Renn Hawkey facts for kids

Renn McDonnell Hawkey (born March 29, 1974) is an American musician, songwriter, and music producer. He also acts sometimes. He was the synthesizer player for the rock band Deadsy. He played on their first album, Deadsy (1996), and later albums like Commencement (2002) and Phantasmagore (2006).

In 2011, Hawkey was the music director and producer for his wife Vera Farmiga's first movie as a director, Higher Ground. In 2017, he was an executive producer for the documentary film Unspoken. He also had a role as Paul Koretsky in the TV show The Returned in 2015.

Since 2024, he has been a member of the metal/rock band The Yagas, along with his wife. He also produced their first album, Midnight Minuet, which was released in 2025.

Early Life and Education

Renn Hawkey was born in New York City. He grew up in Ossining, New York. He is one of five children. His parents, Penelope and William Hawkey, both worked in advertising. They now own a plant nursery.

Renn has four full brothers and sisters: Adam, Robin, Timothy, and Molly. Molly is an actress and comedian. He also has two half-siblings from his father's first marriage: William and Elisabeth.

Hawkey went to the Hyde School in Maine. There, he met Elijah Blue Allman, who would later be his bandmate. He also studied at Sarah Lawrence College for a semester. When he was a kid, he learned to play the piano and cello.

Music Career

Renn Hawkey was the third person to join the band Deadsy. The band's leader, Elijah Blue Allman, sent him a synthesizer and a demo tape. Each member of Deadsy had a special color and "entity." Hawkey's color was yellow, and his entity was science and medicine. The band members also had unique looks; Hawkey often wore medical scrubs.

On August 1, 1996, Deadsy released their first album, Deadsy, with Sire Records. In 1999, many music labels and famous musicians noticed Deadsy. Their first show at The Viper Room attracted members from bands like Limp Bizkit and Thirty Seconds to Mars.

The band's second album, Commencement, came out on May 14, 2002. This was their first album released by a major music label, DreamWorks Records. On Commencement, Hawkey played the synthesizer and also helped with guitar on some songs. The band then released their first music video for the song "The Key to Gramercy Park." The singer Jonathan Davis sang on the track, and Fred Durst directed the video. In 2002, the band Korn invited Deadsy to join their Family Values Tour.

In 2002, Hawkey also worked with the band Thirty Seconds to Mars. He played the synthesizer on their song "Capricorn (A Brand New Name)" from their first album. Deadsy left DreamWorks in 2004. In 2006, Deadsy joined the Family Values Tour again with Korn and Deftones.

The band released their third album, Phantasmagore, on August 22, 2006. This was Hawkey's last album with Deadsy. The band took a break in April 2007. After that, Hawkey started working in carpentry. In 2011, he was the music director for his wife's movie, Higher Ground.

In November 2018, Deadsy got back together and played a show at San Quentin State Prison. Renn Hawkey announced he was leaving the band in 2023. The band's fourth album, "Subterfugue," was never released.

Film and TV Work

Before producing films, Hawkey had a small acting role in the musical comedy movie The Singing Detective (2003). As a film producer, Hawkey worked on the drama film Higher Ground (2011). His wife, Vera Farmiga, directed this movie. He also appeared in the movie as an uncredited extra.

In 2015, he appeared in three episodes of the TV series The Returned. He played Paul Koretsky, a father who was sad about his son's death. He was also an executive producer for the documentary film Unspoken (2017).

Personal Life

Renn Hawkey started dating actress Vera Farmiga in 2004. A friend introduced them on the set of the TV show Touching Evil. They got married in a private ceremony on September 13, 2008.

Their son, Fynn McDonnell Hawkey, was born on January 13, 2009. Their daughter, Gytta Lubov Hawkey, was born on November 4, 2010. The family lives in both New York City and Vancouver.

Discography

As a member of Deadsy:

• Deadsy (1996)
• Commencement (2002)
• Phantasmagore (2006)

As a member of The Yagas:

• Midnight Minuet (2025)

Filmography