Dominic Sessa: 'Playing Anthony Bourdain has changed my life'

Dominic Sessa's phone rings, and on the other end is the voice of a young man who's about to embark on a journey of a lifetime, playing the role of one of America's most beloved and misunderstood men, Anthony Bourdain. At just 23 years old, Sessa has taken on the behemoth task of bringing Bourdain to life, but unlike the cult-like following that adores him, Sessa doesn't worship at his altar. In fact, before landing the role, he wasn't even a big fan of Bourdain's. 'I wasn't a big fan of his really,' Sessa says in a Metro interview. 'He didn't hold a big place in my life.'

But what sparked Sessa's interest in Bourdain was the way people around him were affected by his life and work. 'After he passed away, he really had a resurgence in my generation,' Sessa explains. 'I think a lot of people, my age in particular, started to become really interested in him.' This fascination was what drew Sessa to the project, and he's thrown everything he's got into playing the role. 'I was definitely sceptical,' he admits, 'but [director] Matt Johnson and I had a lot of creative agency and freedom with this story.'

For Sessa, playing Bourdain has been a chance to delve into the complexities of the man behind the fame. 'He was notoriously complicated, but an empathetic storyteller,' Sessa notes. 'Someone whose younger years we know very little about.' And that's exactly what Sessa is trying to explore in the film, Tony, which is set during a formative summer in Provincetown, Massachusetts in 1975. The movie is an attempt to humanize a man who was often seen as larger-than-life, and Sessa is determined to do him justice. 'I wasn't having to do a corny impression of this person, you know?' he says. 'We had the freedom to explore his complexities and vulnerabilities.'

Dominic Sessa's journey to playing Bourdain is nothing short of remarkable. Just five years ago, he was a student at Deerfield Academy, an independent-preparatory college in western Massachusetts. Now, he's starring in a major film alongside Antonio Banderas. When we chat, it's easy to forget that Sessa is only 23, his wisdom and maturity shine through in everything he says. He speaks with a hyperactive chuckle, but beneath that, there's a sense of calm and focus that's hard to ignore.

Sessa's rise to stardom is evidence of his talent and hard work. He was plucked from a casting call for students in 2021 by director Alexander Payne, who was looking for local talent for an upcoming film. That film was Oscar-nominated comedy The Holdovers, in which Sessa starred opposite Paul Giamatti. It's a remarkable achievement for someone so young, and Sessa is still trying to wrap his head around it. 'Not too shabby for your first acting role,' he says with a chuckle.

But what's interesting about Dominic Sessa is that he's not your typical Hollywood star. He's not a seasoned traveller, and he doesn't have a string of tattoos or a hoop earring. He's just a young man from Cherry Hill, New Jersey, who grew up watching his mother watch Anthony Bourdain on TV. YouTube videos helped him research the role, but it's clear that Sessa is driven by a desire to do justice to Bourdain's story. 'I think a lot of people, my age in particular, started to become really interested in him,' he says. 'And a big reason why I was fascinated to learn about him and do this project was because people around me were affected by him.'

Playing Anthony Bourdain has changed Dominic Sessa's life in ways he never could have imagined. It's forced him to confront his own vulnerabilities and complexities, and to explore the human side of a man who was often seen as larger-than-life. 'He was notoriously complicated, but an empathetic storyteller,' Sessa notes. 'Someone whose younger years we know very little about.' And that's exactly what Sessa is trying to explore in the film, Tony, a story that's both a tribute to Bourdain's legacy and evidence of the power of vulnerability.

As Dominic Sessa looks to the future, it's clear that playing Anthony Bourdain has been a defining moment in his career. He's thrown everything he's got into the role, and it's paid off in ways he never could have imagined. 'I was definitely sceptical,' he admits, 'but [director] Matt Johnson and I had a lot of creative agency and freedom with this story.' And it's that freedom that's allowed Sessa to bring Bourdain to life in a way that's both authentic and vulnerable.

In the end, playing Anthony Bourdain has changed Dominic Sessa's life, and it's a change that he'll carry with him for the rest of his career. As he looks to the future, it's clear that Sessa is ready for whatever comes next.