Dyllón Burnside

Dyllón Burnside is an American actor, singer, and advocate whose career spans Broadway, television, and film. Burnside began performing at age 12 as the lead singer of the hip-hop/R&B boy band 3D, touring with artists including Stevie Wonder and Rihanna, signing a distribution deal with Atlantic Records, and performing at venues such as Madison Square Garden and the Nokia Theater. After leaving the group, Burnside completed his studies at CAP21 Conservatory for music theatre and The New School, earning a bachelor's degree in media studies and writing.

Burnside made his Broadway debut as Anthony in "Holler If Ya Hear Me," a hip-hop musical inspired by the music and lyrics of Tupac Shakur. While studying, he appeared in NBC's "Peter Pan Live!" and HBO's "High Maintenance," and performed in BeBe Winans's musical "Born For This" in Atlanta and Washington, D.C.

Burnside's breakthrough role came as Ricky Evangelista in the FX drama series "Pose," a production recognized for its focus on 1980s and 1990s ballroom culture among Black and Latino LGBTQ+ communities. The role marked a significant transition from musical theater to a recurring lead in a critically acclaimed television series. Following "Pose," Burnside returned to Broadway as one of the seven African American leads in "Thoughts of a Colored Man." He also appeared in Ryan Murphy's anthology series "American Horror Stories" and had a role in Netflix's "DAHMER – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story."

Burnside hosted and produced the PBS special "Prideland," which won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Daytime Short Form Non-Fiction Program. In the special, he traveled through the American South to uncover LGBTQ+ stories. Burnside is a recipient of the Human Rights Campaign Visibility Award and the Southern Champion Award from the Southern AIDS Coalition for his work as an artist and advocate. He made his London stage debut as King in Danny Lee Wynter's "Black Superhero" at the Royal Court Theatre's Jerwood Theatre Downstairs, a production addressing themes of Black queer identity and heroism.

Burnside's work in the performing arts is closely connected to his advocacy for LGBTQ+ representation, social change, and arts education. He has spoken about challenging toxic masculinity and the importance of "Pose" in representing LGBTQ people of color. In addition to his performance work, Burnside produces arts content that promotes social change and works with students nationwide on the importance of arts education as a means of empowerment and self-expression. Burnside portrayed celebrity stylist Dwen Curry in the BET+ original film "Fighting to Be Me: The Dwen Curry Story," continuing to build a career defined by bold choices, authentic storytelling, and a commitment to amplifying underrepresented voices in entertainment.