MARIEL HEMINGWAY: It's All About BALANCE

The film veteran talks about her career, family and how she stays healthy

- Susan Hornik

In spite of her famous last name, Mariel Hemingway enjoyed a private, quiet childhood growing up in Ketchum, Idaho. Her teenage acting roles in 1976's Lipstick and 1979's Manhattan changed that. "It was completely unexpected," says Mariel, 61, of her sudden fame. "It's challenging to be young and be given that amount of attention and not lose yourself. But I never thought of myself as better than anybody else."

Mariel, a mother of two adult daughters, continues to act. Her latest project, On Sacred Ground, is a drama about the Dakota Access Pipeline. She's also a producer, writer, mental health advocate with the Mariel Hemingway Foundation, and the host of a weekly wellness podcast, Out Comes the Sun. "I'm very into health and wellness and reversing the aging process through lifestyle choices," she says. "I think body, mind and spirit really go together and you can't just heal one without the others."

Has being the granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway been a blessing or a challenge?

It was always a blessing. At times, it was a challenge, but only a challenge in the sense that you really had to show up — you couldn’t just ride on the coattails of a name, because a name can only get you so far. You can’t use somebody else’s hard work to become something.

I know he died before you were born, but did his legacy have an impact on your life? 

Oh, absolutely. A profound influence. When I was 11 years old, my father took me to Paris and took me around to where he was raised there [by Hemingway and his first wife, Hadley]. Even at that young age, I felt I had an affinity and understanding of him.

How did you first get into acting?