After graduating from high school Rainer Bock ran a café in his hometown which also had a cabaret programme After studying acting at a private acting school in Kiel he made his debut as a theater actor on the stages of the state capital of Kiel in 1982 He came to Heidelberg and the National Theater Mannheim via the SchleswigHolstein State Theater From 1995 to 2001 he had an engagement at the Staatstheater Stuttgart Until 2011 he was engaged at the Bavarian State Theater in Munich Bock often appears in supporting roles including his initially rare appearances in film and television The part of the doctor in Michael Hanekes awardwinning drama The White Ribbon A German Childrens Story 2009 earned him a nomination for the German Film Prize In 2011 he was represented at the Berlinale with four films Bock is also active as an audio book speaker