Rüdiger Joswig was born the youngest of four siblings in Anklam (Mecklenburg-Vorpommern). In his youth he was an avid glider pilot and skydiver. After his formal training in the field of dramatic arts at the Drama School "Hans Otto" in Leipzig, he soon became a sought after actor. In addition to theater engagements in Halle/ Saale, Leipzig and at the State Theater of Cottbus, he appeared in numerous roles in DEFA productions and on (East) German TV. His first major film roles came at the age of 19 as the young “Harald Walcher” in the Heiner Carow feature film "Karriere", and then in his early twenties in the German-Russian co-production " Schwarzer Zwieback", in the role of the former POW Kurt, the male lead.

After he applied for an exit visa from East Germany in 1982, he was blacklisted, no longer able to obtain work as an actor. He received no more engagements and had to get by working as a dishwasher, waiter and construction worker. It was not until 1987, when his request was finally granted to permanently leave East Germany for West Berlin. There at first, he primarily worked as a Voice Over Artist, lending his voice to Tom Berenger, Gary Oldmann, James Caan and Michael York, among many others. Soon interesting roles in the feature films "Bismarck" (1988), "Reise Ohne Wiederkehr" (1989) and "Kinderspiele” (1991), followed. Even German TV discovered the actor anew. He appeared on "Tatort", "Wolff's Revier" and in 1994 began to introduce himself to a wider audience with his first role as a series regular in the ZDF series entitled "Gezeiten Der Liebe”.
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