Renn Hawkey facts for kids

Renn McDonnell Hawkey (born March 29, 1974) is an American musician, songwriter, and film producer. He also acts sometimes. He is best known for playing the synthesizer in the industrial rock band Deadsy. He played on their first album, Deadsy (1996), and later albums 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 in the TV show The Returned in 2015.

Renn Hawkey's Early Life

Renn Hawkey was born in New York City. He grew up in Ossining, New York. He is one of five children. His mother, Penelope "Penny" Sharp, worked in advertising. His father, William Stevenson "Bill" Hawkey, also worked in advertising. Today, his parents own a plant nursery called Sundial Farm in Ossining.

Renn has four siblings: Adam, Robin, Timothy, and Molly. Molly is an actress and comedian. Renn went to the Hyde School in Maine. There, he met Elijah Blue Allman, who would later be his bandmate. Renn also studied at Sarah Lawrence College for a semester. When he was a child, he learned to play the piano and the cello.

Renn Hawkey's Career

Music Career

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

Deadsy released their first album, Deadsy, on August 1, 1996. Their second album, Commencement, came out on May 14, 2002. This was their first album with a major music label, Elementree Records. On Commencement, Renn played the synthesizer. He also helped with programming and played guitar on some songs.

The band then released their first music video for the song "The Key to Gramercy Park." Jonathan Davis sang on this song, and Fred Durst directed the video. In 2002, Korn invited Deadsy to join the Family Values Tour. Other bands on the tour included Puddle of Mudd, Stone Temple Pilots, and Linkin Park.

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

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

In November 2018, Deadsy got back together. They played a show at the San Quentin State Prison with Queens of the Stone Age. Their fourth album, "Subterfugue," was never released. Renn Hawkey announced he left the band in 2023. The band's current status is not known.

Film Career

Before becoming a film producer, Renn Hawkey had a small role in the movie The Singing Detective (2003). He played a musician in this musical comedy.

As a film producer, Renn worked on the movie Higher Ground (2011). His wife, Vera Farmiga, directed this drama film. Renn also appeared in the movie as an uncredited extra. In 2015, he was in three episodes of the TV show The Returned. He played Paul Koretsky, a father who lost his son in a bus crash. In 2017, he was an executive producer for the documentary film Unspoken.

Renn Hawkey's Personal Life

Renn Hawkey started dating actress Vera Farmiga in 2004. They met through a friend, Allen Hughes, 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

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

Filmography