Iris Renate Dorothea Berben (, born 12 August 1950) is a German actress and voice actress.

Biography

Berben was born in

Detmold Detmold () is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, with a population of . It was the capital of the small Principality of Lippe from 1468 until 1918 and then of the Free State of Lippe until 1947. Today it is the administrative center of t ...

North Rhine-Westphalia North Rhine-Westphalia (german: Nordrhein-Westfalen, ; li, Noordrien-Wesfale ; nds, Noordrhien-Westfalen; ksh, Noodrhing-Wäßßfaale), commonly shortened to NRW (), is a state (''Land'') in Western Germany. With more than 18 million inha ...

. She grew up in

Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...

, where her parents ran a restaurant. Berben has appeared in about 150 film and television productions since 1969. Until today, Berben plays leading roles in a large number of German television productions, including the sitcom '' Zwei himmlische Töchter'' in the 1970s and the comedy show '' Sketchup'' with

Diether Krebs Diether Krebs (11 August 1947 in Essen, Germany – 4 January 2000 in Hamburg) was a German actor, cabaret artist and comedian. Life and career Youth and initial success Diether Krebs was born on 11 August 1947 in Essen, the son of a station ...

in the 1980s. One of her best-known roles is the title character, a no-nonsense police commissioner, in the long-running crime series ''

Rosa Roth ''Rosa Roth'' is a German television series. It consisted of 31 television films between 1994 and 2013. See also *List of German television series The following is a list of television series produced in Germany: Current Drama * ''4 Bloc ...

'' between 1994 and 2013. Among her film roles are

Sergio Corbucci Sergio Corbucci (; 6 December 1926 – 1 December 1990) was an Italian film director, screenwriter and producer. He directed both very violent Spaghetti Westerns and bloodless Bud Spencer and Terence Hill action comedies. He is the older bro ...

's western '' Compañeros'' (1970) with

Franco Nero Francesco Clemente Giuseppe Sparanero (born 23 November 1941), known professionally as Franco Nero, is an Italian actor, producer, and director. His breakthrough role was as the title character in the Spaghetti Western film '' Django'' (1966), ...

, the

Thomas Mann Paul Thomas Mann ( , ; ; 6 June 1875 – 12 August 1955) was a German novelist, short story writer, social critic, philanthropist, essayist, and the 1929 Nobel Prize in Literature laureate. His highly symbolic and ironic epic novels and novell ...

film adaption '' Die Buddenbrooks'' (2008) and the barmaid Petra in the sport film ''

Eddie the Eagle Michael David Edwards (born 5 December 1963), better known as Eddie the Eagle, is an English ski-jumper and Olympian who in 1988 became the first competitor since 1928 to represent Great Britain in Olympic ski jumping, finishing last in the ...

'' (2016). After the

Six-Day War The Six-Day War (, ; ar, النكسة, , or ) or June War, also known as the 1967 Arab–Israeli War or Third Arab–Israeli War, was fought between Israel and a coalition of Arab states (primarily Egypt, Syria, and Jordan) from 5 to 10 Ju ...

in 1967, she travelled to Israel, and afterwards became the partner of the Israeli singer Abi Ofarim. Since then, she has been associated with the pro-Israel lobby and has campaigned against

antisemitism Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism. Antis ...

. She had a son, Oliver, in 1971, but never revealed the identity of the father. In 2010, together with

Bruno Ganz Bruno Ganz (; 22 March 1941 – 16 February 2019) was a Swiss actor whose career in German stage, television and film productions spanned nearly 60 years. He was known for his collaborations with the directors Werner Herzog, Éric Rohmer, Franc ...

, Berben was elected president of the German Film Academy. She served as a

SPD The Social Democratic Party of Germany (german: Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands, ; SPD, ) is a centre-left social democratic political party in Germany. It is one of the major parties of contemporary Germany. Saskia Esken has been t ...

delegate to the

Federal Convention The Constitutional Convention took place in Philadelphia from May 25 to September 17, 1787. Although the convention was intended to revise the league of states and first system of government under the Articles of Confederation, the intention fr ...

for the purpose of electing the President of Germany in 2017.Ralf Euler (23 November 2016)
45 Hessen wählen mit
''

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung The ''Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung'' (; ''FAZ''; "''Frankfurt General Newspaper''") is a centre-right conservative-liberal and liberal-conservativeHans Magnus Enzensberger: Alter Wein in neuen Schläuchen' (in German). ''Deutschland Radio'', ...

''.

Filmography

* ''

Detectives A detective is an investigator, usually a member of a law enforcement agency. They often collect information to solve crimes by talking to witnesses and informants, collecting physical evidence, or searching records in databases. This leads th ...

'' (1969) * ''

The Man with the Glass Eye ''The Man with the Glass Eye'' (German: ''Der Mann mit dem Glasauge'') is a 1969 West German crime film directed by Alfred Vohrer and starring Horst Tappert, Karin Hübner and Hubert von Meyerinck. It is part of Rialto Film's long-running serie ...

