German actor. Born in the city of Mülheim an der Ruhr, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany. He studied acting at theater schools in Berlin and Düsseldorf. He performed on the stages of theaters in Düsseldorf, Zurich, Munich, Hamburg and Bonn. Television brought Dirk Martens fame. The actor actively acted in television series since 1991.

He acted in crime series: he specialized in psychologically complex roles of villains, psychopaths, and played police commissioners. In recent years he successfully participated in comedy films. In recent years he successfully acted in a number of films and series in Russia and Ukraine.