Dominic Sessa, a 23-year-old actor from New Jersey, takes on the role of 19-year-old Anthony Bourdain in the film Tony. The movie focuses on one pivotal summer in 1975 when Bourdain spent time in Provincetown, Massachusetts, where he fell in love, worked in a seafood restaurant, and discovered his passion for cooking. This project marks Sessa’s second major period film, following his acclaimed debut in The Holdovers two years earlier.
Sessa approached the role with minimal preexisting familiarity with Bourdain, a strategy he employed to bring authenticity to the character without preconceived notions. Through his research into Bourdain’s memoir Kitchen Confidential, Sessa identified the kitchen mentors who inspired the film’s central figures, portrayed by Antonio Banderas, Leo Woodall, and Stavros Halkias. The production was filmed in an operational restaurant that had recently closed, allowing the cast to gain genuine kitchen experience during shooting. Sessa found himself in the position of dishwasher while his co-stars learned practical culinary skills, creating a realistic dynamic of kitchen hierarchy and camaraderie.
Sessa’s personal history resonates with the film’s themes. Growing up on the Jersey Shore, he spent summers working in a bakery and partying, experiences that paralleled Bourdain’s youthful exploits in Provincetown. After his father’s death at age 14, Sessa attended Deerfield Academy on a sports scholarship. A femur fracture ended his hockey aspirations, leading him to pursue theatre instead. He views his performance as capturing an insecure, defensive version of himself—exploring the inner conflict young men often experience while attempting to present maturity.
Sessa reflects on the film’s romanticized portrayal of kitchen culture, noting that the verbal abuse among cooks functions as an initiation rite and rite of passage. He has observed differences between contemporary youth and those of the 1970s, attributing changes to technology and the pandemic’s impact on social development. Notably, the film withholds certain biographical details about Bourdain, maintaining its period focus without addressing his later life.
Since The Holdovers earned him significant acclaim and multiple award nominations, Sessa has balanced selective lead roles with supporting parts and continued training at Carnegie Mellon University. He credits Tony with clarifying the type of actor and person he aspires to be, embracing Bourdain’s philosophy of taking risks and living in the moment. The film releases on August 14.
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