'' (1969) * ''Brandstifter'' (1969) * ' (1970) * '' Compañeros'' (1970) * ''

Supergirl Supergirl is the name of several fictional superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original, current, and most well known Supergirl is Kara Zor-El, the cousin of superhero Superman. The character made her fir ...

'' (1971) * ''Das Fräulein von Scuderi'' (1976) * ''Duett zu dritt'' (1976) * ''

Derrick A derrick is a lifting device composed at minimum of one guyed mast, as in a gin pole, which may be articulated over a load by adjusting its guys. Most derricks have at least two components, either a guyed mast or self-supporting tower, and ...

'' – Series 4, Episode 3: "Eine Nacht im Oktober" (1977, TV) * '' Zwei himmlische Töchter'' (1978, TV series) * ''

'' – Series 5, Episode 6: "Klavierkonzert" (1978, TV) * ''

Ach du lieber Harry ''Ach du lieber Harry'' is a German film directed by Jean Girault Jean Girault (; 9 May 1924 – 24 July 1982) was a French film director and screenwriter. From 1951 to 1960 he worked as a screenwriter, mainly for comedy films. He made his fi ...

'' (1980) * ' (1983) * ''

Angelo und Luzy ''Angelo und Luzy'' (German: ''Angelo and Luzy'') was a German comedy television series broadcast on ZDF in six episodes in 1984. It starred Iris Berben (Luzy) and Rolf Zacher (Angelo) in the lead roles. See also *List of German television seri ...

'' (1984, TV series) * ' (1984) * ' (1984) * ''Rallye Paris – Dakar'' (1984) * ''Beinahe Trinidad'' (1985) * '' Sketchup'' (1985–1986, TV series) * ''

Das Erbe der Guldenburgs ''Das Erbe der Guldenburgs'' ("The legacy of the Guldenburgs") is a German television series that originally aired on ZDF from 1987 to 1990 and revolves around the destiny of the Guldenburgs, a wealthy aristocratic family, and their nouveau riche ...

'' (1986–1990, TV series) * ''Tagebuch für einen Mörder'' (1988, TV film) * ' (1988) * ' (1989, TV film) * ' (1990, TV film) * '' The Second Life'' (1990, TV film) * ' (''The Frog Prince'') (1991) * ''Cosimas Lexikon'' (1992) * ' (1992, TV film) * ' (1995) * ''

'' (1994–2013, TV series, 31 episodes) * ' (1996) * '' Code Red'' (1997, TV film) * ' (1998, TV film) * ' (1998) * ''

Am I Beautiful? ''Am I Beautiful?'' (german: Bin ich schön?) is a 1998 German comedy film directed by Doris Dörrie. Cast * Marie Zielcke as Angelina * Carla Weindler as Carla * Julian Messner as Philip * Suzanne von Borsody as Lucy * Franka Potente as Lin ...

'' (1998) * ' (1999, TV film) * ''Ein mörderischer Plan'' (2000, TV film) * ' (2000, TV film) * ''

One Hell of a Night 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. ...

'' (2001, TV film) * ''Wer liebt, hat Recht'' (2001, TV film) * ''

666 – Traue keinem, mit dem du schläfst! ''666 – Traue keinem, mit dem du schläfst!'' ( en, 666: In Bed with the Devil, link=yes) is a 2002 German film directed by Rainer Matsutani. It is very loosely based on a few elements from the 1808 play ''Faust'' by Johann Wolfgang von Goeth ...

'' (2001) * ''Fahr zur Hölle, Schwester'' (2002, TV film) * ' (2002, TV film) * ' (2004, TV film) * ''Die Patriarchin'' (2005, TV miniseries) * ' (2005, TV film) * ' (2006, TV film) * ''Afrika, mon amour'' (2007, TV miniseries) * ' (2007, TV film) * ' (2007, TV film) * ' (2008, TV film) * '' Die Buddenbrooks'' (2008) * ' (2009) * ' (2012) * ' (2013, TV film) * ' (2014) * ' (2014, TV film) * ''

'' (2015) * ' (2016, TV film) * ' (2018, TV film) * ' (2018) * ' (2022) * ''

Triangle of Sadness ''Triangle of Sadness'' (french: Sans filtre, lit=Without Filter) is a 2022 satirical black comedy film written and directed by Ruben Östlund in his English-language feature film debut. The film stars Harris Dickinson, Charlbi Dean, Dolly de ...

'' (2022)

Audiobooks (excerpt)

* 2005:

Françoise Sagan Françoise Sagan (born Françoise Delphine Quoirez; 21 June 1935 – 24 September 2004) was a French playwright, novelist, and screenwriter. Sagan was known for works with strong romantic themes involving wealthy and disillusioned bourgeois chara ...

, ''Bonjour Tristesse''. Publisher:

Random House Audio Random House is an American book publisher and the largest general-interest paperback publisher in the world. The company has several independently managed subsidiaries around the world. It is part of Penguin Random House, which is owned by Germ ...

