MEET
DYLLON BURNSIDE
Emmy Award-Winning Filmmaker, Actor, Singer & Writer
ABOUT DYLLON
A dynamic and award-winning actor, filmmaker, singer, and writer, Dyllón Burnside is well known for his nuanced character portrayals in important works of Film/TV and on some of the world’s most celebrated stages. He gained international praise for his starring role as ‘Ricky Evangelista’ on all 3 seasons of Ryan Murphy’s Emmy-nominated FX series, “Pose.” A frequent collaborator with Ryan Murphy he has also starred in “Monster: Dahmer” which broke Netflix records with over 1 billion hours viewed and “American Horror Stories.” He made his London stage debut in 2023 playing the titular role in “Black Superhero” at The Royal Court Theatre.
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Dyllón first captivated audiences with his Broadway debut, starring as Anthony in 2014’s “Holler if Ya Hear Me”, a hip-hop musical inspired by the music and lyrics of Tupac Shakur. He returned to the Broadway stage in the production of “Thoughts of a Colored Man” in 2021 at the Golden Theatre. He has appeared in NBC’s "Peter Pan Live!" and the HBO series "High Maintenance,” all while completing his final year at the prestigious CAP21 Conservatory for music theatre and The New School where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Media Studies and Writing.
In 2020, Dyllón produced and hosted “Prideland,” a one-hour documentary and a short-form digital series for PBS exploring the lives of LGBTQ+ people living in the southern region of the United States, which received a Daytime Emmy Award, two Telly Awards, and a GLAAD Media Award nomination. Burnside is passionate about producing quality work that promotes social change. He has spoken at conferences, festivals, universities, and corporations such as NIKE, Tribeca Film Festival, Berklee College of Music, University of Central Florida, UT Austin, Essence Festival, Creating Change Conference, and BEAM among others about representation, mental health, DEI, and expanding narratives around racial and sexual identity. He has been honored by GLAAD and the Human Rights Campaign for his advocacy and dedication to civil and LGBTQ+ rights.
As a singer/songwriter, Burnside has released three chart-topping solo singles, “Silence”, “Heaven”, and “Superpowers”. He is currently finishing his debut album. The Pensacola, Florida native began performing professionally at the age of 12 as a member of the Hip-Hop/R&B boy band 3D. He has toured the country performing original music alongside folks like Stevie Wonder and Rihanna in such venues as Madison Square Garden and the Nokia Theater. In 2022, he embarked on the five-city “Superpowers Pride Tour”, playing Weho Pride, Chicago Pride, MobiFest in New York City, Montclair Pride, and Atlanta Black Pride. In 2019, Burnside opened the US Open Men’s finals, performing “God Bless America”. He headlined and produced a sold-out benefit concert for GLSEN at the Cutting Room in New York City. Other NYC venues include Joe’s Pub, 54 Below, The W Times Square, and Paradise Club at The New York Edition.
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TAGS & EXPERTISE
Entertainment • Storytelling • Mental Health • Advocacy • Human Rights • Creativity • Representation • Wellness • Culture & Society • LGBTQ+ Advocacy
SPEAKING TOPICS
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An Emmy award-winning filmmaker, actor, singer, and writer who has held groundbreaking roles on the stage and screen, Dyllón Burnside understands the power of authentic storytelling to transform lives. Growing up on a farm as a Black, queer boy in the Deep South with aspirations for Hollywood and Broadway, he was always faced with the dilemma of choosing between the narrative others were telling about who he could be and the stories inside that he yearned to tell in his own voice.
Dyllón will share with audiences the power of owning your personal narrative by revealing his journey to embracing and using his authentic voice to tell the stories that have connected with people around the world - an act he describes as his superpower.
Participants will walk away feeling empowered to tap into their own superpowers— rewriting the story of their lives in their own authentic voices. They will come away ready to challenge the oppressive systems that stop so many from living authentically, celebrate the uniqueness of those around them, and speak into existence the lives they’ve always dreamed of living.
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