Claus Wiese was born in Lillestrøm, but later moved to Oslo. He began his acting career at Det Nye Teater right after finishing secondary school. The following year, in 1946, he made his film debut in Englandsfarerne. He achieved great success in the leading role of Edith Carlmar’s debut film Death Is a Caress in 1949. In 1950, he married the American woman Joan Ann Trapp. In the United States, Claus worked in television, first as an editor, then as a production manager, and later as operations manager and station director.