Dominic Sessa

Dominic Sessa (born October 25, 2002) is an American actor. He made his film debut with a breakthrough role in Alexander Payne's Christmas comedy drama film The Holdovers, for which he won the Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Young Performer and earned a nomination for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. Sessa next appeared in the third installment of the Now You See Me film series and portrayed a young Anthony Bourdain in the biographical film Tony (2026).

Life and career Dominic Sessa was born in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, on October 25, 2002, and grew up in Egg Harbor Township and Ocean City. He is of Italian descent and has a sister. His mother is a teacher, while his father worked in payroll before his death in 2017. Sessa practiced ice hockey, ballet, and gymnastics from a young age. He attended Alder Avenue Middle School and, from the tenth grade onward, received a scholarship to attend the college-preparatory school Deerfield Academy in Deerfield, Massachusetts. He initially struggled but later came to enjoy the classes, acting in student productions of the plays Antigone and Rumors in addition to a radio play of Frankenstein. At the time, Sessa did not consider pursuing acting as a career and initially applied to college to study English literature.

In 2021, Sessa attended a casting call at Deerfield for student roles, including that of the co-protagonist Angus Tully, in the comedy drama The Holdovers, a film about a teacher having to chaperone students at a New England boarding school during Christmas break in 1970. Payne decided to cast Sessa after participating in a Zoom call for a script reading session with him and his co-star Paul Giamatti. A critic for the Roger Ebert website said that Sessa had "the energy of [...] a leading man and a quirky character actor at the same time".

Sessa next appeared in the Rose Byrne-led drama film Tow (2025) and featured in advertisements for the brands Yves Saint Laurent and J. Crew. He played a magician in the third installment of the Now You See Me film series, titled Now You See Me: Now You Don't (2025), which became a box-office hit. Critics appreciated the franchise's new generation of protagonists, portrayed by Sessa, Ariana Greenblatt, and Justice Smith, with the Los Angeles Times describing Sessa as particularly "charming" in the role. Sessa appeared in the Michelle Pfeiffer-led Christmas comedy film Oh. What. Fun. (2025), which received negative reviews.

In 2026, Sessa starred as the celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain in the biographical film Tony, set in the summer of 1976 in Provincetown, Massachusetts, before Bourdain chose to pursue a culinary career. For the role, Sessa read Bourdain's books, watched his television shows, and drew upon his own experience working in a bakery. He also learned about the inner workings of restaurants from New York owners introduced to him by the chef Eli Sussman. Critics praised Sessa's portrayal of the character's multifaceted nature, with some describing the performance as a "star-making moment".

Filmography Year Title Role 2023 The Holdovers Angus Tully Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Best Supporting Actor Florida Film Critics Circle Best Supporting Actor Breakout Award Georgia Film Critics Association Breakthrough Award Heartland International Film Festival Pioneering Spirit: Rising Star Award St. Louis Film Critics Association Best Supporting Actor Toronto Film Critics Association Best Breakthrough Performance Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Best Supporting Actor Best Youth Performance 2024 Astra Film Awards Best Supporting Actor Austin Film Critics Association Breakthrough Artist Award British Academy Film Awards Best Actor in a Supporting Role Houston Film Critics Society Best Supporting Actor International Cinephile Society Breakthrough Performance Independent Spirit Awards Best Breakthrough Performance Music City Film Critics Association Best Young Actor Satellite Awards Best Supporting Actor Utah Film Critics Association Best Supporting Performance, Male