He was the son of Daniel Meier Uthaug (1886–1977) and Anne Johanne Grande (1890–1962).

[2] He studied at the Norwegian National Academy of Fine Arts under Per Krohg and Axel Revold (1941–43), then under Jean Heiberg (1945–1947).

He was a father of author, translator and literary critic Geir Uthaug (born 1950).

[2] In connection with the 100th anniversary in 2011, the second biography about him was published, written by his son Geir Uthaug.

Jan Christian Mollestad has made the documentary film "Jørleif Uthaug, a modern classic".