Bastian Pastewka was born in Bochum on April 4, 1972. The popular actor is also a comedian, dubbing artist and audio book performer. He became known to a widespread audience in the late 1990s through the comedy skit program "Die Wochenshow" (The Newsreel), where he launched fictive characters like Brisko Schneider and Ottmar Zittlau.

In the year 2000, he was awarded the GOLDEN CAMERA from HÖRZU in the category Best Comedy, followed in 2003 with the German Comedy Award as Best Comedian. His series “Pastewka” brought him a three-year running nomination for the Adolf Grimme Award. He received the latter together with Anke Engelke in 2008 for the parodistic Christmas show "Fröhliche Weihnachten! - mit Wolfgang & Anneliese” (Merry Christmas! – with Wolfgang & Anneliese).