'The Holdovers' star to play young Anthony Bourdain in Provincetown-set biopic
The upcoming Cape Cod-set biopic film 'Tony' has officially signed on actor Dominic Sessa, who has ties to Massachusetts, to play the late celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain, according to Variety.
Sessa, 22, shot to fame in 2023 for his role in the Oscar-winning film 'The Holdovers' opposite Paul Giamatti and Da'Vine Joy Randolph, set in the '70s at a fictional New England boarding school during Christmas break.
Variety reported that Sessa will play a young Bourdain during a 'life-changing experience working and living in Provincetown' set in 1976 alongside veteran actor Antonio Banderas in a currently undeclared role.
Read More: A short movie filming on Cape Cod is looking for actor for the lead role
The movie's casting crew has been scouting extras for 'Tony,' and filming is set to take place from May until early June in Provincetown and on the South Shore.
The casting agency is looking specifically for male actors of all ages and ethnicities to fill the role of kitchen staff.
Sessa had been rumored to play Bourdain since August of last year until his official confirmation this week.
Read More: From 'racist employee' to lead star, this movie filming in Mass. is looking for actors
Sessa was once a student at Deerfield Academy in Western Massachusetts, one of the many filming locations statewide for 'The Holdovers.' Sessa was also an active member of the school's theater program before his debut and breakout role.
Bourdain was best known as a celebrity chef, author, TV host and travel documentarian. He died at age 61 by suicide on June 8, 2018, in the Alsace region of France, while filming his TV series 'Parts Unknown.'
Read More: Mass. actors wanted: Get paid $1,200 for filming a movie for 5 days
In an episode of the series from its 2013-2014 season, based in Provincetown, Bourdain talked about his time in the region, his heroin use at the time, and culinary spots and bars he used to frequent.
Italian restaurant in Boston hotel quietly closes after 7 years
Famous band's member 'never once received a royalty' for millions of albums
Grammy-nominated metal band to end because lead singer's 'ears are tired'
Bryan Adams 'Roll With The Punches' 2025 tour coming to Boston, how to buy tickets
Read the original article on MassLive.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Geek Tyrant
15 minutes ago
- Geek Tyrant
Mike Flanagan on THE LIFE OF CHUCK: Dance, Death, and Defying Genre Expectations — GeekTyrant
Mike Flanagan is no stranger to horror. Over the past decade, he's built a fiercely loyal fanbase through intimate, unsettling explorations of grief, trauma, and the supernatural, usually with a Stephen King book in one hand and a camera in the other. But his latest film, The Life of Chuck , is something else entirely. It's still strange. It's still King. But it's also joyous, hopeful, and, packed with dancing. Speaking with Variety, Flanagan explained how the story arrived at a moment of personal crisis, and how its emotional impact altered the course of his creative path. 'This story came into my life at a very interesting time, because I read it in April 2020. The pandemic lockdown is a month old... it hit close to home, to the point that I was initially reluctant to finish reading it. I didn't know if I could take it.' But something shifted. 'By the end of it, I was shocked that I'd been taken from that place into a whole different headspace of optimism, gratitude and joy. I was crying, and not tears of sadness.' That emotional shift became the foundation of The Life of Chuck , a movie Flanagan describes as possibly his most personal work. 'If I could make it into a film that could do that for one other person... then what an incredible opportunity,' he said. Tom Hiddleston leads the film as Chuck, whose life is told in reverse across three acts—beginning at the end of the world and unraveling toward childhood. The narrative structure is unconventional, and Flanagan was adamant about preserving it. 'Life only makes sense when you look back. If you started with his childhood and worked it all the way up, it doesn't seem to hold that same wisdom... the catharsis of looking back and seeing the connections.' That insistence on nontraditional storytelling was a major reason Flanagan made the movie independently. 'I'm certain that if we had tried to do this through the traditional studio system... it would have been mandated to make it far more ordinary.' The film features a major dance sequence with Hiddleston and co-star Annalise Basso, choreographed by Mandy Moore and scored by live drumming, and it was intimadating. Flangan said: 'My favorite movie of all time is Bob Fosse's All That Jazz. I wasn't going to presume to tell Mandy Moore how to choreograph... My job was to capture them creating this spontaneous, joyful experience.' To prepare, Flanagan and cinematographer Eben Bolter studied dance scenes from the silent film era all the way through Hollywood's Golden Age, crafting a sequence that 'would ideally dance with them.' 'It wasn't even so much in the filming of it, but in the editing. Finding a way for me, as the editor, to try to become the Invisible Dancer... It's one of the most complicated sequences I've ever been involved in.' Of course, no Flanagan project based on a King story would be complete without the King himself. The director described their creative partnership as respectful, loose, and built on trust. 'He's very serious that the book is the book, and the movie is the movie, and he doesn't want to influence your creative expression. 'He gets approval on all casting. He's reading the scripts and sending his thoughts... but mostly he backs off and then we talk extensively about it after the fact.' By the time Chuck came along, King gave him the green light without hesitation. 'He was very much like, 'You do you,' and he loved the movie.' As for what's next, Flanagan's tackling Carrie as a series—and that took a bit more convincing. King's initial response? ''Why?' His first response was, 'Leave her alone. She's been through enough.'' But once Flanagan laid out his vision, King changed his tune. 'Then he said, 'Ohh, now I'm interested, just as a fan.'' The Life of Chuck might not look like a Mike Flanagan film on the surface, but beneath its dance beats and surreal optimism is the same deep empathy and strong storytelling that's always defined his work. It's still about confronting mortality. It's just doing it with a little more joy.
