Dominic Sessa, a recent graduate of Deerfield Academy, found himself unexpectedly thrust into the world of filmmaking when he was cast in Alexander Payne‘s latest movie, The Holdovers.
Sessa, who had just finished performing in his school’s production of “Rumors” by Neil Simon, was scouted by casting directors searching for locations and potential background actors. “I just thought, maybe if it goes well, I can, like, sit at a desk or something. But it went obviously a little bit better than that.”
While initially overwhelmed by the pressure and unfamiliar territory, Sessa soon found himself at ease thanks to the supportive and down-to-earth cast and crew. “I genuinely could not have asked for better people to do this with for the first time around because everyone’s so down to earth, grounded, and confident in what they’re bringing, but also confident in what I was able to bring, too,” he said.
He particularly praises his co-stars, Paul Giamatti and Da’Vine Joy Randolph, mentioning that they “genuinely trusted me in my creative process, my artistry, and that’s all I really could’ve asked for first time around.”
Sessa highlights a scene from Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, which Payne showed him early on, as a moment that helped shape his character. “There’s that scene at the dinner table where the dialogue’s just moving very fast,” he said. “It was kind of illustrating to me what that might feel like or look like, not in, you know, the sense of how it looks but how it feels.”
Currently focused on his acting training at Carnegie Mellon University, Sessa remains open to future acting opportunities but his experience on The Holdovers has ignited a passion for acting and given him the confidence and skills necessary to take him to the next level.
