Christoph Tomanek, born in Hanover in 1969, studied at the Ernst Busch Academy of Dramatic Arts in Berlin from 1992–96. He was then engaged by the Bremen theatre and played Jason in »Medeamaterial«, Bishop in »Fette Männer im Rock«, Georgi in »Clockwork Orange« and others.

In 1998 he went to the Thalia Theatre in Hamburg, directed by Jürgen Flimm. There he played Count Paris in »Romeo and Juliet«, Engholm in »Der arme Vetter« and others. He has worked with directors W. D. Sprenger, Sven Eric Bechthold, Jürgen Flimm, Robert Wilson and Lou Reed. Guest performances have taken him to the Theatre Odeon in Paris, the BAM in New York and the Opera House in Amsterdam. 

From the 2000/01 season, Christoph Tomanek worked as a freelance actor at the Thalia Theatre in Hamburg, the Schauspielhaus in Hamburg and the Residenztheater in Munich. 

At the same time, he began shooting for film and television. He has appeared in over 80 film and television productions, including »Tatort« and the film »TAR« about a conductor with Cate Blanchet (6 Oscar nominations). Since 2012, he has played the forensic scientist Henning Strahl in the hit film »Morden im Norden«.

Since 2012, Christoph Tomanek has also appeared at the St. Pauli Theatre Hamburg, the Hamburger Kammerspiele and the Ernst Deutsch Theatre Hamburg. In 2022, he made his directorial debut at the Ernst Deutsch Theatre Hamburg with the production »Gespenster« (»Ghosts«) by Henrik Ibsen.