Dominic Sessa

Dominic Sessa
Sessa in 2025
Born (2002-10-25) October 25, 2002
Cherry Hill, New Jersey, US
Alma materCarnegie Mellon University
OccupationActor
Years active2023–present

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 (2023), for which he won the Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Young Performer and earned a British Academy Film Award nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. Sessa went on to appear in the third installment of the Now You See Me film series and the Christmas comedy film Oh. What. Fun., both released in 2025 to commercial success. He will portray celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain in the biographical drama film Tony.

Life and career

Dominic Sessa was born in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, on October 25, 2002,[1][2] and grew up in Egg Harbor Township and Ocean City.[3] He is of Italian descent and has a sister.[4][5] His mother is a teacher, while his father worked in payroll before his death in 2017.[5][6] Sessa attended Alder Avenue Middle School and, beginning in the tenth grade, received a scholarship to attend the college-preparatory school Deerfield Academy in Deerfield, Massachusetts,[2][6] where he planned to play ice hockey.[7] However, Sessa broke his femur before the start of his freshman-year season and chose to take drama classes instead.[7] He initially struggled but later came to enjoy the classes, acting in student productions of the plays Antigone and Rumors and the radio play of Frankenstein.[6][7]

In the fall of his senior year, Sessa attended a casting call at Deerfield for student roles, including that of co-protagonist Angus Tully, in the comedy drama film The Holdovers, about a classics teacher having to chaperone students at a New England boarding school during Christmas break in 1970.[7] He made a positive impression on casting director Susan Shopmaker, who arranged for him a second audition with director Alexander Payne.[7] Despite having imagined someone younger for the role of Tully,[6] Payne believed that Sessa had potential and scheduled several callbacks to coach him into a more natural performance.[8][9] Payne officially cast Sessa after participating in a Zoom call for a script reading session with him and co-star Paul Giamatti.[6]

To prepare for the role, Sessa studied the script for two months and watched films from the period suggested by Payne, including The Graduate (1967), Harold and Maude (1971), Paper Moon (1973), and The Last Detail (1973).[6][9] While filming The Holdovers, Sessa was admitted to the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama but took a leave of absence after completing his freshman year.[6] Upon release, the film became a moderate commercial success and received positive reviews that named Sessa its breakout star.[a] 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".[13] The film earned Sessa the Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Young Performer, the Independent Spirit Award for Best Breakthrough Performance, and a nomination for the British Academy Film Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.[2][14]

Sessa next starred in the Rose Byrne-led drama film Tow (2025) and appeared in advertisements for the brands YvesSaint Laurent and J. Crew.[15][16][17] He portrayed an impressionist in the third installment of the Now You See Me film series, titled Now You See Me: Now You Don't (2025),[18] which became a box-office hit.[19] 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.[18][20][21] Sessa starred in the Christmas comedy film Oh. What. Fun. (2025), led by Michelle Pfeiffer.[22] The film received negative reviews but became successful upon its release on the streaming television service Amazon Prime Video.[23][24]

Sessa will portray celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain in the biographical drama film Tony.[25]

Filmography

Key
† Denotes film or TV productions that have not yet been released
Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2023 The Holdovers Angus Tully [13]
2025 Tow Kevin Eggers [15]
Now You See Me: Now You Don't Bosco LeRoy [18]
Oh. What. Fun. Sammy Clauster [22]
TBA Tony † Anthony Bourdain Post-production [25]

