Dominic Sessa Is Anthony Bourdain in the Biopic Everyone Will Be Talking About
The Holdovers breakout Dominic Sessa is set to embody Anthony Bourdain in Tony, a biopic promising a raw look at the TV legend’s culinary fire, restless curiosity, and the inner battles that shaped him.
Dominic Sessa, who popped off the screen in The Holdovers, is taking on Anthony Bourdain in a biopic called Tony. No trailer. No release date. But Sessa is already calling the shoot one of the best experiences of his life, which is a big swing for a 23-year-old with one major film under his belt.
What Tony is actually trying to do
This is not just a greatest-hits tour through kitchens and book tours. From how Sessa talks about it, the film is aiming for the whole Bourdain package: the curiosity that took him around the world, the empathy that made strangers open up, and the bruises he carried under the surface. Tricky subject matter, obviously. Bourdain died in 2018 and left a huge cultural crater, so any attempt to tell his story comes with sky-high expectations and a lot of people watching closely.
'Making the movie was one of the best experiences of my life. I’m so proud of it; it was one of those roles of a lifetime, so I’m really excited to see what comes of it,' Sessa told AP News.
That tracks with what he did in The Holdovers, where he played a kid who looked tough until you noticed the cracks. Bourdain requires that same gear, just with a passport and a sharper knife.
The supporting cast is stacked
Sessa also shouted out his co-stars, saying they pushed him to be better. The lineup includes Emilia Jones, Leo Woodall, and Antonio Banderas. Not exactly light company.
What we know so far
- Title: Tony
- Lead: Dominic Sessa as Anthony Bourdain
- Focus: Not just food, but Bourdain’s curiosity, empathy, and personal struggles
- Co-stars: Emilia Jones, Leo Woodall, Antonio Banderas
- Status: No release date or trailer yet
- Origin of comments: Sessa spoke with AP News
- Sessa snapshot: 23 years old; broke out in The Holdovers
- Context: Bourdain’s death in 2018 still resonates globally, which raises the bar for any biopic
Bottom line: the movie is keeping its cards close, but Sessa sounds all-in. If Tony really leans into Bourdain’s human complexity instead of smoothing out the edges, this could be something worth waiting for. Now we just need a date and a first look.