Köln, . * 2006: Minka Pradelski, ''Und da kam Frau Kugelmann''. Publisher: Random House Audio Köln, . * 2007: Anna Gmeyner, ''Manja''. Publisher: Hörkultur, . * 2010:

Petra Hammesfahr Petra Hammesfahr (; born 10 May 1951) is a German crime writer. She has won several awards, including the Crime Prize of Wiesbaden and the Rhineland Literary Prize. Hammesfahr was born in Immerath (Erkelenz), North Rhine-Westphalia. Her first ...

, ''Die Mutter''. Publisher: Random House Audio Köln, gekürzt 4 CDs 296 Min., * 2011:

Marina Lewycka Marina Lewycka ( ; born 12 October 1946) is a British novelist of Ukrainian origin. Early life Lewycka was born in a refugee camp in Kiel after World War II. Her family subsequently moved to England; she now lives in Sheffield, South Yorksh ...

, ''Kurze Geschichte des Traktors auf Ukrainisch''. Publisher: Random House Audio Köln, . * 2011: Iris Berben liest ''Verbrannte Bücher – Verfemte Komponisten''. Publisher:

Verlag Herder Verlag Herder is a publishing company started by the Herders, a German family. The company focuses primarily on Catholic topics of ecclesiology, Christian mysticism, women's studies, and the development of younger Catholic theologians. History ...

, . * 2015: Brüder Grimm (Brothers Grimm), ''Brüderchen und Schwesterchen''. Publisher: Amor Verlag, . * 2015: Brüder Grimm (Brothers Grimm), ''Frau Holle''. Publisher: Amor Verlag, . * 2016: Hans Christian Andersen, ''Die kleine Meerjungfrau'' (

The Little Mermaid "The Little Mermaid" ( da, Den lille havfrue) is a literary fairy tale written by the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. The story follows the journey of a young mermaid who is willing to give up her life in the sea as a mermaid to gain a ...

). Publisher: Amor Verlag, . * 2017: David Walliams, ''Zombie-Zahnarzt'', publisher: Argon Verlag, . * 2021: Petra Hammesfahr, ''Der stille Herr Genardy'', publisher: Lübbe Audio, ISBN 978-3-7540-0054-0 (

Audiobook An audiobook (or a talking book) is a recording of a book or other work being read out loud. A reading of the complete text is described as "unabridged", while readings of shorter versions are abridgements. Spoken audio has been available in sc ...

-Download)

Awards

* Bundesverdienstkreuz 1997 *

Goldene Europa Goldene Europa award is the oldest German Television award for artists and entertainers. It was awarded from 1968 to 2003. In the years 1989 and 2001, there were no ceremonies. Since 1981, the gala was broadcast on television. The original sculpt ...

GALA-Sonderpreis 2000 * Scopus Award 2001 *

Verdienstorden der Bundesrepublik Deutschland The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (german: Verdienstorden der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, or , BVO) is the only federal decoration of Germany. It is awarded for special achievements in political, economic, cultural, intellect ...

2003 *

Women's World Award Winners of the Women's World Award, sponsored by the World Awards organization headed by former Soviet Union President Mikhail Gorbachev, intended for women who have influenced the world by their work in areas such as society or politics. The awa ...

– World Tolerance Award 2004 *

Bayerischer Verdienstorden The Bavarian Order of Merit (german: Bayerischer Verdienstorden) is the Order of Merit of the Free State of Bavaria. It is awarded by the Minister-President of Bavaria as a "recognition of outstanding contributions to the Free State of Bavaria ...

2005 *

Karl Valentin Order The Karl Valentin Order was established by the Carnival club Munich Society Narrhalla e.V. on the occasion of its 80th anniversary. It was awarded for the first time in 1973. The Karl Valentin Order commemorates the legendary Bavarian humorist Kar ...

2007 * Platinum Romy Award 2018 * Golden Eye Award,

Zurich Film Festival Zurich Film Festival (ZFF) is an annual film festival that has been held in Zürich, Switzerland, since 2005. The festival's main focus is to promote emerging filmmakers from all over the world. In three competition categories only first, secon ...

2020

References

External links

* *
Laudation on the occasion of the awarding
with the Leo-Baeck-Preis 2002 to Iris Berben on 3 September 2002 by

Paul Spiegel Paul Spiegel (31 December 1937, in Warendorf, Germany – 30 April 2006, in Düsseldorf, Germany) was leader of the Central Council of Jews in Germany (Zentralrat der Juden in Deutschland) and the main spokesman of the German Jews. He was widely ...

Iris Berben
at the German Dubbing Card Index {{DEFAULTSORT:Berben, Iris 1950 births 20th-century German actresses 21st-century German actresses Activists against antisemitism German film actresses German Zionists German television actresses Living people Officers Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Opposition to antisemitism in Germany People from Detmold Recipients of the Order of Merit of Berlin Spaghetti Western actresses