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He completed high school in 1939 and then began his acting training at the Deutsches Theater in Berlin. During World War II, Kulenkampff was deployed to the front and was captured by British forces near the war's end. After his release, he immediately resumed his acting career. Following initial performances in Bremen theaters, he took on roles at Frankfurt/Main's "Theater im Zoo." In the early 1950s, Kulenkampff also worked as a radio presenter. He married Gertraud in 1948.
In 1953, he started his distinctive television career, hosting the quiz show "Who vs. Who?" However, his true TV breakthrough came with the highly successful show "One Will Win," which aired 82 times nationwide from 1964 to 1987. Alongside his television work, Kulenkampff remained committed to theater.
In 1981 and 1982, he performed challenging roles on Munich stages, and in 1984, he appeared in a Detmold production of "Münchhausen." In 1987, he toured the Federal Republic with a role in "In Doubt for the Defendant." Tours in 1997 brought him to various German theaters. His television popularity was boosted by roles in several films and series. He also hosted "Nachtthoughts," the ARD program's closing show from 1985 to 1990. In 1989, Kulenkampff joined RTLplus to host the less successful "Book Club," which ended mid-1991 due to low ratings. That same year, he played a significant role in the RTL television play "The Great Freedom." His achievements earned him numerous awards, including the "Golden Screen" five times.
Kulenkampff received the "Golden Camera" in 1965 and 1987. In 1992, he returned to public television with the ZDF-produced show "Who Knows Why." In September 1992, he succeeded Wim Toelke as host of the long-running program "The Grand Prize," but left in mid-1993 following public criticism. In 1997, he attempted a television comeback with the ambitious quiz show "Between Yesterday and Tomorrow," which aired on some ARD regional channels but was canceled prematurely in March 1998. Shortly after, the entertainer withdrew from public life due to cancer.
Hans-Joachim Kulenkampff passed away on August 14, 1998, in Salzburg.
