West Side Story follows the rivalry between the Sharks— a gang composed of young men from Puerto Rico, and the Jets— a gang of young white men, as they battle over territory in the Upper West Side of New York City. Caught in the middle is the blooming romance between Maria and Tony, as they try to end the fighting so they may be able to be happy together. Originally created by Jerome Robbins with music by Leonard Bernstein, a book by Arthur Laurents, and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim in 1957, the story operates as a 1950’s reimagining of the classic Shakespearean tragedy Romeo and Juliet.

Whether you’re coming into Steven Spielberg's 2021 adaptation for the first time ever, or have seen other versions of it hundreds of times, we’ve got you covered. Here’s a list of who’s who in West Side Story (2021), and who you should be keeping your eyes out for when watching. Also, even though this musical is over sixty years old, and based on a play that is even older, this article will not contain any spoilers for its story or plot.

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Tony (Ansel Elgort)

Previously a Jet leader, Tony has left the gang lifestyle in the beginning of the film and is now Valentina’s employee. Tony is a romantic young man who, after being asked by Riff to go to a neighborhood dance to stand up to Bernardo with the rest of the Jets, falls in love with Maria, making him the musical’s Romeo. In Spielberg's version, he is striving to be a better version of himself now that he's on parole after being sent to prison for a violent fight he was in before the beginning of the film, so he wants to stay out of Jets' conflicts as much as he can despite how Riff tries to pull him back in.

Ansel Elgort is most known for his roles in The Fault in Our Stars as Augustus Waters, Baby Driver as Miles "Baby", which he received a Golden Globe nomination for, and in the Divergent franchise.

Maria (Rachel Zegler)

Maria is a teenage girl who just moved to America from Puerto Rico for her arranged marriage to her brother’s friend Chino; she is the story’s Juliet. However, when going out to a neighborhood dance she instead falls in love with Tony, placing them both at the center of the conflict between the Jets and the Sharks. Romantic, idealistic, and craving independence, Maria wants Tony to put a stop to the fighting between the Jets and the Sharks at their upcoming rumble so that she and Tony can be happy together.

Maria marks the film debut of Rachel Zegler, who was picked for the role at seventeen out of 30,000 auditions, and she is a definite star in the making. You can find her in upcoming films such as Shazam! Fury of the Gods, and the live-action adaptation of Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs as its iconic princess.

Bernardo (David Alvarez)

The leader of the Sharks and Maria’s older brother, Bernardo is proud, strong, and looking to carve a place in the Upper West Side for himself and the rest of the Sharks. Bernardo faces a lot of discrimination from the police and Jets alike because he is Puerto Rican, but this also leads him to be protective of his friends and family, and as a result butting heads with Maria. He is mainly trying to establish a space for the Sharks in New York, but in the film versions also often thinks back to Puerto Rico and the life he held there previously, especially with the hardships New York has been presenting him.

David Alvarez is one of the youngest performers to ever win a Tony for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical, winning at age 14 for his role in Billy Elliot. Later in life he starred in a few productions of the same show before he went on to join the US Army and leave performing behind. West Side Story (2021) marks his film debut as well as his return to the performing arts.

Anita (Ariana DeBose)

Anita is Bernardo’s girlfriend, and Maria’s best friend and confidant. She is feisty and assertive, frequently challenging Bernardo on his overprotective nature in regards to Maria, and his activity with the Sharks. Not only this, she juxtaposes Bernardo with her desire to make a life in America as Bernardo still partly longs for life in Puerto Rico because of the discrimination he faces in America. She is one of the most involved characters in regards to Maria’s relationship with Tony, but despite how much she cares for Maria she still has complicated feelings on their relationship.

You may recognize Ariana DeBose from her time on Season 6 of So You Think You Can Dance, as “The Bullet” in Hamilton, or from The Prom. She also starred in the Apple TV+ exclusive show Schmigadoon!, and received a Tony nomination for her performance in Summer: The Donna Summer Musical.

Riff (Mike Faist)

Riff is the current leader of the Jets and is also Tony’s best friend, with the two of them having an almost brotherly relationship. As the Sharks’ headstrong leader he wants to protect Lincoln Square and San Juan Hill, where this version of the story takes place, from being taken over by the Sharks at any cost. His aggressive tendencies stem from the ever increasing sense of instability in his life and his desperation to hold onto anything he can to feel some semblance of power, and as a result Riff tends to be the instigator in the fights between the Jets and the Sharks.

