{{Short description|German actress (born 1950)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2023}} {{Infobox person | name = Iris Berben | image = Iris Berben-63700.jpg | alt = <!-- descriptive text for use by speech synthesis (text-to-speech) software --> | caption = Berben in 2025 | birth_name = Iris Renate Dorothea Berben | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1950|8|12|df=y}} | birth_place = Detmold, West Germany | occupation = Actress | years_active = 1968-present | partner = {{ubl|Gabriel Lewy (1974–2006)|Heiko Kiesow (2007–present)}} | website = {{URL|irisberben.de}} }} '''Iris Renate Dorothea Berben''' ({{IPA|de|ˈiːʁɪs ˈbɛʁbm̩|pron|De-Iris Berben.ogg}}, born 12 August 1950) is a German actress.
==Biography== Berben was born in Detmold, North Rhine-Westphalia. She grew up in Hamburg, where her parents ran a restaurant.<ref name=exacc>{{Cite web |url=http://www.rp-online.de/public/article/panorama/285779/Iris-Berben-enthuellt-ihre-Jugendsuenden.html |title=Iris Berben enthüllt ihre Jugendsünden |language= de|publisher=rp online |date=25 April 2002 |work= From an interview with the Reader's Digest |access-date=6 July 2010 }}</ref>
Berben has appeared in about 150 film and television productions since 1969. Berben has played leading roles in a large number of German television productions, including the 1970s sitcom ''Zwei himmlische Töchter'' and the 1980s comedy show ''Sketchup'' with Diether Krebs. One of her best-known roles is the title character, a no-nonsense police commissioner, in the long-running crime series ''Rosa Roth'' between 1994 and 2013. Her film roles include Sergio Corbucci's Western ''Compañeros'' (1970) with Franco Nero, the adaptation of Thomas Mann's ''Die Buddenbrooks'' (2008), and the barmaid Petra in the sport comedy ''Eddie the Eagle'' (2016).
After the Six-Day War in 1967, she traveled to Israel, and afterwards became the partner of the Israeli singer Abi Ofarim. Since then, she has been a supporter of Israel and has also repeatedly campaigned against antisemitism. She had a son, Oliver, in 1971, but never revealed the identity of the father.<ref name=exacc/>
In 2010, together with Bruno Ganz, Berben was elected president of the German Film Academy. She served as an SPD delegate to the Federal Convention for the purpose of electing the President of Germany in 2017.<ref>Ralf Euler (23 November 2016), [https://www.faz.net/aktuell/rhein-main/45-hessen-waehlen-den-bundespraesidenten-mit-14540529.html 45 Hessen wählen mit] ''Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung''.</ref>
==Filmography== thumb|upright|Berben in 2010 {{div col}} * ''Detectives'' (1969) * ''The Man with the Glass Eye'' (1969) * ''{{ill|The Arsonists (1969 film)|de|Brandstifter (1969)|lt=The Arsonists}}'' (1969) * ''{{Interlanguage link multi|Jill in the Box|de|Stehaufmädchen}}'' (1970) * ''Compañeros'' (1970) * ''Supergirl'' (1971) * ''Ulla oder Die Flucht in die schwarzen Wälder'' (1974, TV film) * ''Mademoiselle de Scuderi'' (1976, TV film) * ''Tea for Three'' (1976) * ''Derrick'' - Series 4, Episode 3: "Eine Nacht im Oktober" (1977, TV) * ''Zwei himmlische Töchter'' (1978, TV series) * ''Derrick'' - Series 5, Episode 6: "Klavierkonzert" (1978, TV) * ''Ach du lieber Harry'' (1980) * ''{{Interlanguage link multi|Joyride (1983 film)|de|3=Schwarzfahrer (1983)|lt=Joyride}}'' (1983) * ''Angelo und Luzy'' (1984, TV series) * ''{{ill|Knock on the Wrong Door|de|Tapetenwechsel (1984)}}'' (1984) * ''{{Interlanguage link multi|Siggi, the Street Cleaner|de|Sigi, der Straßenfeger}}'' (1984) * ''Rallye Paris - Dakar'' (1984) * ''Beinahe Trinidad'' (1985) * ''Sketchup'' (1985-1986, TV-series) * ''Rückfahrt in den Tod'' (1986, TV-film) * ''Das Erbe der Guldenburgs'' (1986-1990, TV-series) * ''{{ill|A