Hannes Jaenicke was born on February 26, 1960, in Frankfurt am Main. From 1967 to 1971, he lived in Pittsburgh (USA) where his father worked as a chemist. Jaenicke attended the famous Reinhardt-Seminar in Vienna and the London School of Modern Dance and worked as a dancer in the musical "My Fair Lady".

In 1984, Jaenicke made his movie debut in "Abwärts" ("Out Of Order") directed by Carl Schenkel as one of four people trapped in an elevator. Afterwards he became a highly requested actor in Germany and the USA and starred in numerous movie and TV productions as well as in the theatre, typically in the role of a tough guy with a weak spot.

His films include "Väter und Söhne" ("Fathers and Sons", 1986; TV), "Die Sieger" ("The Invincibles", 1994), "Catherine the Great" (1995; TV), "Die Straßen von Berlin" (1995; TV), "Bandits" (1997), "Sardsch" (1997, TV), "Knockin" on Heaven"s Door" (1997), "Half Past Dead" (2002), "Der Stich des Skorpion" (2004, TV).

In 2009, after several years of TV-roles, Hannes Jaenicke returned to the big screen with his main role in the war drama "Waffenstillstand" ("Ceasefire") directed by Lancelot von Naso.