David Rysdahl

David Rysdahl is an American actor and screenwriter best known for his role as Wayne Lyon in the fifth season of the FX anthology series “Fargo.” Born on 2 April 1987 in New Ulm, Minnesota, he grew up in the Midwest and studied at St. Olaf College before pursuing a career in film and television.

Rysdahl built his early career in independent film, appearing in projects such as the Shanghai-set dark comedy “Dead Pigs” (2018) and the metaphysical drama “Nine Days” (2020), in which he played Mike. He broke through to wider audiences with the thriller “No Exit” (2022) and a supporting role as the chemist Donald Hornig in Christopher Nolan’s Academy Award-winning “Oppenheimer” (2023).

His profile rose further with “Fargo,” where his portrayal of the mild-mannered Wayne Lyon placed him at the centre of the acclaimed season’s ensemble. He has continued to work across film and television, including the “Black Mirror” episode “Mazey Day” (2023) and the science-fiction series “Alien: Earth” (2025), in which he plays Arthur Sylvia.

Beyond acting, Rysdahl is also a writer and producer, having co-founded the production company Sleepy Poppy to develop his own projects. He is married to the actress Zazie Beetz, whom he wed in 2023, and the couple have been based in New York.

With a career rooted in independent cinema that has since expanded into major studio films and prestige television, Rysdahl has established himself as a versatile character actor. His understated, naturalistic style has made him a recurring presence in some of the most talked-about screen projects of recent years, and he continues to balance acting with his own writing and producing work.

Raised in a small Minnesota city and trained at a Midwestern liberal-arts college rather than a conservatory, Rysdahl has often been described as bringing an unshowy authenticity to his roles. That quality has served him well in the world of “Fargo,” whose stories are steeped in the region he comes from, and he has spoken about drawing on his upbringing to shape characters rooted in ordinary, small-town American life.