Dominic Sessa

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Dominic Sessa
Dominic Sessa Tow-059 (cropped).jpg
Sessa at the 2025 Tribeca Festival
Born (2002-10-25) October 25, 2002 (age 23)
Cherry Hill, New Jersey, U.S. [1]
Education Carnegie Mellon University
OccupationActor
Years active2022–present

Dominic Sessa (born October 25, 2002 [2] ) is an American actor. He made his film debut in the role of a troubled teenager in Alexander Payne's coming-of-age film The Holdovers (2023). [3] His performance earned him the Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Young Performer and a nomination for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. [4] [5]

Contents

Early life and education

Sessa was born in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and he was raised in the South Jersey communities of Egg Harbor Township and Ocean City. [1] Sessa's mother is a teacher and his father died when he was 14. [6] Sessa attended Alder Avenue Middle School. [7] From tenth grade, he went to Deerfield Academy, a preparatory high school in Deerfield, Massachusetts, as a financial aid student. [8] [9] He was active in the school's theater program, acting in the plays Antigone and Rumors and directing an excerpt from No Exit . [10]

As of September 2023, Sessa is a student at the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama. [11]

Career

In 2021, Sessa was discovered by casting director Susan Shopmaker, who offered Deerfield Academy students a chance to audition for the Alexander Payne-directed film The Holdovers since the film was using the academy as a shooting location. [8] Sessa was selected among twelve students who auditioned for the role. [10] In September 2023, Sessa was listed as one of Variety's "10 Actors to Watch for 2023". [11] Sessa's performance in the film earned him several accolades, including the Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Young Performer, [12] the Independent Spirit Award for Best Breakthrough Performance, [13] and a nomination for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. [4] On casting Sessa, Payne said: "He is a remarkably talented young actor ... (he) instinctively understood how to access his own life experience for an emotionally intelligent performance ... He also possessed a face I wanted to see healed by the story the movie was to tell." [14]

In 2025, Sessa co-starred in Tow , directed by Stephanie Laing and starring Rose Byrne. [15]

He will next appear in Oh. What. Fun. , a Christmas film directed by Michael Showalter, [16] and the sequel Now You See Me: Now You Don't . [17] He is also attached to star in the biopic Tony as the late chef Anthony Bourdain. [18]

Filmography

Key
†Denotes film or TV productions that have not yet been released
YearTitleRoleNotes
2023 The Holdovers Angus Tully
2025 Tow Kevin Eggers
Now You See Me: Now You Don't †Bosco LeroyPost-production
Oh. What. Fun. †SammyPost-production
TBA Tony † Anthony Bourdain Post-production [19]

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryNominated workResultRef.
2023 Chicago Film Critics Association Awards Most Promising Performer The Holdovers Nominated [20]
Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Best Supporting Actor 5th Place [21]
Florida Film Critics Circle Best Supporting Actor Nominated [22]
BreakoutNominated
Heartland International Film Festival Pioneering Spirit: Rising Star AwardWon [23]
Indiana Film Journalists Association AwardsBest Supporting PerformanceNominated [24]
Breakout of the YearNominated
North Texas Film Critics Association AwardsBest Supporting ActorNominated [25]
Best NewcomerWon
St. Louis Film Critics Association Best Supporting Actor Nominated [26]
Toronto Film Critics Association Best Breakthrough Performance Runner-up [27]
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award Best Breakthrough Performance Won [28]
Best Supporting Actor Nominated
2024 Astra Film Award Best Supporting ActorNominated [29]
Austin Film Critics Association Awards The Robert R. "Bobby" McCurdy Memorial Breakthrough Artist AwardNominated [30]
British Academy Film Awards Best Actor in a Supporting Role Nominated [31]
Columbus Film Critics AssociationBest Supporting PerformanceNominated [32]
Breakthrough Film ArtistNominated
Critics' Choice Awards Best Young Performer Won [12]
Georgia Film Critics Association Breakthrough AwardWon [33]
Houston Film Critics Society Award Best Supporting Actor Nominated [34]
London Film Critics' Circle Breakthrough Performer of the YearNominated [35]
Music City Film Critics AssociationBest Young ActorWon [36]
North Carolina Film Critics AssociationBreakthrough PerformanceWon [37]
Satellite Award Best Supporting Actor Nominated [38]
Independent Spirit Awards Best Breakthrough Performance Won [39] [13]

