Rolf was born at Fort Belvoir in Alexandria, Virginia. After his father served in the Armed Forces the family moved to California, eventually settling in the San Francisco Bay Area. After graduating from American Conservatory Theatre's Young Conservatory, he was a founding member of both the California Shakespeare Theatre (aka "Cal Shakes"), as well as the Berkeley Mime Troupe. He was also a regular performer in the Renaissance and Dickens Fairs where he learned to walk a tight rope, juggle and blow