Renn Hawkey

Renn McDonnell Hawkey (born March 29, 1974) is an American musician, songwriter, music producer, and occasional actor. He played the synthesizer for the rock band Deadsy. He performed on their unreleased self-titled debut album and subsequent releases Commencement (2002) and Phantasmagore (2006).

In 2011, Hawkey served as musical director and producer on his wife Vera Farmiga's directorial debut film Higher Ground, and in 2017, he executive produced the documentary film Unspoken. In 2015, he had a recurring role as Paul Koretsky in the A&E series The Returned.

Since 2024, he has been a member of the rock band The Yagas, alongside his wife. He also produced their debut album Midnight Minuet (2025).

Early life Hawkey was born in New York City, and grew up in Ossining, New York. He is the third of five children born to Penelope "Penny" (née Sharp), an advertising executive who wrote the Coca-Cola commercial "Hey Kid, Catch!", and William Stevenson "Bill" Hawkey, who also worked in advertising. His parents now own and operate Sundial Farm, a plant nursery in Ossining. Hawkey has four full siblings: Adam, a film compositor and colorist, Robin, a chiropractor, Timothy, a marketing managing director, and Molly, an actress and comedian. He also has two paternal half-siblings from his father's first marriage: William, a headmaster of The Pennington School, and Elisabeth, a corporate chef.

Hawkey attended the Hyde School in Maine, where he met future bandmate Elijah Blue Allman, and subsequently spent a semester studying at Sarah Lawrence College. The band's style was a fusion of glam, goth and synth-rock.

The band's debut studio album, Commencement, was released on May 14, 2002, after signing to Jonathan Davis' Elementree Records, a division of DreamWorks Records. In addition to playing the synthesizer on Commencement, Hawkey also programmed and played guitar on a number of the tracks. The band subsequently released their first music video, for the song "The Key to Gramercy Park", with Davis providing guest vocals on the track and Fred Durst directing. That same year, Deadsy was invited by Korn to join the Family Values Tour, along with Puddle of Mudd, Stone Temple Pilots, and Linkin Park.

In 2002, Hawkey also worked with Thirty Seconds to Mars on their self-titled debut album, playing the synthesizer on the song "Capricorn (A Brand New Name)". Deadsy left DreamWorks in 2004, citing its sale to Interscope Records as one of the reasons. In 2006, Deadsy was asked to again join Korn and co-headliners Deftones on the Family Values Tour 2006. The band released their second studio album, Phantasmagore, on August 22, 2006, through Immortal Records.

In November 2018, Deadsy reformed and played a show at the San Quentin State Prison alongside Queens of the Stone Age. Hawkey announced his departure in 2023. Since 2024, he has been a member of the alternative and gothic rock band The Yagas, alongside his wife Vera Farmiga. In 2015, he appeared in the first, seventh, and eighth episodes of the Carlton Cuse-produced A&E supernatural drama series The Returned in the supporting role of Paul Koretsky, a father grieving the death of his son in a fatal bus crash. He served as an executive producer on the documentary film Unspoken (2017).

Personal life In 2004, Hawkey began dating actress Vera Farmiga after being introduced by mutual friend Allen Hughes on the set of Touching Evil. The couple married in a private ceremony on September 13, 2008, when Farmiga was five months pregnant with their son, Fynn McDonnell Hawkey, who was born on January 13, 2009, in Rhinebeck, New York. Farmiga gave birth to a daughter, Gytta Lubov Hawkey, on November 4, 2010. The family splits their time between homes in New York City and Vancouver.

Discography

As member of Deadsy: Deadsy (unreleased; scheduled for 1997) Commencement (2002) Phantasmagore (2006)

As member of The Yagas: Midnight Minuet (2025)

Filmography Year Title Functioned as Role Type Notes Producer Actor 2003 The Singing Detective Dark's Bass Player Film 2011 Higher Ground Film Also music director 2015 The Returned Paul Koretsky TV series 3 episodes 2017 Unspoken Documentary