Born in Munich in 1962—where he also resided—the actor received his training from 1988 to 1990 under Hilde Rehm and Beles Adam; from the very beginning of his career, he was equally at home on stage, on television screens, and on the silver screen.

On television, Joseph Hannesschläger appeared in over 40 series and TV movies, including guest roles in the series *Der Bulle von Tölz*. He became known to a wide audience through his role as Chief Inspector and farmer Korbinian Hofer in the series *Die Rosenheim-Cops* (spanning over 400 episodes and four TV movies).