Mike Faist made his Broadway debut in Newsies in 2012, but you’re more likely to recognize him from originating the role of Connor Murphy in the original broadway cast of Dear Evan Hansen, for which he won a Daytime Emmy and was nominated for a Tony for. If you aren't a theater fanatic, you may have seen him in The Unspeakable Act or in the new Amazon Drama series Panic.

Valentina (Rita Moreno)

A new character created by Spielberg for the film, Valentina replaces the role of Doc in the original musical and 1961 film. She is Doc’s widow who has taken over running his store, where Tony is employed, and her relationship with Doc acts as a parallel to Tony and Maria as she is also Puerto Rican whereas Doc is white. Though she doesn’t seem to share Doc’s soft spoken nature, she is Tony’s confidant and tries to give advice to him and the rest of the Jets, trying to encourage Tony to make the right choices and be the voice of reason when the Jets go too far.

You will definitely recognize EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award) winner Rita Moreno for her role as Anita in the original West Side Story (1961) film which earned her an Oscar, but besides that she has had an extremely long and prolific career with over one hundred film and television credits combined. She was in numerous films throughout the 50's and 60's, and was the first Latina woman to win an academy award, but you may have also seen her in the 80's series 9 to 5, or as the voice of the lead in the 90's cartoon Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego?.

Officer Krupke (Brian d’Arcy James)

Officer Krupke is the local beat police officer who works under Lieutenant Schrank and futilely tries to keep the Jets and Sharks in line. He often makes empty threats to the gang members to stop them from acting out, but this leads to him being mocked by the Jets because his bark tends to be worse than his bite.

Brian d’Arcy James has a plethora of stage and screen credits, but you may recognize him for his roles in Shrek the Musical, Hamilton, and Next to Normal on Broadway, and for his roles in 13 Reasons Why, and the film Spotlight.

Lieutenant Schrank (Corey Stoll)

A plainclothes police detective lieutenant and superior to Officer Krupke, Lieutenant Schrank tries to break up the fighting between the Sharks and the Jets, but is just as prejudiced against the Sharks as the Jets are (though he doesn’t particularly like the Jets either). He is obstinate, bigoted, and callous and gets enjoyment from riling up the Jets in order to attempt to gather information from them, to various levels of success.

Corey Stoll is best known for his role in House of Cards, but you may have also seen him in the shows Billions, Law & Order: LA, or in the films Ant-Man and Midnight in Paris.

Jets Ensemble

Rounding out the Jets gang is 26 incredibly talented performers, but here are a few to keep an eye out for. A significant character change comes in the character of Anybodys, who has been changed from a tomboy to being a transgender man desperate to join the Jets, and will be played by nonbinary actor Iris Menas. Among the men are acting veteran Ben Cook who is playing Mouthpiece, but you may have seen him before in the Newsies National Tour Cast and ProShot, in HBO's Paterno, or playing Riff in the 2020 Broadway revival of West Side Story. Action is being played by Sean Harrison Jones, who was in the first Hamilton Tour. With them is Jess LeProtto as A-Rab who has been dancing on Broadway since 2003, and whose credits include Cats, Hello Dolly!, Carousel, and Newsies.

Among the Jet girls, playing Velma is Maddie Ziegler who you may know from her time on Dance Moms, or in the many Sia music videos she has danced in. Also in the girls ensemble is Jonalyn Saxer, who you can currently find in the National Touring Cast of Mean Girls: The Musical as Karen Smith, and Talia Ryder as Tessie, who you may have seen in Matilda the Musical, the indie film Never Rarely Sometimes Always, and as the “Other Girl” in Olivia Rodrigo’s "Deja Vu" music video.

Sharks Ensemble

Among the 26 actors making up the Sharks ensemble, there are quite a few big broadway and performing arts names among the cast. Chino, Maria's arranged fiancé, is being played by Josh Andrés Rivera, who was in the Hamilton ensemble for two years prior to making his film debut. You can also find So You Think You Can Dance Season 11 winner Ricky Ubeda as Flaco, and Julius Anthony Rubio as Quique who has dancing credits in both Moulin Rouge! The Musical and Frozen on Broadway. Among the Shark Girls you can also find So You Think You Can Dance Season 12's winner Gaby Diaz, who was also in Netflix's recent musical tick, tick... Boom.

The cast is bursting at the seams with talent and character, guaranteeing that this adaptation of the classic musical will shine as brightly as its predecessors with its energetic dance numbers and memorable performances all around.