# Dominic Sessa

Dominic Sessa (born 2001/2002) is an American actor. He made his film debut in Alexander Payne's coming-of-age film The Holdovers (2023), portraying troubled teenager Angus Tully. His performance won him the Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Young Performer in addition to a nomination for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.

## 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. Sessa's mother is a teacher and his father died when he was 14. Sessa attended Alder Avenue Middle School. From tenth grade, he went to Deerfield Academy, a preparatory high school in Deerfield, Massachusetts, as a financial aid student. He was active in the school's theater program, acting in the plays Antigone and Rumors and directing an excerpt from No Exit.
As of September 2023, Sessa is a student at the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama.

## 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. Sessa was selected among twelve students who auditioned for the role. In September 2023, Sessa was listed as one of Variety's "10 Actors to Watch for 2023". Sessa's performance in the film earned him several accolades, including the Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Young Performer, the Independent Spirit Award for Best Breakthrough Performance, and a nomination for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. 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."
Sessa will next appear in Tow, directed by Stephanie Laing and starring Rose Byrne, as well as Oh. What. Fun., a Christmas film directed by Michael Showalter, and the sequel Now You See Me 3. He is also attached to star in the biopic Tony as the late chef Anthony Bourdain.

## Filmography

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2023 | The Holdovers | Angus Tully | |
| 2025 | Now You See Me 3 | TBA | Post-production |
| TBA | Tow | TBA | Post-production |
| TBA | Oh. What. Fun. | TBA | Post-production |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
| 2023 | Chicago Film Critics Association Awards | Most Promising Performer | The Holdovers | Nominated |
| 2023 | Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association | Best Supporting Actor | The Holdovers | 5th Place |
| 2023 | Florida Film Critics Circle | Best Supporting Actor | The Holdovers | Nominated |
| 2023 | Florida Film Critics Circle | Breakout | The Holdovers | Nominated |
| 2023 | Heartland International Film Festival | Pioneering Spirit: Rising Star Award | The Holdovers | Won |
| 2023 | Indiana Film Journalists Association Awards | Best Supporting Performance | The Holdovers | Nominated |
| 2023 | Indiana Film Journalists Association Awards | Breakout of the Year | The Holdovers | Nominated |
| 2023 | North Texas Film Critics Association Awards | Best Supporting Actor | The Holdovers | Nominated |
| 2023 | North Texas Film Critics Association Awards | Best Newcomer | The Holdovers | Won |
| 2023 | St. Louis Film Critics Association | Best Supporting Actor | The Holdovers | Nominated |
| 2023 | Toronto Film Critics Association | Best Breakthrough Performance | The Holdovers | Runner-up |
| 2023 | Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award | Best Breakthrough Performance | The Holdovers | Won |
| 2023 | Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award | Best Supporting Actor | The Holdovers | Nominated |
| 2024 | Astra Film Award | Best Supporting Actor | The Holdovers | Nominated |
| 2024 | Austin Film Critics Association Awards | The Robert R. "Bobby" McCurdy Memorial Breakthrough Artist Award | The Holdovers | Nominated |
| 2024 | British Academy Film Awards | Best Actor in a Supporting Role | The Holdovers | Nominated |
| 2024 | Columbus Film Critics Association | Best Supporting Performance | The Holdovers | Nominated |
| 2024 | Columbus Film Critics Association | Breakthrough Film Artist | The Holdovers | Nominated |
| 2024 | Critics' Choice Awards | Best Young Performer | The Holdovers | Won |
| 2024 | Georgia Film Critics Association | Breakthrough Award | The Holdovers | Won |
| 2024 | Houston Film Critics Society Award | Best Supporting Actor | The Holdovers | Nominated |
| 2024 | London Film Critics' Circle | Breakthrough Performer of the Year | The Holdovers | Nominated |
| 2024 | Music City Film Critics Association | Best Young Actor | The Holdovers | Won |
| 2024 | North Carolina Film Critics Association | Breakthrough Performance | The Holdovers | Won |
| 2024 | Satellite Award | Best Supporting Actor | The Holdovers | Nominated |
| 2024 | Independent Spirit Awards | Best Breakthrough Performance | The Holdovers | Won |