Dominic Sessa On Creativity, Cooking, and Becoming a Young Bourdain in Tony

“Every day I believed I was living some version of what this person really experienced,” actor Dominic Sessa told guest hosts Marley Marius and Hannah Jackson of the experience of filming Tony on this week’s episode of The Run-Through. The person he is referring to is beloved chef and food writer Anthony Bourdain, whose mythology and fandom seems to only have grown since his tragic passing in 2018.

Tony, which comes to theaters on August 7th and was directed by Matt Johnson, captures a very brief time in Bourdain’s life during a summer working as a dishwasher at a restaurant in Provincetown, Massachusetts. Along with co-stars Antonio Banderas, Leo Woodhall, Stavros Halkias, and Emilia Jones, he spent four weeks on Cape Cod recreating a version of Bourdain’s coming-of-age lore.

Johnson’s directing style often involves allowing the actors to improvise and act on the fly, which was a new challenge for the young actor. It was intimidating of course, but I was really comfortable with these people,” Sessa said. He confirmed what viewers of Tony might hope to be true—Halkias improvised all of his punchy insults including when he says “flaco means an acrobatic that jumps from ass to ass.”

Despite being on a tight shooting schedule, the cast got quite close and Sessa learned a lot working with acting heavyweight Banderas. Audiences will see Sessa hold his own with Banderas, but while Sessa can act, he is not quite as skilled in the kitchen. He claimed to be able to boil water and make pasta and “I guess I learned how to shuck oysters,” he told the podcast, “and I got better at washing dishes.” Banderas on the other hand is a skilled cook. Recently, while doing press with him for a film in Málaga, Banderas cooked a memorable paella for Sessa.

The New York Tony premiere took place earlier this week and Sessa sported a chic Celine by Michael Rider look. “I'm afraid to say that when I'm not doing things like this, I dress like shit for the most part,” Sessa shared, admitting that a large part of his wardrobe consists of old t-shirts from Marshalls and sneakers with holes in the sole. He credited his stylist Warren Alfie Baker with helping him discover his red carpet style.

As for what’s next, he’d love to return to his roots and star in a hockey film. “I don’t need a stunt double,” he noted, “it’d save them so much money!”

The Run-Through with Vogue is your go-to podcast where fashion meets culture. Hosted by Chloe Malle, Head of Editorial Content, Vogue U.S.; Chioma Nnadi, Head of British Vogue; and Nicole Phelps, Director of Vogue Runway, each episode features the latest fashion news and exclusive designer and celebrity interviews.

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