Touch of Danger (film)|de|Tagebuch für einen Mörder|lt=A Touch of Danger}}'' (1988, TV-film) * ''{{Interlanguage link multi|Three D (film)|de|3=Drei D|lt=Three D}}'' (1988) * ''{{ill|Karambolage (1989 film)|de|3=Karambolage (1989)|lt=Karambolage}}'' (1989, TV film) * ''{{ill|Das Geheimnis des gelben Geparden|de}}'' (1990, TV film) * ''The second Life'' (1990, TV film) * ''Saint Peter's Snow'' (1991, TV-film) * ''{{Interlanguage link multi|The Frog Prince (1991 film)|de|3=Froschkönig (1991)|lt=The Frog Prince}}'' (1991) * ''{{ill|Cosimas Lexikon|de}}'' (1992) * ''{{ill|Das große Fest|de}}'' (1992, TV film) * ''Dornberger'' (1992, TV-film) * ''{{Ill|Rochade|cs|Rošáda (film)}}'' (1992, TV film) * ''A Man for my Wife'' (1993, TV-film) * ''{{ill|Sommerliebe (1994 film)|fr|Un amour d'été|lt=Sommerliebe}}'' (1994, TV film) * ''{{ill|Death in Miami|de|Tod in Miami}}'' (1994, TV-film) * ''{{Interlanguage link multi|Rudy, the Racing-Pig|de|Rennschwein Rudi Rüssel (Film)}}'' (1995) * ''Rosa Roth'' (1994-2013, TV-series, 31 episodes) * ''{{ill|Peanuts - The Bank pays Everything|de|Peanuts - Die Bank zahlt alles}}'' (1996) * ''Code Red'' (1997, TV-film) * ''{{ill|Andrea and Marie|de|Andrea und Marie}}'' (1998, TV-film) * ''{{ill|Ultimate Trespass|de|Vergewaltigt - Eine Frau schlägt zurück}}'' (1998, TV-film) * ''{{Interlanguage link multi|Mrs. Rettich, Czerni, and I|de|Frau Rettich, die Czerni, und ich (Film)}}'' (1998) * ''Am I beautiful?'' (1998) * ''{{ill|Das Miststück|de}}'' (1998, TV-film) * ''{{ill|Die Zauberfrau|de}}'' (1999, TV-film) * ''Ein mörderischer Plan'' (2000, TV film) * ''{{ill|The Beast (2000 film)|de|3=Das Teufelsweib|lt=The Beast}}'' (2000, TV-film) * ''{{ill|One Hell of a Night|de|Dienstreise - Was für eine Nacht}}'' (2001, TV-film) * ''Wer liebt, hat Recht'' (2001, TV film) * ''666 - Traue keinem, mit dem du schläfst!'' (2001) * ''{{ill|Beloved Sister|de|Fahr zur Hölle, Schwester!}}'' (2002, TV-film) * ''{{Ill|Die schöne Braut in Schwarz|de}}'' (2002, TV-film) * ''{{Ill|Schöne Witwen küssen besser|de}}'' (2004, TV-film) * ''Die Patriarchin'' (2005, TV miniseries) * ''{{Interlanguage link multi|Das Kommando|de|3=Das Kommando (2004)|lt=Das Kommando}}'' (2005, TV-film) * ''{{Interlanguage link multi|Silver Wedding (film)|de|3=Silberhochzeit (Film)|lt=Silver Wedding}}'' (2006, TV-film) * ''{{Ill|Cold Summer (2006 film)|de|3=Die Mauer - Berlin '61|lt=Cold Summer}}'' (2006, TV-film) * ''Afrika, mon amour'' (2007, TV-miniseries) * ''{{Interlanguage link multi|Suddenly Gina|de|Frühstück mit einer Unbekannten}}'' (2007, TV-film) * ''{{Ill|Duel at Night|de|Duell in der Nacht}}'' (2007, TV-film) * ''{{ill|The Sibyl Cipher (2008 film)|de|3=Gott schützt die Liebenden (2008)|lt=The Sibyl Cipher}}'' (2008, TV-film) * ''Die Buddenbrooks'' (2008) * ''{{Ill|Krupp: A Family Between War and Peace|de|Krupp - Eine deutsche Familie}}'' (2009, TV-miniseries) * ''{{Ill|The Day will come (2009 film)|de|3=Es kommt der Tag|lt=The Day will come}}'' (2009) * ''{{ill|Kennedy's Brain (film)|de|Kennedys Hirn|lt=Kennedy's Brain}}'' (2010, TV-film) * ''{{ill|Tiger Team: The Mountain of the 1000 Dragons|de|Tiger-Team - Der Berg der 1000 Drachen}}'' (2010) * ''{{ill|Years of Love (2011 film)|de|Liebesjahre|lt=Years of Love}}'' (2011, TV-film) * ''{{Interlanguage link multi|The Pursuit of Unhappiness|de|Anleitung zum Unglücklichsein (Film)}}'' (2012) * ''{{ill|The Wagner-Clan (film)|de|Der Wagner-Clan. Eine Familiengeschichte|lt=The Wagner-Clan}}'' (2013, TV-film) * ''{{ill|Miss Sixty (film)|de|3=Miss Sixty (Film)|lt=Miss Sixty}}'' (2014) * ''{{ill|The Witness-House|de|Das Zeugenhaus (Film)}}'' (2014, TV-film) * ''Traumfrauen'' (2015) * ''Eddie the Eagle'' (2015) * ''{{ill|Family! (film)|de|Familie!|lt=Family!}}'' (2016, TV-film) * ''{{ill|Crossroads (2018 film)|de|3=Hanne (Film)|lt=Crossroads}}'' (2018, TV-film) * ''How about Adolf?'' (2018) * ''{{Ill|Family Affairs (2022 film)|de|3=Der Nachname|lt=Family-Affairs}}'' (2022) * ''Triangle of Sadness'' (2022) * ''The Interpreter of Silence'' (2023) {{div col end}}
