Dree Hemingway

Dree Hemingway – Life, Career, and Famous Quotes

Dree Hemingway is an American fashion model turned independent-film actress, and the great-granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway. Explore the life, career, and memorable quotes of Dree Hemingway: from Sun Valley beginnings through modeling success and artistic pursuits.

Introduction

Dree Hemingway is an American model and actress whose presence in fashion and film has earned her a distinct place in modern cultural circles. Born December 4, 1987, she carries the weighty legacy of the Hemingway name—being the great-granddaughter of famed author Ernest Hemingway—yet she has forged her own path in modeling and independent cinema. Known for her understated elegance, thoughtful voice, and commitment to artistic projects, Dree resonates with those who value authenticity and creative courage. Today, she is often cited not only for her visual impact but also for her insight and reflections on identity, art, and legacy.

Early Life and Family

Dree Louise Crisman Hemingway was born on December 4, 1987 in Sun Valley, Idaho. Her mother is Mariel Hemingway, a well-known actress, and her father is Stephen Crisman. She has a younger sister, Langley Fox Hemingway, who is an artist and model.

On her maternal side, she descends from the renowned literary figure Ernest Hemingway, making that legacy part of her personal narrative. Her aunt was Margaux Hemingway, also a model and actress, whose tragic death had an effect on the family.

Dree spent her early years in Idaho, attending Ernest Hemingway Elementary School (named after her great-grandfather) in Ketchum, Idaho. Later, her family moved to Westlake Village, California, where she attended Oaks Christian High School for about two and a half years before leaving to pursue modeling.

In 2003, when she was about 16, Dree participated in the Bal des Débutantes in Paris—a high-society fashion event that often features young women making their “debut” on a social stage.

Growing up, Dree also trained in ballet for many years, which contributed to her physical discipline and artistic sensibilities.

Youth and Education

From a young age, Dree was exposed to artistic influences—through her mother’s acting work, her aunt’s modeling, and the reverberations of the Hemingway legacy. She has described being “a stubborn teenager” who resisted the reverence given to her great-grandfather’s name.

At age 17, she studied at RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Art) in London during summer, as part of her early exploration into drama.

Nonetheless, her formal academic path was limited: she left traditional high school to dive into modeling and creative pursuits.

Dree’s unique blend of interests—fashion, performance, lineage—laid the groundwork for a career bridging modeling and acting, rather than following just one track.

Career and Achievements

Modeling: Launch and High Fashion

Dree’s modeling career took off around 2009:

• In March 2009, she debuted on the runway for Givenchy in Paris.

• In June 2009, she walked in the Calvin Klein resort show in New York.

• In September 2009, she opened the Topshop Spring/Summer 2010 show in London.

She has since walked for designers such as Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld, Shiatzy Chen, House of Holland, and Rue du Mail.

Her advertising campaigns include Gianfranco Ferré, Salvatore Ferragamo (perfume Attimo), Gucci, Jean Paul Gaultier, Valentino, H&M, Paco Rabanne, and A.Y. Not Dead.

She has appeared in editorial and cover work for Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, i-D, W, Numéro, and other editions internationally.

An interesting milestone: in March 2016, Dree appeared as Playboy’s Playmate—notably, she was the first Playmate in the magazine’s history to not pose fully nude in a frontal view, under the magazine’s evolving policies.

She also undertook stylistic experiments—e.g. promoting a crochet bikini on Instagram and more conceptual fashion statements.

In 2014, she collaborated with Cole Haan to launch a line of shoes and handbags, reflecting her aesthetic and merging fashion and design.

Acting: From Indie Films to Thoughtful Roles

While modeling was her first public platform, Dree’s deeper interest was acting.

Her first lead role was in the independent film Starlet (2012), directed by Sean Baker. For Starlet, the ensemble cast won the Robert Altman Award at the 2012 Independent Spirit Awards.

She then took supporting or leading roles in:

• Listen Up Philip (2014)

• While We’re Young (2014)

• Live Cargo (2016), which premiered at Tribeca.

• The People Garden (2016), a Canadian-Japanese drama in which she starred.

• It Happened in L.A. (2017)

• Love After Love (2017)

Her film choices tend toward independent, thoughtful, often art-house or festival-circuit work rather than mainstream blockbusters.

Historical Milestones & Context

Dree’s path is shaped by several intersecting influences:

1. Family Legacy:

   • The Hemingway name invites constant comparison and curiosity. Dree has spoken about how people expect her to resemble her literary ancestor or carry a certain creative load.