Yahoo
42 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Jack Link's Marks 40th Anniversary with "Christmas for Carnivores" Promotion to Celebrate National Jerky Day, June 12
The company is celebrating 40 years of protein snacking with a special 50% discount on a gift box of Jack Link's beef jerky, only on Amazon. MINONG, Wisc., June 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Jack Link's, the leading brand in protein meat snacks and a proud family-owned company, is excited to announce its celebration of National Jerky Day on June 12, 2025. This year's festive theme, "Christmas for Carnivores," invites meat-lovers everywhere to enjoy their favorite protein-packed Jack Link's jerky while celebrating four decades of Jack Link's innovation and leadership in the meat snacks category. "We are excited to celebrate National Jerky Day as we mark our 40th anniversary," said Troy Link, CEO of Jack Link's. "We created the protein meat snacks category and remain the number one brand in this space today. Consumers' awareness of the importance of protein is growing rapidly, and we're proud to be a family-owned company that continues to innovate with our customers. At Jack Link's, we take immense pride in our heritage, leadership and investment in the growth of our category." Leading up to June 12, Jack Link's will bring together jerky lovers from all walks of life to celebrate National Jerky Day with fun promotions, engaging social media activities, and mouth-watering meat snacks that satisfy every craving: Jack Link's will be offering a limited-time national promotion: customers can enjoy an unbelievable 50% discount on a special box containing 11 full-size Jack Link's products for only $19.19 (while supplies last). This exclusive deal will be available on Amazon starting on June 8, allowing fans to stock up on their favorite jerky just in time for National Jerky Day celebrations. For those that miss the Amazon deal, Jack Link's will also be offering 30% off all products at a sale that runs June 11-13. The excitement kicks off at the NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Mich. the weekend of June 6-8. Famed Jack Link's mascot Sasquatch will play Santa while distributing more than 50,000 bags of Jack Link's DUOS alongside the waving branches of a giant, 20-foot inflatable Christmas tree strung with bags of jerky. The fan experience will be punctuated with on-air mentions during Sunday's race broadcast on Prime. Holly LaVallie, SVP of Marketing at Jack Link's, shared insights into the significance of National Jerky Day, a national "holiday" which Jack Link's created in 2012 to celebrate real meat protein snacking. "National Jerky Day has become an event jerky fans look forward to each year. This year's 'Christmas for Carnivores' theme perfectly captures the spirit that drives our love for meat snacks… and our 50% off gift box sale on Amazon is truly like Christmas in June for carnivores everywhere! Celebrate with us, or better yet, bring Christmas in June to your favorite carnivore!" This isn't the first year that Jack Link's has gone big to celebrate National Jerky Day. The company has created some memorable National Jerky Day activations in the past, from last year's 'Sasquatch in the Skies' spectacular drone light show depicting a 400-foot-tall Sasquatch (bigger than the Statue of Liberty) hovering in the sky over the Hudson River in NYC; to creating a huge replica of Mount Rushmore made out of jerky -- dubbed 'Meat Rushmore' -- in NYC's Columbus Circle; to constructing 'Meatzilla' (a three-story bag of jerky) in NYC's Meatpacking District; and the famous 'Meat the Candidates' portraits made out of jerky depicting candidates Barack 'Oba-meat' and 'Meat' Romney during the 2012 presidential election. For more information about Jack Link's and its products, visit About Link Snacks Link Snacks is a leader in snacking and its brand Jack Link's is the No. 1 meat snack brand in America. Headquartered in Minong, Wisconsin, Link Snacks is a family-owned and operated company that represents a heritage of unsurpassed quality and innovation since 1985. The company is made up of passionate Team Members, across 11 countries, who share an uncompromising commitment to deliver awesome products. Link Snacks offers premium protein snacks in a variety of flavors, sizes and price points, appealing to nearly every consumer and occasion. The company's portfolio of brands includes Jack Link's®, Lorissa's Kitchen®, Wild River®, Golden Island®, Country Fresh Meats®, BiFi®, and Peperami®. Visit to learn more. Media Contact: Emily Buchanan M: 201-456-5048 E: 396366@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Jack Link's
Chicago Tribune
an hour ago
- Chicago Tribune
Review: ‘Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' is Joffrey Ballet's wacky and wonderful season closer
