He has also written six novels and is a singer, having contributed to the soundtracks of Fargo and Legion by singing covers of popular music produced by composer Jeff Russo.

He will write and direct the upcoming FX series Alien: Earth, which is based on the film franchise and is expected to premiere in 2025.

He has a twin brother named Alexi, who is also a television writer and is best known as the creator of the series State of Affairs, The Rookie, and The Recruit.

[4][5] He worked for the Legal Aid Society in New York City, dealing with cases involving child abuse and neglect, a topic on which his mother had written ground-breaking books.

[5] Hawley has published six novels: A Conspiracy of Tall Men (1998), Other People's Weddings (2004), The Punch (2008), The Good Father (2012), Before the Fall (2016), and Anthem (2022).

[9] Hawley is the creator, primary writer, and executive producer of the FX anthology series Fargo (2014–present), based on the Coen brothers' 1996 film of the same name.

[17] On July 20, 2017, Hawley announced at Comic Con that he was writing and directing a Doctor Doom movie with 20th Century Fox.