   • Her mother’s career and her aunt’s life story influence both opportunity and pressure.

2. Transitioning Roles:

   • Unlike some models who later try acting, Dree pursued both in parallel, using modeling as a springboard for creative expression.

   • Her involvement in fashion, design (e.g. Cole Haan collaboration), and film reflects a modern multimedia approach to artistic identity.

3. Changing Cultural Norms:

   • Her Playboy appearance as a non-nude Playmate reflects evolving standards in media and censorship.

   • She has often spoken about individuality, rejecting the idea that her roles must conform.

4. Independent Film as Identity:

   • By choosing independent films, she aligns herself with cinema that emphasizes character over spectacle.

   • Films like Starlet and Live Cargo are often set in liminal spaces, exploring human connection, aging, disconnection, and environment.

Legacy and Influence

Although still in mid-career, Dree Hemingway’s legacy lies less in blockbuster fame and more in the model of a hybrid creative life. She is an example for those who refuse to be pigeonholed. Her aesthetic—quiet, introspective, thoughtful—resonates in contemporary fashion and indie film circles.

She is often cited as an “It girl” because she embodies a certain unforced cool: not overly glamorous, but inherently stylish, with substance.

Her willingness to embrace vulnerability, to step beyond her model identity, and to field expectations tied to her surname makes her a subtle icon for a generation balancing legacy and self-determination.

As she continues to act and possibly expand into production, writing, or other creative realms, her influence can deepen in the spaces between disciplines rather than in any single medium.

Personality and Talents

From interviews and observed work, several traits stand out:

• Self-awareness and introspection. Dree often talks about understanding who she is, what she wants, and the difficulties of being compared to others.

• Artistic sensitivity. Her choices in film tend to favor textured, emotionally rich stories rather than commercial spectacle.

• Modesty about beauty. She has said she doesn’t see herself as overtly sexual or conventionally glamorous, and sometimes jokes she is “the least sexy person in real life.”

• Discipline from early training. Her ballet background gives her posture, awareness of movement, and an internal sense of form.

• Versatility and curiosity. She has moved between modeling, acting, design, and personal branding projects, showing adaptability.

Famous Quotes of Dree Hemingway

Below are several notable quotes that reflect Dree’s perspective on style, identity, art, and family:

“For me, style is about how you feel that day and what inspires you, as well as taking chances and making mistakes. Everything has to be comfortable. If things are too tight or too constricting, I feel out of my element.”

“I was scouted when I was, like, sixteen, and I hated it. I wasn’t ready to work. When I turned 19, I decided to move to Paris to pursue modeling for myself there.”

“If I wrote a book and put it out, the comparison to my great-grandfather, the comparison would be hilarious. Every critic, it would be their dream, they’d tear me apart.”

“The people who go the craziest when they hear the name ‘Hemingway’ are my English teachers!”

“And I don’t want to turn actress. I want to do both. I wouldn’t have built the confidence to do acting if I didn’t model.”

“I’m the least sexy person in real life.”

“I don’t have any tattoos — I live vicariously through my sister, Langley, who has many. If I can’t stick to one ensemble, I don’t think I could stick to one tattoo.”

“I would never write, ever. I might as well exile myself.”

These quotes illustrate her thoughtful balance: she embraces creative ambition but also protects herself from overreach or direct comparison to her ancestors.

Lessons from Dree Hemingway

1. Define your own path within legacy.
   Growing up in a family with grand artistic lineage, Dree still chose her own route—fusing modeling and film, not relying solely on her surname.

2. Pursue multidisciplinary growth.
   She did not restrict herself to modeling or acting; she explored design, fashion collaboration, and aesthetic curation, showing that creative identities can overlap.

3. Value comfort and authenticity over style.
   Her reflection on clothing being comfortable, expressive, and subject to experimentation suggests style is personal, not just external.

4. Embrace small, meaningful projects.
   Rather than chasing blockbusters, she has consistently taken roles in independent films, supporting artistry and expression over mass appeal.

5. Balance ambition with boundaries.
   Her reluctance to immediately compare herself to Ernest Hemingway or to leap into writing shows that ambition can coexist with humility and self-protection.

Conclusion

Dree Hemingway represents a modern kind of artist: one rooted in lineage yet eager to escape its weight, one visual in presence yet eager to speak through film and idea, one of nuance rather than spectacle. Her life and career remind us that identity is not a fixed inheritance but a field of possibility.

If you’re interested, I can also put together a timeline of her work (films, campaigns) or analyze one of her movies in more depth. Would you like me to do that?