Dominic Sessa on Portraying Anthony Bourdain in 1970s Biopic ‘Tony’

POLICY WIRE — London, UK — Following his breakthrough performance in the 2023 film “The Holdovers,” Dominic Sessa returns to the 1970s for his latest role in “Tony,” a biopic about Anthony Bourdain, the renowned chef and author of “Kitchen Confidential.”

Sessa, 23, portrays the 19-year-old Bourdain during a transformative summer in 1975, set in Provincetown, Massachusetts. Despite his young age, Sessa has already demonstrated a deep connection to the era, having starred in two films set in the 1970s. In “Tony,” he captures Bourdain’s early days as he falls in love with cooking while working in a seafood restaurant.

“For a rootless young man with sensualist inclinations, it was the perfect getaway,” Bourdain wrote about that summer. Sessa’s portrayal is steeped in the retro vibe of the decade, much like his character Angus Tully in “The Holdovers,” directed by Alexander Payne.

“The Holdovers,” an Oscar-winning comedy-drama, also set in the 1970s, featured Sessa as a surly student spending Christmas at school. The film’s aesthetic, with its faded palette — and vintage feel, seemed to transport audiences back to that era.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)