Hanns Zischler, born June 18, 1947, in Nuremberg, studied philosophy, ethnology, music and German literature in Munich and Berlin. He worked as a lector and translator, played his first movie roles (for example in early films by Wim Wenders) but then went to Schaubühne Berlin where he worked as a dramatic advisor from 1973 to 1975.

Zischler then directed plays in Karlsruhe, Basel and Berlin. Besides his work for the theatre, Zischler wrote (and still writes) radio plays, film reviews and literary essays. In 1996, Zischler presented his film book "Kafka geht ins Kino" which received rare reviews. Zischler often plays the distinguished but also mysterious bon vivant in his various supporting parts in TV productions. Furthermore, he worked with some of the most renowned directors of German cinema. Zischler best-known films are Wim Wenders" "Im Lauf der Zeit" (Kings of the Road), Doris Dörrie"s "Im Innern des Wals" (In the Belly of the Whale), Robert van Ackeren’s "Die flambierte Frau" (A Woman in Flames) and "Die Venusfalle" (The Venus Trap) as well as "Berlin Chamissoplatz" and "Paradiso – Sieben Tage mit sieben Frauen" (Paradiso - Seven Days with Seven Women), both directed by Rudolf Thome.