Phil Dunster

Philip James Dunster was born on March 31, 1992, in Northampton, England. He attended Leighton Park School in Reading, where he served as head boy. Dunster initially pursued rugby as a child before deciding at the age of fifteen that he was too small for the sport. He also considered joining the military, following in the footsteps of his father and brother. His formal training in acting began at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, from which he graduated in 2014 with a Bachelor of Arts in Acting. This educational foundation prepared him for a career spanning stage, television, and film.

Dunster’s career began with stage work in 2015, playing Claudio in “Much Ado About Nothing” at Reading Theatre and appearing in “Pink Mist” at the Bristol Old Vic and Bush Theatre, earning a Laurence Olivier Award nomination in 2016. His television debut was in the Channel 4 sitcom “Catastrophe” in 2015, followed by roles in “The Rise of the Krays” and its sequel “The Fall of the Krays.” From 2017 to 2018, he secured a main role as Lance Corporal Will Jensen in the Sky One drama “Strike Back.” He also had recurring roles in “Save Me” as BJ McGory and in the third series of “Humans” as Tristan. During this period, he appeared in films such as “Megan Leavey,” “Murder on the Orient Express,” and “All Is True.”

A significant career milestone arrived in 2020 with his casting as Jamie Tartt in the Apple TV+ sports comedy “Ted Lasso.” This role garnered him widespread recognition and a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 2023. Concurrently, Dunster appeared as Jamie Cole in the ITV comedy-drama “The Trouble with Maggie Cole” and as Quincey in the BBC One miniseries “Dracula.” More recently, he has taken on the role of Mike Stevens in the Amazon Prime thriller “The Devil’s Hour” (2022-present) and Quinn in Apple TV+’s “Surface” (2025-present). In addition to acting, Dunster has expanded his creative efforts into producing and directing, notably as an executive producer for the short film “Pragma” (2022) and as writer and director for “Idiomatic” (2024). He is engaged to filmmaker Eleanor “Ellie” Heydon.