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 the 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.