Ernest Hemingway's granddaughter calls faith in God her saving grace, helps her face family's tragic past
Oscar-nominated actress Mariel Hemingway skyrocketed to fame after appearing in the 1979 film "Manhattan." She's now starring in the faith-based Pure Flix film "God's Country Song."
Mariel Hemingway isn’t haunted by personal demons anymore.
The Oscar-nominated actress, who is the granddaughter of the late Nobel Prize-winning author Ernest Hemingway, feels at peace after addressing a dark past. For decades, her family has been plagued by alcoholism, addiction and mental illness.
Seven of Hemingway’s family members have taken their own lives, including her famous grandfather in 1961, and her sister Margaux Hemingway, the former supermodel, in 1996. Hemingway, who has battled an eating disorder, has written two books, "Out Came the Sun," and "Invisible Girl," to help shed light on personal struggles facing many people.
"I did suffer tremendously," the 61-year-old, who is starring in Pure Flix’s new film, "God’s Country Song," admitted to Fox News Digital. "I had depression probably most of my life… My belief in God has been a cornerstone for me… It has helped me understand the things that I came from. I come from an amazing family, but there was also a lot of addiction, alcoholism, depression and suicides. And very serious mental illnesses that I was deeply afraid of."
"My belief in God and my belief in prayer and connecting with the God within and your inner voice – that has always been… a saving grace for me and a good path for me," she shared. "It reminds me that all of this is so interconnected. I believe in lifestyle. I believe in connecting to the Earth. I think nature is... God’s expression of how beautiful where we live is. We need to protect that. And we also need to connect to that because we’re so much a part of it."
American writer Ernest Hemingway took his life in 1961. He was 61. (Earl Theisen/Getty Images)
Hemingway's famous grandfather took his life three months before she was born, just a few weeks short of his 62nd birthday. His father, who also suffered from depression, similarly died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in 1928 at age 57.
"I knew a lot about [my grandfather] in a way, but I didn’t realize until I was 16 that he’d taken his life," Hemingway explained. "I didn’t realize where he had taken his life. And it was in the hometown that I grew up in, Ketchum, Idaho. He took his life there. Stories were like mythology… You heard about it, and it was… a part of your life, but you weren’t completely sure."
Mariel Hemingway is starring in the new faith-based film, "God’s Country Song." (Pure Flix)
"I always had this sense that I was connected to my grandfather in some way," she reflected. "I don’t know if that was just wishful thinking."
Growing up, Hemingway witnessed her parents' tumultuous marriage. The sweet romance they once shared had soured, with alcohol being a major culprit. Her sisters rebelled and experimented with drugs to cope. Hemingway previously told People magazine that her eldest sister Muffet is bipolar and schizophrenic. She also believed that Margaux "suffered from bipolar disorder but was never properly diagnosed."
Mariel Hemingway's sister, supermodel Margaux Hemingway, passed away in 1996. She was 42. (Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images)
"When I was a kid, I made a decision that I’m gonna be the one in the family that fixes everybody," she recalled. "I’m gonna figure it out. I’ll do it. I became a caretaker even at a young age. My mother had cancer and then my father had a heart attack. And when I left my home to go and make movies, that’s when I was on a self-discovery."
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER
Mariel Hemingway has opened up about her family and their struggles she observed as she grew up. (Charles Trainor Jr./Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
"I didn’t always make the right choices," she said.
Hollywood came calling. Margaux, who had been cast in the 1976 film "Lipstick," suggested that Hemingway play her sibling. Following her appearance, Woody Allen cast her in 1979’s "Manhattan."
As Hemingway’s fame skyrocketed, she faced her own personal struggles. According to People magazine, she suffered from an eating disorder for "a long time. From about age 16 to 40." She noted that both her father and grandfather "obsessed" over food and weight.
