Born in Merced, California while her father was stationed at Castle A.F.B., Rene Marye Finkenkeller spent her entire childhood moving to various remote locations across the USA and Europe. She graduated from Incirlik American High School in Turkey and spent a semester at Pensacola Christian College as a vocal performance major with dreams of entering the contemporary Christian music industry. When her vocal performance professor told her she was just as much an actress as she was a vocalist, Rene transferred into the University of Oklahoma's musical theater program in 1995. Her first professional gig was working as an entertainer at Six Flags Over Texas on the now defunct "A Looney Tunes Christmas Show". She is a single mom of one son, stays active in regional live theater, and has worked as a country/folk singer for years, composing music. She has one brother,Shane Finkenkeller, who has spent years serving in the military and shares his sister's passion for acting.