Dustin Demri-Burns: Actor Bio, Slow Horses, Peaky Blinders

If you’ve been watching Slow Horses on Apple TV+ and wondered where you recognize the guy playing Min Harper, you’re not alone. Dustin Demri-Burns has spent two decades building one of British television’s most quietly impressive résumés — sketch comedy, indie film leads, prestige drama, and now a role in one of streaming’s most acclaimed spy thrillers. He also happens to be half of the BAFTA-nominated duo Cardinal Burns.

Born: Portsmouth, Hampshire, England · Known for: Slow Horses (2022), Cardinal Burns (2012–2014) · Agency: United Agents · Notable role: Monsieur Silk in Peaky Blinders

Key biographical and career details provide a reference point for exploring Demri-Burns’ trajectory across comedy and drama.

Cardinal Burns earned a BAFTA nomination for Best Comedy Series in 2013, placing Demri-Burns alongside the UK comedy establishment’s upper tier.

What is Dustin Demri-Burns known for?

Dustin Demri-Burns is a British actor, comedian, and writer who has steadily built one of the more distinctive careers in UK screen comedy and drama. He rose to fame as one half of the BAFTA-nominated sketch act Cardinal Burns, which aired from 2012 to 2014 and won a British Comedy Award (United Agents). The show earned a nomination for Best Comedy at the BAFTA Television Awards in 2013.

Cardinal Burns sketch show

Cardinal Burns was a sketch comedy series that showcased Demri-Burns’ willingness to play deliberately uncomfortable, often bizarre characters. The show, which ran for two seasons on E4, featured him alongside his comedy partner. The act itself was recognized early: Demri-Burns received a Best Newcomer nomination at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards in 2006 and a Best Sketch, Variety or Character Act nomination at the Chortle Awards in 2008.

The implication: his early recognition at Edinburgh and Chortle established a trajectory that would eventually bring BAFTA-level validation through Cardinal Burns.

Slow Horses series

Since 2022, Demri-Burns has portrayed Min Harper in Slow Horses, Apple TV+’s espionage drama based on Mick Herron’s novels. The series, starring Gary Oldman and Kristin Scott Thomas, has become one of the platform’s most-watched and critically praised offerings. Demri-Burns plays a member of Slough House, the fictional dumping ground for washed-up MI5 operatives.

The pattern: his transition from sketch comedy to prestige drama demonstrates a deliberate career arc rather than opportunistic casting.

What is Dustin Demri-Burns’s real name?

Dustin Demri-Burns was born on Tuesday, 11th July 1978. His birth date is confirmed by the British Comedy Guide. Whether “Dustin Demri-Burns” is his full legal name or a stage name is not publicly documented, and the sources consulted for this article do not clarify the distinction.

Birth name and background

Most sources list Portsmouth, Hampshire, England as his birthplace. However, TV Guide records an alternative listing of Lancaster, Lancashire, England. The conflicting information has not been resolved in publicly available sources.

The discrepancy between Portsmouth and Lancaster highlights the challenge of verifying biographical details for performers who maintain lower public profiles outside their work.

What is Dustin Demri-Burns’ best reviewed work?

His most consistently praised work spans two very different registers: the boundary-pushing sketch comedy of Cardinal Burns and the measured dramatic presence he brings to Slow Horses. Both have earned industry recognition.

Rotten Tomatoes ratings

Slow Horses has maintained ratings above 90% on Rotten Tomatoes across multiple seasons. The show’s ensemble approach means individual performances are harder to isolate, but Demri-Burns’ role as the quietly sardonic Min Harper has drawn specific praise from critics following the series.

Top movies and shows

Beyond his headline roles, Demri-Burns appeared in Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa (2013) as Danny Sinclair, The Spy Who Dumped Me (2018) as Viktor, and Horrible Histories: The Movie – Rotten Romans (2019) as Crazy Cedric. He has also appeared in The Great (as Voltaire), Bridget Jones’ Baby, and Grimsby.

What this means: the breadth of his filmography — from indie comedy to blockbuster adjacent projects — suggests Demri-Burns has deliberately avoided typecasting while building a durable career across formats.

Who plays Monsieur Silk in Peaky Blinders?

Dustin Demri-Burns appeared in Peaky Blinders as Monsieur Silk, a character who operates within the criminal underworld the Shelbys inhabit. The exact scope of his involvement in the series is not detailed in publicly available credits, but he is confirmed as appearing in the show.

Role details in Peaky Blinders

Peaky Blinders, which ran from 2013 to 2022, follows the Shelby crime family in post-WWI Birmingham. Monsieur Silk is a supporting figure rather than a central character, but Demri-Burns’ presence in the show reflects his ability to slot into prestige period drama alongside comedy work.

The catch: supporting roles like Monsieur Silk may be brief, but they demonstrate his range and ability to inhabit worlds far removed from his sketch comedy origins.

Dustin Demri-Burns movies and TV shows

His filmography spans indie cinema, network television, and international streaming platforms — a breadth that reflects both the variety of UK acting work and his willingness to take roles that don’t all look the same on a CV. For a comprehensive look at his diverse roles, explore Top movies to stream.

Slow Horses

The Apple TV+ series began in 2022 with Demri-Burns in the recurring role of Min Harper, one of the “slow horses” — disgraced MI5 staff relegated to Slough House. The series has confirmed a fifth season in development.

Peaky Blinders

His appearance in Peaky Blinders places him in one of the BBC’s most internationally successful drama exports. The series achieved significant global viewership and critical acclaim across its six seasons.

Other credits

Notable additional appearances include A Discovery of Witches, Stath Lets Flats, GameFace, Drunk History: UK, and the BBC One comedy AM I BEING UNREASONABLE, which he co-starred in across two series. He voiced characters in Bob the Builder and The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.

The implication: his voice acting work and appearances across genres like historical drama, comedy, and fantasy animation demonstrate a versatility that keeps his career from becoming predictable.

The pattern across Demri-Burns’ career is consistent: he picks projects that reward committed performance over star wattage. From sketch comedy’s deliberately uncomfortable edge to Slough House’s deadpan dysfunction, he has avoided the obvious route — and that restraint is what makes his work worth watching.

Related reading: Steve Coogan Movies and TV Shows · Josh Finan Movies and TV Shows

Dustin Demri-Burns shares screen time with Aimee Ffion Edwards Peaky Blinders role in Slow Horses, linking their careers across acclaimed British series like Peaky Blinders.

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