Ralf Dormann grew up in Castrop-Rauxel as the son of a factory manager and a housewife and attended the Max-Born-Realschule there. From 1976 to 1979, he trained as an industrial mechanic.

From 1980, he worked as a fitter at a steel company in Dortmund. At the same time, he trained for three and a half years at night school to become a master craftsman. He entered the porn industry in 1985 through a relationship with a porn actress.