Who was Margaux Hemingway? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Also Known As: Margaux Louise Hemingway, Margot Louise Hemingway

Died At Age: 42

Family:

father: Jack Hemingway

mother: Byra Louise

siblings: Joan Hemingway, Mariel Hemingway

Models American Women

Height: 6'0" (183 cm), 6'0" Females

Died on: July 1, 1996

place of death: Santa Monica, California, United States

U.S. State: Oregon

Notable Alumni: Catlin Gabel School

City: Portland, Oregon

Cause of Death: Suicide

More Facts

education: Catlin Gabel School

Recommended For You

1

What were some of Margaux Hemingway's notable film roles?

Margaux Hemingway's notable film roles include her starring role in the 1976 film "Lipstick" and her appearance in the 1979 movie "Killer Fish."
2

Did Margaux Hemingway have a successful modeling career?

Yes, Margaux Hemingway had a successful modeling career, becoming one of the top supermodels of the 1970s.
3

What health advocacy work was Margaux Hemingway involved in?

Margaux Hemingway was involved in raising awareness about epilepsy, as she herself had the condition and was an advocate for epilepsy research and education.
4

How did Margaux Hemingway contribute to the fashion industry?

Margaux Hemingway contributed to the fashion industry by being a prominent model and fashion icon, known for her unique style and influence on trends of the time.
5

What impact did Margaux Hemingway have on mental health awareness?

Margaux Hemingway's openness about her struggles with mental health issues, such as depression and epilepsy, helped raise awareness and reduce stigma surrounding these conditions.

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Childhood & Early Life

Margaux Hemingway was born on February 6, 1954 in Portland, Oregon, to Byra Louise and Jack Hemingway. She had two siblings, Mariel and Joan, and grew up in a farm in Ketchum, Idaho.

She graduated from the Catlin Gabel School in Portland before moving to New York to pursue her career in modeling.

She changed the spelling of her name from ‘Margot’ to ‘Margaux’ after learning that her parents had conceived her after drinking wine from the famous French vineyard Chateau Margaux.

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Career

The tall and striking, Margaux Hemingway entered the fashion scene in 1974. She achieved success quite early when she bagged a million dollar contract with Farbege fragrance ‘Babe’ and soon became one of Hollywood’s premier models.

She appeared as the cover girl in various magazines like ‘Elle’, ‘Cosmopolitan’, and ‘Harper’s Bazaar’. In 1975, a ‘TIME’ issue deemed her as one of the ‘New Beauties’ followed by an ‘American Vogue’ issue the same year which titled her as ‘New York’s New Supermodel.’

Using her fabulous and budding career in modeling, Margaux Hemingway entered the Hollywood at the age of 21 and debuted in Lamont Johnson’s rape film ‘Lipstick’. Her younger sister, Mariel, was also cast alongside in a supporting role based on Margaux’s recommendation. The film failed to impress the Hollywood critics and the Margaux was panned for her performance.

Despite her unimpressive film career, Hemingway continued to work in low budget films. While persistently appearing as a model for several brands, in 1979, she starred opposite Lee Majors and Karen Black in ‘Killer Fish’, a minimal budget horror film.

Hemingway’s strange trajectory in the film industry continued in the 1980s with failed films like ‘Over the Brooklyn Bridge’, ‘A Fistful of Chopsticks’ and ‘Killing Machine’. The actress also tried her luck at comedy in the film titled ‘They Call me Bruce?’ in 1982.

Her troubled life garnered a lot of attention as she continually visited Studio 54 in New York and appeared at celebrity parties and Hollywood events. During this time, alcoholism began to slowly affect her, a fact she associated with her nervousness while attending these high profile parties.

In 1988, Margaux decided to return to the film industry after her recovery at ‘The Betty Ford Clinic’. In a bid to restore her career she told her story to the People Magazine.

She went on to star in the French Film, ‘La messe en si mineur (1990)’ and also posed nude for the ‘Playboy’ magazine to show the world that she was unquestionably in great shape.

During her last few years, Margaux Hemingway starred in many B grade films like ‘Inner Sanctum’ (1991), ‘Love is Like That’ (1992), ‘Deadly Rivals ‘(1993) where she was cast in small roles. In 1992 she played the lead in Joe D'Amato 's erotica ‘A Woman's Secret’.

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Her film ‘Double Obsession’ came out in 1994 and by 1995, amidst widespread rumors of depression, another unsuccessful film ‘Vicious Kiss’ was released which did not add any value to her eroded film career. ‘Backroads to Vegas’ (1996), Hemingway’s final film, was released in 1999, and a scheduled biopic was shelved.

Major works

At the tender age of 20, Margaux Hemingway was the first model to sign a then record-breaking one million dollar contract with brand ‘Farbege’ for their new perfume ‘Babe’ in 1975.

Personal Life & Legacy

Margaux Hemingway met her first husband, Errol Wetson, an entrepreneur, at the age of 19 when she was with her father in New York for a business trip. She moved to Wetson’s apartment in Manhattan four months after meeting him and it was he who introduced her to several people from the Hollywood industry including the ‘Farbege’ folks.

Margaux and Wetson got married in 1975 but the marriage lasted only three years and ended in a divorce in 1978

In 1979 Margaux Hemingway married Venezuelan film director. Bernard Foucher. This relationship too didn’t last long and ended in divorce in 1985.

Hemingway fought with clinical depression, alcoholism, epilepsy and for most of her life she was afflicted by eating disorders like Bulimia. She joined rehabilitation twice in order to recover from her depression and alcoholism but nothing seemed to solve Hemingway’s mental issues completely.

By 1995, Hemingway lived alone, with no children, no husband or boyfriend, and few friends. On July 1, 1996 the distressed model committed suicide and was found dead in her Santa Monica home on her bed with her legs propped up in a pillow and a book on her lap.

Facts About Margaux Hemingway

Margaux Hemingway, granddaughter of renowned author Ernest Hemingway, was not only a fashion model and actress but also a passionate advocate for animal rights.

She was the first woman to appear on the cover of TIME magazine as a model, breaking barriers in the fashion industry.

Margaux was known for her love of the outdoors and was an accomplished equestrian, often participating in horseback riding competitions.

She had a unique sense of style and was often seen wearing bold, statement pieces that reflected her confident personality.

Margaux Hemingway was a dedicated philanthropist, supporting various charities and causes throughout her life.

Margaux Hemingway Biography

You wanted to know

What were some of Margaux Hemingway's notable film roles?

Did Margaux Hemingway have a successful modeling career?

What health advocacy work was Margaux Hemingway involved in?

How did Margaux Hemingway contribute to the fashion industry?

What impact did Margaux Hemingway have on mental health awareness?