# David Hemingson

David Hemingson (born July 26, 1964) is an American writer and producer for film and television. He is best known for writing the critically acclaimed film The Holdovers, which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay.

## Early life and education

Hemingson was born on July 26, 1964, in New Haven, Connecticut. His father worked both as a teacher and a merchant marine, while his mother was a nurse at Mount Sinai Hospital in Hartford, Connecticut. His parents divorced in 1969.
In 1982, Hemingson graduated from Watkinson School, a prep school in Hartford. His experiences in prep school, along with life lessons acquired from an uncle during his youth, informed Hemingson's screenplay for the 2023 Alexander Payne film The Holdovers.
Hemingson earned a bachelor's degree at Yale University and graduated from Columbia Law School in 1990. After graduation, he worked in the entertainment division of the Loeb & Loeb law firm in Los Angeles before deciding to pursue a writing career.

## Career

Hemingson's first role after leaving the legal field was as an assistant writer on Nickelodeon's The Adventures of Pete & Pete. In addition to his television writing career, Hemingson served as a producer on series such as Just Shoot Me!, Kitchen Confidential, The Deep End, Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23, and Whiskey Cavalier. Hemigson is credited with creating The Deep End and Whiskey Cavalier. He adapted Kitchen Confidential from Anthony Bourdain's book.
In 2017, Hemingson wrote a pilot for a series set at a New England boarding school based on his own experiences at the Watkinson School. He was later contacted by director Alexander Payne, who wanted his next film to be set in a prep school environment. Hemingson adapted the pilot script into the screenplay for Payne's 2023 film The Holdovers.
In March 2024, Variety reported that screenwriter Simon Stephenson had contacted the Writers Guild of America alleging similarities between The Holdovers and Frisco, Stephenson's own unproduced screenplay. Frisco producer Tom McNulty questioned the validity of Stephenson's claim.

## Personal life

Hemingson married writer and actress Victoria Morsell in 1998. They reside in Los Angeles with their sons.

