Dominic Sessa Is Chasing The Young Man Before The Legend
Young Hollywood actor Dominic Sessa continues to move with poise, curiosity and zero fear of a very large assignment. The Holdovers breakout is stepping into the restless early life of Anthony Bourdain for A24’s upcoming biographical drama Tony.
Sessa joined NBC’s TODAY to discuss the transformation, what drew him toward Bourdain and what he hopes audiences carry away from a film about the person who existed before the books, television series and worldwide fame.
BECOMING TONY
Before The Fame, There Was One Chaotic Summer
Visit A24’s official Tony page for the film’s story, cast and release details, then revisit Anthony Bourdain’s own writing in his unmistakable voice.
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Tony Is Not Trying To Retell Anthony Bourdain’s Entire Life
Rather than compress Bourdain’s whole career into one sweeping celebrity biography, Tony narrows its focus to a formative period. The film follows a 19-year-old Anthony Bourdain as he travels to Provincetown, Massachusetts, and stumbles into the chaotic world of a restaurant kitchen.
That summer becomes the spark. Long before Kitchen Confidential, No Reservations or Parts Unknown, Bourdain was a young man discovering the intensity, personalities and rough-edged camaraderie of professional cooking.
The smaller frame gives Sessa a more interesting challenge than simple imitation. He is not recreating the fully formed television personality audiences already know. He is looking for the uncertainty, appetite and rebellious energy that would eventually become Anthony Bourdain.
The Physical Transformation Is Only The Entry Point
Playing a recognizable real person brings the obvious external work: the posture, movement, voice, hair and physical details audiences will immediately inspect. But Sessa’s greater task is making those choices feel lived-in rather than assembled from impressions.
Bourdain’s public persona was built on intelligence, skepticism, humor and a refusal to pretend the world was simpler than it was. A film about him risks becoming hollow if it merely copies his cadence without understanding the restless curiosity beneath it.
Sessa appears aware that the goal is not to manufacture a flawless impersonation. It is to find a believable young man whose first experience inside a working kitchen starts rearranging the direction of his life.
A24’s Tony Brings A Strong Ensemble Into The Kitchen
Tony is directed by Matt Johnson, the filmmaker behind BlackBerry. The cast also includes Emilia Jones, Leo Woodall, Antonio Banderas and Stavros Halkias.
The film is scheduled to reach theaters on August 7, 2026. Its Provincetown setting and coming-of-age focus position it less as a conventional tribute reel and more as an origin story about the summer when Bourdain first encountered the kitchen culture that would shape his voice, work and worldview.
That distinction may be the film’s smartest move. The world already knows the famous chef, author and traveler. Tony is searching for the teenager who had no idea what he was about to become.
Watch Dominic Sessa Discuss Becoming Anthony Bourdain On TODAY
Dominic Sessa sits down with NBC’s TODAY to discuss his transformation for Tony and what he hopes audiences understand about the young Anthony Bourdain.
Source: NBC’s TODAY. Film details via A24.
