Bleibtreu's first appearance on TV was in the late seventies on the children's television series Neues aus Uhlenbusch. This was followed by a role in Ich hatte einen Traum and in the miniseries Mit meinen heißen Tränen. In 1992 he began his acting career at the Schauspielhaus in Hamburg. He had roles in the films Speed Racer, The Baader Meinhof Complex, Run Lola Run, and Das Experiment.