Accolades

Year Award Category Nominated work Result Ref.
2023 Chicago Film Critics Association Most Promising Performer The Holdovers Nominated [26]
Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Best Supporting Actor 5th place [27]
Florida Film Critics Circle Best Supporting Actor Nominated [28]
Breakout Award Nominated
Heartland International Film Festival Pioneering Spirit: Rising Star Award Won [2]
Indiana Film Journalists Association Best Supporting Performance Nominated [29]
Breakout of the Year Nominated
North Texas Film Critics Association Best Supporting Actor Nominated [30]
Best Newcomer Won [2]
Online Association of Female Film Critics Breakthrough Performance Award Won [31]
Phoenix Critics Circle Best Supporting Actor Nominated [32]
St. Louis Film Critics Association Best Supporting Actor Nominated [33]
Toronto Film Critics Association Best Breakthrough Performance Runner-up [34]
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Best Youth Performance Won [35]
Best Supporting Actor Nominated [36]
2024 Astra Film Awards Best Supporting Actor Nominated [37]
Austin Film Critics Association The Robert R. "Bobby" McCurdy Memorial Breakthrough Artist Award Nominated [38]
British Academy Film Awards Best Actor in a Supporting Role Nominated [14]
Chicago Indie Critics Best Supporting Actor Nominated [39]
Breakout Artist Award Nominated
Columbus Film Critics Association Best Supporting Performance Nominated [40]
Breakthrough Film Artist Nominated
Critics' Choice Awards Best Young Performer Won [2]
Dorian Awards Rising Star Award Nominated [41]
Georgia Film Critics Association Breakthrough Award Won [42]
Greater Western New York Film Critics Association Best Supporting Performance Nominated [43]
Breakthrough Performance Award Nominated
Houston Film Critics Society Best Supporting Actor Nominated [44]
International Cinephile Society Breakthrough Performance Nominated [45]
Independent Spirit Awards Best Breakthrough Performance Won [2]
London Film Critics' Circle Breakthrough Performer of the Year Nominated [46]
Music City Film Critics Association Best Young Actor Won [47]
North Carolina Film Critics Association Breakthrough Performance Won [48]
Online Film & Television Association Best Breakthrough Performance: Male Won [49]
Satellite Awards Best Supporting Actor Nominated [50]
Utah Film Critics Association Best Supporting Performance, Male Won [51]

Notes

  1. ^ Attributed to multiple references:[10][11][12][13]

