Dominic Sessa and Chef Eric Ripert Come Face to Face in New Look at Anthony Bourdain Biopic “Tony ”(Exclusive Images)

Renowned chef Eric Ripert has spoken candidly about his experience filming a cameo in the upcoming biopic “Tony,” which chronicles the early life of his late friend and celebrated chef Anthony Bourdain. In an interview with PEOPLE, Ripert shared insights from the set, where he joined a cast led by Dominic Sessa, who portrays a young Bourdain navigating the complexities of a restaurant kitchen in 1970s Provincetown, Massachusetts.

The film, which features Sessa as a 19-year-old Bourdain, portrays the culinary icon’s formative years and his initial misadventures that led him to pursue a career in cooking. The story begins with young Bourdain arriving in Provincetown with hopes of impressing a girl, only to find himself working at a local seafood establishment, the Dreadnaught, following a series of youthful escapades.

Ripert, known for his acclaimed restaurant Le Bernardin in New York City, revealed his excitement about participating in the project. He described the production as significant and expressed his delight in witnessing the behind-the-scenes process. “This is a big production; it’s a serious project, so I was very happy to be part of it and I was like a little kid watching what was going on everywhere,” Ripert said, reflecting on his interactions with the film’s writer and director, Matt Johnson, and Sessa during their busy filming schedule.

In “Tony,” Ripert appears briefly as an instructor at the Culinary Institute of America, where Bourdain received his culinary training. Although Ripert has made previous on-screen appearances, he found the experience of working on this film particularly intriguing. He remarked on the effort required for even a minor scene, noting, “The hour that we shot went very fast, and I was blown away by how much goes into a tiny, tiny 10-second scene.”

The film’s release is set for August 21, just five years after the documentary “Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain,” which showcased archival footage and interviews that explored Bourdain’s life post-publishing his breakthrough book “Kitchen Confidential.” While the documentary offered a glimpse into Bourdain’s rise to fame and success, “Tony” aims to delve into the raw and gritty experiences that inspired Bourdain’s passion for the culinary world.

Antonio Banderas takes on the role of the experienced Portuguese chef who mentors Bourdain at the Dreadnaught, and is joined by a supporting cast that includes Leo Woodall, Stavros Halkias, and Michael Jibrin, who portray Bourdain’s hard-partying colleagues. Ripert praised Banderas for his performance, highlighting the actor’s humility and generosity as characteristics that resonate deeply with the virtues of a good chef. “Banderas is generous and humble and obviously serious and disciplined, and those are the qualities of a good chef,” Ripert noted, adding that such traits are particularly relevant in the context of a hectic restaurant environment during the busy summer season in Provincetown.

The film draws from the opening chapters of “Kitchen Confidential,” with various anecdotes that Bourdain fans will recognise. Ripert pointed out one memorable scene where a cook engages in a fleeting romantic encounter with a newlywed woman, which aligns with the rebellious spirit often depicted in Bourdain’s writing. “Fans of Anthony will be reminded of that guy being the bad boy,” he remarked, discussing Woodall’s character in the film.

Throughout his illustrious career, Bourdain authored multiple books, blending fiction with memoirs that explored his journey through the culinary world. He was also well-known for hosting travel and food programmes, including “A Cook’s Tour,” “No Reservations,” and “Parts Unknown” until his untimely death in 2018. Ripert mused on how Bourdain might have reacted to this cinematic portrayal of his earlier years, suggesting that while Bourdain would likely have felt honoured by the interest in his life, he might not have expected focus on that specific period.

As anticipation builds for “Tony,” the film is set to hit limited theatres on August 7 before its wider release on August 21, inviting audiences to explore the lesser-known beginnings of one of the culinary world’s most influential figures.