Mariel Hemingway skyrocketed to fame after she starred in Woody Allen's 1979 film "Manhattan." (United Artists/Getty Images)
"It was all about control, control, control," Hemingway explained. "I’ll control food, I’ll control exercise, I’ll control what I think. It took a long time to get through these different journeys of obsession. Obsession with food, obsession with exercise, obsession with [the idea] that somebody’s gonna fix me – until I realized that I was the only person that could fix me. That doesn’t mean I didn’t need help, or I wasn’t guided by people. But you have to start trusting that inner voice, the voice inside you that says, ‘You’re OK. You need to calm down. You need to learn to breathe. You need to pray more.’ Whatever works for you."
"But that came over time," she continued. "It was a journey… It’s a process of understanding who you are, and that’s life. We’re all human. We all make mistakes. We all have to fall. But once you permit yourself to have those experiences, that’s when life becomes richer and more rewarding."
"You know, it’s hard… I was deeply insecure when I was young. I valued myself based on everybody’s perception of me. It’s taken me a lot of years to learn that my value comes from me. But it took me a long time to get there. And I’m grateful that I found the tools that enabled me to realize that we’re all guided by God, and we’re all guided by our inner voice. The scrutiny of the past was very challenging… It takes work. It takes working on yourself. It takes deep prayer and meditation to get to that place of understanding."
GRANGER SMITH FEELS 'RELIEF' LEAVING COUNTRY MUSIC TO 'SERVE' GOD: 'I NEED TO COMPLETELY SURRENDER'
Mariel Hemingway said she struggled with an eating disorder. (Daniel Simon/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)
Hemingway said revamping her lifestyle has completely transformed her outlook on life.
"I’m a big believer that lifestyle has a tremendous lot to do with your body and your mind," she said. "I guard my sleep. I get up every morning to pray and meditate. I am very conscious of what I eat. I drink water, I connect to the Earth. I take my shoes off and walk either in my backyard in Idaho or, when I’m in Los Angeles, I’ll walk on the beach. But these things I know, for me, have a tremendous effect on how my brain is. I believe that how you live your life and how you choose to live your life is extraordinarily powerful. And when we take control of that, we have the power to do anything we want physically and mentally."
"We all can make ourselves the best that we can be," she added.
Gene Hackman, Christopher Reeve and Mariel Hemingway in a scene from the Warner Bros. movie "Superman IV: The Quest for Peace" circa 1987. (Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
Today, Hemingway is excited to make films, especially ones that share uplifting stories. In "God’s Country Song," she plays the mother of singer Noah Bryan (Justin Gaston), who learns that he’s the father of a 4-year-old he barely remembers. With the help of faith, family and song, Bryan finds his way and later realizes what truly matters in life.
Aspects of the storyline hit close to home.
"’God’s Country Song’ is such a wholesome story, but it deals with… addiction," she said. "You know, using alcohol to self-medicate the pain we go through in life or things we can’t deal with. I think the reason why it felt so touching to me is that I do a lot of work for mental health… And any time you can get the message out there, especially through scripted work, it just seems to land really well… There are so many superhero films out there that are wonderful, but I think a more family-oriented story connects with me. And I think it connects with so many others, too."
RELIGION IN MOVIES: WHY ‘HOLLYWOOD IS TAKING NOTICE’ OF FAITH-BASED FILMS
Mariel Hemingway, seen here in Cuba, splits her time between Idaho and Los Angeles. (Michael Bezjian/Getty Images)
"It’s so wonderful and – oh my gosh – the singing is great," she gushed.
Hemingway splits her time between Idaho and Los Angeles. The mom of two daughters also launched the Mariel Hemingway Foundation, which aims to provide resources to those struggling with their mental health. She also has a podcast, "Out Comes the Sun," where she discusses "mental, physical and spiritual wellness."
The one message she would tell her younger self?
Margaux, left, and Mariel Hemingway visiting New York City to promote "Lipstick," a film where they made their screen debuts. (Getty Images)
"You’re not alone," said Hemingway. "That’s probably one of the biggest things we can do for somebody who is suffering… just say, ‘Hey, you’re not alone… You’re not isolated.’ Everyone is coming from something. Everyone has a story."
If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). "God's Country Song" is currently available for streaming. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Trending
Who's making headlines in television, music, movies and more from Hollywood to the Heartland.