looks kind of like my niece

[@YourHighwayInTheSky]

1 2 3 mike david josh and me..

[@barbarahourigan8462]

❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@mikaylaeklund3467]

I saw this show today’s ago and I can’t stop think about mike

[@mikaylaeklund3467]

He made the show soo much better

[@marimedgal]

I can’t wait to see this movie! ❤️

[@mariefortunato4737]

Excellent cast and movie!

[@stafonvoncamron]

They spent $100 million on this remake and its only made $10 million......Hollywood should stop spending so much money until box office goes back to normal numbers.

[@caroy9384]

They made this in 2019. I feel like people keep forgetting that.

[@G4Rat]

@@caroy9384 Exactly. They had to release eventually otherwise they would be in the hole completely. But I'm sure movies will rebound a bit once covid dies down in the spring. Though I'm sure the next Spider-Man movie is going to make a ton!

[@jovanym2931]

Keep watching that whitewashed version

[@jeeemmm]

@@jovanym2931 where did they mentioned that ?? Lool they're just saying it hasn't made lots of sales

[@SymphonyBrahms]

As of today it has made $19 million. It's only been open a few days. Give it time and it will do very well. And it's a better film than the trash that rakes in cash from the bubble gum set.

[@saraandthejets1]

I love them so much❤

[@anju04aa]

Our Indian actors aren’t new to doing everything - dancing, fighting, singing, acting and what not - at the same time 😊

[@lifesquixotic]

True! Bollywood is so underrated In America

[@priyankav7833]

They don't sing though

[@anapuig7380]

Masks for the audience 🤢🤮

[@moby108]

Why no subtitles from spanish dialogue to english. Not all HISPANICS, don't call me latinx, speak spanish. White Steven Spielberg doesn't have the right to minimize my ties to my culture or make me an outlier to my own peoples because I speak the language of one colonizer, but not another.

[@music2888]

The thought behind it, is that it makes white English the baseline and the priority to have subtitles. By allowing the characters to speak their native language without subtitles it evens the playing field. I don't speak Spanish, but I had no problem understanding what was happening during the Spanish speaking scenes. Any movie that offers diverse casting and a plot that doesn't pit one group against the other is a wonderful and unique thing in Hollywood.

[@arianamitchell7050]

@@music2888 well said

[@maryvallettakeith6146]

@@music2888 Thank you for explaining that so calmly and clearly. I have tried to explain this to people but I get a bit overheated at the ignorant comments. Kudos to you for having the patience not to do that.

[@moby108]

It's painful to some people to be an outlier in your own community, then to have a white person come and push us out further.

[@jochenstossberg5427]

George Chakiris, Russ Tamblyn and Tucker Smith burned up the screen in the original. These guys were just warm. No contest.

[@littlemissblackdress7587]

I totally disagree 👎🏻

[@davidwireback8621]

Spielberg Ruined this musical with his Wokeness

[@barbaraobach]

The one who came clsest top the higher 1961 version is the actor that plays Riff, the leads that play Maria and Tony were werong for the role,not good enough actors, even though they can sing, they don't express themselves as great as Marnie Dixon or Richard Beymer in the original, the one that plays Bernardo is okay and has taleny,but seems more like my angry cousin Jorge from Miami,or the Al Pacino caricature in Scarface,than tough Bernardo from the hood, pales next to George Chakiris, likely they wern't rehearsed ernough and that's Steven Speilberg's fail,and even Steve Speilberg's no Robert Wise or Jerome Robbins. And West Side Story's Chino, is suppose to look 'Chinese' ,why did they pick a non Asian looking actor to play him,he's talented,but should have been given another role. Natalie Wood was a movie star and carried the 1961 film, the remake's cast have their respective talent but especially the leads don't have the proper acting training or gravitas that the 1961 cast did,the caveat again the youing actor Mike Faist seems like the best one among the leads, though his take on Riff seems more like Squiggy from Laverne and Shirley than Russ Tamblyns tough Riff from New York, but we like Sqiggy. From what's u derestood Rita Moreno who has gravitas, is among the best for this picture, just like this great star was in the original.

[@jannafranco9743]

??? Since when has Chino looking Chinese been a major plotpoint? It wasn't even in the 1961 film so it clearly isn't that significant. You can't just disregard his entire performance because of that. Did you expect a fully Asian man to play Chino or something?

[@jannafranco9743]

and Natalie Wood definitely did not carry the film considering a) she's white and this story should be told by latinos and b) she literally didn't even sing

[@petemichael4512]

Natalie Wood starred as Maria in 61. Marni Nixon received no credit in the film as the singing voice of Natalie. Natalie was a star and on the brink of super-stardom. She had a huge fan base and was loved not only by teen boys and just about any other healthy male, but the movie-going public in general. I saw the film in 61 when it opened. I was 20. I do love that film and I will enjoy it again in the future, but I'm sure I will enjoy the Spielberg film. I haven't seen it yet but look forward to it.

[@suhaniselamat]

Bernardo in this version isn't a "tough" from the neighbourhood. In Spielberg's version, Bernardo is an up & coming celebrity boxer.

[@petemichael4512]

@@jannafranco9743 Janna, In 61 a lot of blacks could not vote because of local requirements and restrictions. The civil rights movement was just beginning. A lot has changed in 60 years, but there is still a long way to go. The story is timeless and the tragedy is it continues.