Sophia Soto
Mike Faist and Christopher Abbott star as Charles and Adam in Netflix’s East of Eden, which is a modern interpretation of John Steinbeck’s novel from Zoe Kazan (who our editor Joey Magidson also spoke to). The show explores the multigenerational saga of the Trask family, while also giving a new perspective on its unforgettable antihero, Cathy Ames.
The Trask brothers’ relationship develops from childhood into adulthood, allowing the audience to see just how deeply they love each other despite their difficult upbringing. “We were very lucky to work with Garth [Davis], the director of the first section of the series, and when we were in pre-production, he gave me and Chris the opportunity to actually go out onto the farm and do the scenes that the younger versions did,” Faist shared. “It did create this kind of sense memory for us, so then when Adam comes back home after all of those years after being away, there’s a version of that lived experience somewhere in us.”
Regarding that reunion scene, Abbott expressed, “Mike and I have talked about the scene when the brothers hadn’t seen each other for a long time and just the things that were sort of unsaid in that scene. They can be talking about banal things, the food, bacon, whatever, but they’re really saying a lot more. And again, when you do that much preparation, you can ideally hope that all that’s being unsaid is being conveyed still, you know what I mean? This was a room full of actors, directors, and everybody that kind of came in, and everyone did their homework.”
There are many notable themes incorporated throughout, such as how history repeats itself, what makes someone monstrous, and whether change is really possible. “There is this thing that is the theme of the book of the good versus the bad that exists within all of us and how, I think, we all wrestle with that on any given day, and when you wake up that morning, which version of yourself are you leading with,” Faist explained. “That is something that is deeply, deeply human. It’s something that was beautifully written by Steinbeck. It was further adapted by Zoe in terms of that examination. What does it mean? What does it mean to be human?”
“The fun part is it’s not necessarily who you identify with; it’s what you identify with, because I think all the characters sort of represent multiple and different thematic characteristics all at once,” Abbott commented. “It’s nuanced.”
Watch Awards Radar’s full video interview with the actors below, where we discuss understanding their full story arcs, which moments stand out to them, leaning into the flaws of their characters, and more.
All episodes are now streaming on Netflix, and this interview will contain major spoilers.
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