## Filmography

Film
| Year | Title | Writer | Producer |
| 2023 | The Holdovers | Yes | Yes |
TV series
| Year | Title | Writer | Producer | Creator | Notes |
| 1995–1996 | The Adventures of Pete and Pete | Yes | No | No | 2 episodes |
| 1997–1998 | 101 Dalmatians: The Series | Yes | No | No | 9 episodes |
| 1997–1999 | Pepper Ann | Yes | No | No | 5 episodes |
| 1998 | Hercules | Yes | No | No | 2 episodes |
| 1998–1999 | For Your Love | Yes | No | No | 4 episodes |
| 1999–2000 | Jesse | Yes | Co-producer | No | Wrote 2 episodes |
| 1999–2001 | Angela Anaconda | Yes | No | No | 2 episodes |
| 2000–2003 | Just Shoot Me! | Yes | Co-executive | No | Wrote 11 episodes |
| 2004–2006 | Cracking Up | Yes | Co-executive | No | Wrote 1 episode |
| 2005–2006 | Kitchen Confidential | Yes | Executive | No | Wrote 2 episodes |
| 2005–2008 | American Dad! | Yes | Co-executive | No | Wrote 2 episodes |
| 2007–2008 | Family Guy | No | Consulting | No | |
| 2009 | Lie to Me | No | Consulting | No | |
| 2010 | The Deep End | Yes | Executive | Yes | Wrote 3 episodes |
| 2011 | Traffic Light | Yes | Executive | No | Wrote 2 episodes |
| 2012–2013 | Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 | Yes | Executive | No | Wrote 2 episodes |
| 2014 | Friends With Better Lives | Yes | Executive | No | Wrote 1 episode |
| 2014 | Bones | No | Consulting | No | 5 episodes |
| 2014–2015 | Black-ish | Yes | Consulting | No | Wrote 1 episode |
| 2016 | Uncle Buck | Yes | Consulting | No | Wrote 1 episode |
| 2016–2017 | The Catch | Yes | Co-executive | No | Wrote 1 episode |
| 2019 | Whiskey Cavalier | Yes | Executive | Yes | Wrote 3 episodes |
TV movies
| Year | Title | Writer | Executive Producer | Creator |
| 2007 | Two Dreadful Children | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2007 | The Call | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2016 | Chunk & Bean | No | Yes | No |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Title | Result |
| 2006 | Writers Guild of America Awards | Episodic Comedy | Kitchen Confidential | Nominated |
| 2023 | Michigan Movie Critics Guild | Best Screenplay | The Holdovers | Nominated |
| 2023 | National Board of Review | Best Original Screenplay | The Holdovers | Won |
| 2023 | Boston Society of Film Critics | Best Screenplay | The Holdovers | Won |
| 2023 | Washington DC Area Film Critics Association | Best Original Screenplay | The Holdovers | Nominated |
| 2023 | Chicago Film Critics Association | Best Original Screenplay | The Holdovers | Nominated |
| 2023 | Phoenix Critics Circle | Best Screenplay | The Holdovers | Won |
| 2023 | Boston Online Film Critics Association | Best Screenplay | The Holdovers | Won |
| 2023 | Southeastern Film Critics Association | Best Original Screenplay | The Holdovers | Won |
| 2023 | St. Louis Film Critics Association | Best Original Screenplay | The Holdovers | Runner-up |
| 2023 | Indiana Film Journalists Association | Best Original Screenplay | The Holdovers | Won |
| 2023 | North Texas Film Critics Association | Best Screenplay | The Holdovers | Won |
| 2023 | Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association | Best Screenplay | The Holdovers | Won |
| 2023 | San Diego Film Critics Society | Best Original Screenplay | The Holdovers | Runner-up |
| 2023 | Florida Film Critics Circle | Best Original Screenplay | The Holdovers | Nominated |
| 2023 | Online Association of Female Film Critics | Best Original Screenplay | The Holdovers | Nominated |
| 2023 | Nevada Film Critics Society | Best Original Screenplay | The Holdovers | Won |
| 2024 | Alliance of Women Film Journalists | Best Original Screenplay | The Holdovers | Nominated |
| 2024 | Columbus Film Critics Association | Best Original Screenplay | The Holdovers | Won |
| 2024 | Georgia Film Critics Association | Best Original Screenplay | The Holdovers | Won |
| 2024 | Astra Awards | Best Original Screenplay | The Holdovers | Nominated |
| 2024 | Greater Western New York Film Critics Association | Best Original Screenplay | The Holdovers | Nominated |
| 2024 | National Society of Film Critics | Best Screenplay | The Holdovers | Runner-up |
| 2024 | North Carolina Film Critics Association | Best Original Screenplay | The Holdovers | Nominated |
| 2024 | Utah Film Critics Association | Best Original Screenplay | The Holdovers | Nominated |
| 2024 | Seattle Film Critics Society | Best Screenplay | The Holdovers | Won |
| 2024 | San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle | Best Original Screenplay | The Holdovers | Nominated |
| 2024 | Austin Film Critics Association | Best Original Screenplay | The Holdovers | Nominated |
| 2024 | Denver Film Critics Society | Best Original Screenplay | The Holdovers | Nominated |
| 2024 | Hawaii Film Critics Society | Best Screenplay | The Holdovers | Nominated |
| 2024 | Critics' Choice Awards | Best Original Screenplay | The Holdovers | Nominated |
| 2024 | Music City Film Critics Association | Best Screenplay | The Holdovers | Won |
| 2024 | North Dakota Film Society | Best Screenplay | The Holdovers | Nominated |
| 2024 | Portland Critics Association | Best Screenplay | The Holdovers | Nominated |
| 2024 | British Academy of Film and Television Arts | Best Original Screenplay | The Holdovers | Nominated |
| 2024 | Satellite Awards | Best Original Screenplay | The Holdovers | Nominated |
| 2024 | Film Independent Spirit Awards | Best Screenplay | The Holdovers | Nominated |
| 2024 | Academy Awards | Best Original Screenplay | The Holdovers | Nominated |
| 2024 | Writers Guild of America Awards | Best Original Screenplay | The Holdovers | Won |