References

  1. ^ "Man of the hour - happy birthday, Dominic Sessa!". Retrieved October 25, 2025 – via Instagram.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Dominic Sessa". Tribute. Archived from the original on December 23, 2025. Retrieved December 23, 2025.
  3. ^ Choudhury, Bedatri D. (August 13, 2024). "Jersey Actor Dominic Sessa May Play Anthony Bourdain in Upcoming Movie". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on August 13, 2024. Retrieved December 23, 2025.
  4. ^ Locatelli, Silvia (January 20, 2024). "Dominic Sessa, rivelazione dell'anno e attore (quasi) per caso" [Dominic Sessa, Revelation of the Year and Actor (Almost) by Chance]. Elle. Archived from the original on December 23, 2025. Retrieved December 23, 2025.
  5. ^ a b Greenwood, Douglas (November 13, 2025). "Dominic Sessa's Next Trick". i-D. Archived from the original on November 25, 2025. Retrieved December 23, 2025.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Schulman, Michael (December 4, 2023). "A Prep-School Movie Star". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on December 4, 2023. Retrieved December 23, 2025.
  7. ^ a b c d e Vognar, Chris (December 11, 2023). "Meet Dominic Sessa — the Rare Unicorn of The Holdovers". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on December 11, 2023. Retrieved December 23, 2025.
  8. ^ Rankin, Seija (January 16, 2024). "The Making of The Holdovers: "Depressing Sh** Can Still Feel Cozy"". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 16, 2024. Retrieved December 23, 2025.
  9. ^ a b Zuckerman, Esther (January 16, 2024). "The Holdovers Breakout Dominic Sessa Graduated From Boarding School to... Boarding School". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 16, 2024. Retrieved December 23, 2025.
  10. ^ Goldsmith, Jill (November 19, 2023). "Saltburn In Year's Top Limited Openings, The Holdovers Aces Expansion,Stop Making Sense Blows Past Original 1984 Run – Specialty Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 19, 2023. Retrieved December 23, 2025.
  11. ^ Holmes, Linda (December 1, 2025). "Your 2025 Holiday Movie Guide: Time Travel, Pickleball and Fa-la-la-la Franchises". NPR. Archived from the original on December 5, 2025. Retrieved December 23, 2025.
  12. ^ Bahr, Lindsey (October 23, 2023). "Movie Review: A Holiday Movie with Some Site in Alexander Payne's The Holdovers". Associated Press. Archived from the original on October 23, 2023. Retrieved December 23, 2025.
  13. ^ a b c Tallerico, Brian (October 27, 2023). "The Holdovers". RogerEbert.com. Archived from the original on September 14, 2023. Retrieved December 23, 2025.
  14. ^ a b "Baftas 2024: The Complete List of Winners". The Guardian. February 18, 2024. Archived from the original on February 18, 2024. Retrieved December 23, 2025.
  15. ^ a b Zilko, Christian (June 12, 2025). "Tow Review: Rose Byrne Fights Bureaucracy in a Social Justice Drama That Narrowly Steers Clear of Poverty Porn". IndieWire. Archived from the original on June 13, 2025. Retrieved December 23, 2025.
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  17. ^ Gallagher, Jacob (December 15, 2024). "The Rise of the Noodle Boys". The New York Times. Retrieved December 23, 2025.
  18. ^ a b c Walsh, Katie (November 14, 2025). "A new Now You See Me isn't magical, but its silliness will keep you distracted". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on December 23, 2025. Retrieved December 23, 2025.
  19. ^ Welk, Brian (November 18, 2025). "The Greatest Trick the Now You See Me Films Have Pulled Is Quietly Dominating the Box Office". IndieWire. Archived from the original on December 23, 2025. Retrieved December 23, 2025.
  20. ^ Hassenger, Jesse (November 11, 2025). "Now You See Me: Now You Don't review – light-as-a-feather magic threequel". The Guardian. Archived from the original on December 23, 2025. Retrieved December 23, 2025.
  21. ^ Garner, Glenn (November 11, 2025). "Now You See Me: Now You Don't Review: Gen Z-Driven Third Installment Attempts To Teach Old Magicians New Tricks". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 23, 2025. Retrieved December 23, 2025.
  22. ^ a b Kit, Borys (April 3, 2024). "Chloë Grace Moretz, Dominic Sessa Join Amazon MGM Holiday Comedy Oh. What. Fun. (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 3, 2024. Retrieved December 23, 2025.
  23. ^ "Oh. What. Fun.". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on November 12, 2025. Retrieved December 23, 2025.
  24. ^ Hodges, Jake (December 18, 2025). "A Rogue One Star's New Christmas Comedy Is an Instant Streaming Hit". Collider. Archived from the original on December 23, 2025. Retrieved December 23, 2025.
  25. ^ a b Grobar, Matt (August 12, 2025). "Stavros Halkias Rounds Out Cast Of A24's Anthony Bourdain Biopic Tony". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 12, 2025. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
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  28. ^ "Oppenheimer, Killers of the Flower Moon, May December Lead Pack with Most Nominations". Florida Film Critics Circle. December 13, 2023. Archived from the original on December 13, 2023. Retrieved December 23, 2025.
  29. ^ Rogers, Nick (December 12, 2023). "Nominations Announced for the 2023 Indiana Film Journalists Association Awards". Midwest Film Journal. Archived from the original on December 12, 2023. Retrieved December 23, 2025.
  30. ^ "North Texas Film Critics Association (NTFCA) Awards: Oppenheimer and The Holdovers Win Big". AwardsWatch. December 18, 2023. Archived from the original on December 19, 2023. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  31. ^ "Online Association of Female Film Critics 2023 Awards – Winners". Online Association of Female Film Critics. December 21, 2023. Retrieved December 23, 2025.
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  35. ^ Davis, Clayton (December 10, 2023). "The Zone of Interest Wins Best Picture at Los Angeles Film Critics Awards, Four Women Take Acting Prizes (Full Winners List)". Variety. Archived from the original on March 1, 2025. Retrieved December 23, 2025.
  36. ^ Anderson, Erik (December 10, 2023). "2023 Washington DC Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA) Winners: American Fiction Is Best Feature, Oppenheimer Takes Six". AwardsWatch. Archived from the original on December 10, 2023. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  37. ^ Grein, Paul (January 7, 2024). "A Barbie Song Won at 2024 Astra Film Awards, But It Wasn't the Billie Eilish Hit". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 7, 2024. Retrieved December 23, 2025.
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