== Audiobooks (excerpt) == * 2005: Françoise Sagan, ''Bonjour Tristesse''. Publisher: Random House Audio Köln, {{ISBN|978-3-89830-972-1}}. * 2006: Minka Pradelski, ''Und da kam Frau Kugelmann''. Publisher: Random House Audio Köln, {{ISBN|978-3-86604-185-1}}. * 2007: Anna Gmeyner, ''Manja''. Publisher: Hörkultur, {{ISBN|978-3-9523087-4-5}}. * 2010: Petra Hammesfahr, ''Die Mutter''. Publisher: Random House Audio Köln, gekürzt 4 CDs 296 Min., {{ISBN|978-3-8371-0442-4}} * 2011: Marina Lewycka, ''Kurze Geschichte des Traktors auf Ukrainisch''. Publisher: Random House Audio Köln, {{ISBN|978-3-8371-0875-0}}. * 2011: Iris Berben liest ''Verbrannte Bücher - Verfemte Komponisten''. Publisher: Verlag Herder, {{ISBN|978-3-451-31978-5}}. * 2015: Brüder Grimm (Brothers Grimm), ''Brüderchen und Schwesterchen''. Publisher: Amor Verlag, {{ISBN|978-3-944063-72-0}}. * 2015: Brüder Grimm (Brothers Grimm), ''Frau Holle''. Publisher: Amor Verlag, {{ISBN|978-3-944063-71-3}}. * 2016: Hans Christian Andersen, ''Die kleine Meerjungfrau'' (The Little Mermaid). Publisher: Amor Verlag, {{ISBN|978-3-944063-95-9}}. * 2017: David Walliams, ''Zombie-Zahnarzt'', publisher: Argon Verlag, {{ISBN|978-3-8398-4122-8}}. * 2021: Petra Hammesfahr, ''Der stille Herr Genardy'', publisher: Lübbe Audio, ISBN 978-3-7540-0054-0 (Audiobook-Download)
==Awards== * Bundesverdienstkreuz 1997 * Goldene Europa GALA-Sonderpreis 2000 * Scopus Award 2001 * Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany 2003<ref name="k955">{{cite web | title=Biografie Iris Berben – Menschenrechtsbüro der Stadt Nürnberg | website=nuernberg.de | url=https://www.nuernberg.de/internet/menschenrechte/jury_berben.html | language=de | access-date=5 July 2025}}</ref> * Women's World Award - World Tolerance Award 2004 * Bayerischer Verdienstorden 2005 * Karl Valentin Order 2007 * Platinum Romy Award 2018 * Golden Eye Award, Zurich Film Festival 2020 * Schiller Prize of the City of Marbach 2023<ref name="o649">{{cite web | title=Marbacher Schillerpreis geht an Iris Berben | website=Deutschlandfunk Kultur | date=16 February 2023 | url=https://www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de/marbacher-schillerpreis-geht-an-iris-berben-102.html | language=de | access-date=5 July 2025}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
== External links == {{commons category}} * {{Official website|http://www.irisberben.de/}} {{in lang|de}} * {{IMDb name|0001941|Iris Berben}} * [http://www.zentralratdjuden.de/de/article/228.html Laudation on the occasion of the awarding] with the Leo-Baeck-Preis 2002 to Iris Berben on 3 September 2002 by Paul Spiegel {{in lang|de}} * [http://www.synchronkartei.de/index.php5?action=show&type=talker&id=2093 Iris Berben] at the German Dubbing Card Index
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Berben, Iris}} Category:1950 births Category:Living people Category:Activists against antisemitism Category:German Christian Zionists Category:German film actresses Category:German television actresses Category:German voice actresses Category:Officers Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Category:Opposition to antisemitism in Germany Category:People from Detmold Category:Recipients of the Order of Merit of Berlin Category:Spaghetti Western actresses Category:20th-century German actresses Category:21st-century German actresses Category:Actresses from North Rhine-Westphalia Category:Actresses from Hamburg