سيرة
He grew up in Ibbenbüren and, after finishing school, trained as a mining mechanic due to his interest in mining, working in the field for four years. At 20, he decided to pursue acting and studied at the Hedi Höpfner School in Hamburg until 1984. He then spent three years performing in theater in Bremen. Transitioning to television, he gained recognition for his first major role as Jupp Kowolla in the Ruhr saga "Rote Erde II" in 1990. Two years later, he debuted in the international crime series "Tatort" as assistant Max Ballau, working alongside Martin Lüttge, who played chief inspector Bernd Flemming.
He portrayed this character in eight episodes and appeared as private detective Alexander Stein in 26 episodes of the Sat.1 crime series "A.S." between 1985 and 1998. In 1997, he returned to "Tatort," this time as head of the homicide squad Max Ballauf, supported by his longtime friend Dietmar Bär as Inspector Freddy Schenk. The pair quickly became fan favorites in the series. Around this period, to differentiate himself from another actor named Klaus Behrendt, he adopted the name Joachim for the initial "J." He also starred in TV films such as "The Gate of Fire" and "Fähre in den Tod" (both 1996), as well as "A Father Under Suspicion" (1997).
In 1996, he appeared alongside Katja Flint in "Apartment for a Suicide." In 2000, he and Dietmar Bär received the German Television Prize for "Best Series Actor" for their roles in "Tatort." Three years later, he won an Emmy and the audience award at the Grimme Prize for his portrayal of Jochen in the TV drama "My Father," acting alongside Götz George. Klaus J. Behrendt is noted for his versatile acting abilities, demonstrated in productions like the Sat.1 drama "The Miracle of Lengede" (2003) and the political satire "The Chancellery" (2005).
He is a father to two sons and a daughter from his first marriage. Currently, he lives in Berlin-Charlottenburg with his second wife Karin and their son. There, he also operates two restaurants, "Blue Goût" and "Zucca." His hobbies include judo, swimming, and jogging.