The Joffrey Ballet's season rarely extends this far into summer, but it's safe to say 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' was worth the wait. This beast of a ballet by the Tony Award-winning choreographer Christopher Wheeldon had its North American premiere at the Lyric Opera House on Thursday. If, like for me, Lewis Carroll's 1865 fairy tale about a girl who stumbles into Wonderland is a core memory, all those beloved characters are there, with a splendidly cogent (and at times delightfully grotesque) libretto. It's more Tim Burton than Disney, but you'll recognize moments no matter your preferred version (including my personal favorite, the 1985 TV movie musical starring Jayne Meadows and Carol Channing). Following a drowse-inducing garden party at her Victorian Oxford estate, Alice (magnificently danced Thursday by Amanda Assucena) awakens to find an anxiously tardy White Rabbit (Stefan Gonçalvez). She of course must follow him, kicking off a series of Don Quixote-style adventures with wild, wacky and terrifying characters. Letting her curiosity guide her, she encounters a tea party hosted by a tap-dancing Mad Hatter (Edson Barbosa) and a slithering Cheshire Cat (whose dismantlement is made possible by a corps of dancer-puppeteers). Indeed, 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' will resonate strongly with those who adore 'Alice' — so much so that Joffrey extended the production to three weekends before it opened. In any case, exploiting its usefulness as a ballet was far overdue. There is much within Wheeldon's zany world for everyone to admire. Very small children may not appreciate some scarier moments, most notably a scene at the Duchess' house, in which viewers quite literally see how the sausage gets made. The brutish Duchess (Dylan Gutierrez) and her ax-wielding cook (Lucia Connolly) contribute some of the night's most, um, salient imagery. The pair of them (along with henchmen Valentino Moneglia Zamora, Hyuma Kiyosawa and Xavier Núñez) are terrifically terrifying. 'Alice's' third and final act is devoted almost wholly to the search for who stole the Queen of Hearts' tart. It begins with a game of croquet, played with bendy flamingoes on pointe as the mallets, striking adorable summersaulting hedgehogs. This not-so-regal realm, ruled by prima ballerina Victoria Jaiani as supreme leader, embarks on a tribunal when it's uncovered that the Knave of Hearts — a two-eyed Jack danced by the princely Alberto Velazquez — is most likely the offender and about to lose his head. Hilarity ensues. As hard as it will be to peel your eyes from Jaiani, every once in a while, be sure to glimpse her ridiculous King (marking David Gombert's glorious return to the Joffrey stage 15 years after retirement). There are tender moments, too, particularly in a satisfyingly sweet duet for Assucena and Velazquez as Alice tries to accept the blame in tart-gate. She eventually prevails, if only by waking up back in Oxford. If there's a lesson to be learned from 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland,' it might be that taking the blame for your boyfriend's impropriety could turn out poorly. That, and vindictive, power-hungry leaders whose kingdoms are built on a literal house of cards are not likely to succeed. Cleverly, 'Alice' borrows hallmarks from the ballets of Carroll's time, winking at canonical works like 'The Nutcracker,' 'Sleeping Beauty' and 'Cinderella.' There's a waltz of flowers; a for our protagonist and her scrappy love interest; a hilariously satirized 'Rose Adagio' for the Queen of Hearts and four suitors (in this case, hearts and clubs); and a shirtless, hookah-smoking sultan-turned-Caterpillar (Jonathan Dole) performing a seductive take on 'the worm' with a quartet of scantily clad temple women. I'm pretty sure we didn't need that last one when 'Alice' premiered in London in 2011, and I'm certain we don't need it in 2025 — though I'll take the cameo of academy kids as sparkly pointe-shoed caterpillar legs all day, every day, plus Sunday. To be clear, such tongue-and-cheek references now to 19th century ballet are generally welcome and especially fun for those who see the parallels — perhaps even more so to those familiar with Wheeldon's catalog, too, which includes Joffrey's nearly decade-old 'Nutcracker.' In some instances, that ballet and this one parrot one another; Wheeldon went so far as to use some of the exact same ideas in his 'Nutcracker's' transformation and snow scenes, further tugging the plot parallels to these two coming-of-age stories set in magical fairy lands that may or may not have all been a dream. But 'Alice's' superpowers, all due respect to 'The Nutcracker,' are its magnificently evocative original score (by Joby Talbot) and Wheeldon's pinpointed attention to detail in every character, masterfully embraced by the Joffrey's excellent dancers, whose full-throttled performances and comedic prowess grab you and hold on for the entirety of this (very, very long) spectacle. Another thing: Wheeldon's imagination could only run this wild in a superbly-crafted Wonderland, made possible through the ingenuity of scenic and costume designer Bob Crowley, lighting designer Natasha Katz, projectionists Jon Driscoll and Gemma Carrington and puppeteer Toby Olié — seamlessly executed by a Joffrey team that, frankly, has never attempted something this big. 'Alice' was originally created for London's Royal Ballet, a company of 100 dancers and nearly 10 times Joffrey's budget. Until Thursday, it had not been performed this side of the Atlantic. Pulling it off was going to be a challenge. But they did. And Wonderland turned out to be a risk that will pay off in Joffrey Ballet presents 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' (4 stars) When: Through June 22 Where: Lyric Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive Running time: 2 hours, 50 minutes with 2 intermissions Tickets: $45-$233 at 312-386-8905 and