References

  1. 1 2 "Meet South Jersey's Dominic Sessa, star of the Oscar-nominated film 'The Holdovers'", Philly Voice, January 23, 2024. Accessed January 25, 2024. "Dominic Sessa, 21, was born in Cherry Hill and grew up in Egg Harbor Township and Ocean City."
  2. ↑ "Man of the hour - happy birthday, Dominic Sessa!". Instagram. Retrieved October 25, 2025.
  3. ↑ "Alexander Payne "Heartbroken" to Premiere 'The Holdovers' Without Lead Actors". The Hollywood Reporter . September 11, 2023.
  4. 1 2 "Bafta Awards 2024: Oppenheimer, Poor Things, Barbie and Saltburn get nominations". January 18, 2024. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  5. ↑ "Bafta nominations 2024: The full list of film contenders". January 18, 2024. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  6. ↑ Horton, Adrian (January 15, 2024). "The Holdovers' Dominic Sessa: 'Everyone's like, don't become a celebrity – stay who you are' | Movies | The Guardian". The Guardian . Retrieved February 17, 2024.
  7. ↑ "Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved February 26, 2024.
  8. 1 2 Rathe, Adam (November 10, 2023). "How The Holdovers Star Dominic Sessa Got Discovered". Town & Country . Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  9. ↑ Schulman, Michael (December 4, 2023). "A Prep-School Movie Star". The New Yorker. ISSN   0028-792X . Retrieved February 17, 2024.
  10. 1 2 "Artist of the Issue: Dominic Sessa". The Deerfield Scroll. June 2, 2023.
  11. 1 2 Riley, Jenelle (September 6, 2023). "Variety Announces 10 Actors to Watch for 2023". Variety . Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  12. 1 2 Pedersen, Erik (January 14, 2024). "'Oppenheimer' Wins Best Picture & Director At Critics Choice Awards, Leads Field With Eight; 'Barbie' Gets Six Including Best Comedy – Full List". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  13. 1 2 Kimberly Nordyke (February 25, 2024). "Spirit Awards: Full List of Winners". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  14. ↑ Vognar, Chris (December 11, 2023). "Meet Dominic Sessa — the rare unicorn of 'The Holdovers'". Los Angeles Times.
  15. ↑ Bamigboye, Baz (February 19, 2024). "Breaking Baz BAFTA Film Awards Parties Special: Dominic Sessa Wins First Movie Role After 'The Holdovers' Breakout; Bob Geldof Wants Live Aid Musical In Andrew Lloyd Webber Theatre; Florence Pugh At Universal 'Oppenheimer' Celebration". Deadline. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
  16. ↑ Chloë Grace Moretz, Dominic Sessa Join Amazon MGM Holiday Comedy 'Oh. What. Fun.' (Exclusive)
  17. ↑ "Justice Smith, Dominic Sessa Join Ariana Greenblatt in 'Now You See Me 3' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. April 16, 2024. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
  18. ↑ White, James (August 13, 2024). "The Holdovers' Dominic Sessa To Play Chef, Writer And Broadcaster Anthony Bourdain In New Biopic". Empire Online . Retrieved August 19, 2024.
  19. ↑ Grobar, Matt (August 12, 2025). "Stavros Halkias Rounds Out Cast Of A24's Anthony Bourdain Biopic 'Tony'". Deadline. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
  20. ↑ Tallerico, Brian (December 8, 2023). "Killers of the Flower Moon, Oppenheimer, Poor Things Lead CFCA Nominations". RogerEbert.com . Retrieved December 8, 2023.
  21. ↑ Jorgenson, Todd (December 18, 2023). "DFW Film Critics Name The Holdovers Best Picture of 2023". Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association . Retrieved December 18, 2023.
  22. ↑ Anderson, Erik (December 13, 2023). "Florida Film Critics Circle (FFCC) Nominations". AwardsWatch. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
  23. ↑ "32nd Heartland International Film Festival Announces Winners & Presents $60,000 in cash prizes". Heartland Film . October 16, 2023.
  24. ↑ "AwardsWatch - Indiana Film Journalists Association (IFJA) Nominations". AwardsWatch. December 12, 2023. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  25. ↑ "North Texas Film Critics Association (NTFCA) Awards: 'Oppenheimer' and 'The Holdovers' Win Big". AwardsWatch. December 18, 2023. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  26. ↑ Anderson, Eric (December 10, 2023). "2023 St. Louis Film Critics Association (StLFCA) Nominations". awardswatch.com. AwardsWatch. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  27. ↑ Neglia, Matt (December 17, 2023). "The 2023 Toronto Film Critics Association (TFCA) Winners". Next Best Picture. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
  28. ↑ Anderson, Erik (December 10, 2023). "2023 Washington DC Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA) Winners: 'American Fiction' is Best Feature, 'Oppenheimer' Takes Six". AwardsWatch. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  29. ↑ "AwardsWatch - 'Barbie' and 'Oppenheimer' Lead Hollywood Creative Alliance (HCA) Astra Awards Nominations". AwardsWatch. December 7, 2023. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
  30. ↑ "The 2023 Austin Film Critics Association (AFCA) Winners". AwardsWatch. January 10, 2024. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  31. ↑ "Bafta nominations 2024: The full list of film contenders". BBC. January 18, 2024. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  32. ↑ "AwardsWatch - Columbus Film Critics Association (COCFA) Nominations: 'Killers of the Flower Moon,' 'Oppenheimer' Lead". AwardsWatch. December 31, 2023. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  33. ↑ "AwardsWatch - Georgia Film Critics Association (GFCA) Awards: 'Oppenheimer' Tops with Seven Wins". AwardsWatch. January 5, 2024. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  34. ↑ "AwardsWatch - Houston Film Critics Society (HFCS) Nominations". AwardsWatch. January 9, 2024. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  35. ↑ Ramachandran, Naman (December 20, 2023). "'All of Us Strangers, 'Oppenheimer' Lead London Critics' Circle Awards Nominations". Variety. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  36. ↑ "AwardsWatch - Music City Film Critics' Association (MCFCA) Awards: 'Oppenheimer' Wins 7". AwardsWatch. January 15, 2024. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  37. ↑ "AwardsWatch - North Carolina Film Critics Association (NCFCA) Awards: 'Oppenheimer' Wins 10". AwardsWatch. January 3, 2024. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  38. ↑ "2023 Nominees". International Press Academy. December 18, 2023. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
  39. ↑ Moreau, Brent Lang,Jordan; Lang, Brent; Moreau, Jordan (December 5, 2023). "Spirit Awards 2024 Nominations List: 'Past Lives,' 'May December,' 'American Fiction' Lead With 5 Noms Each". Variety. Retrieved January 15, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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