Biography
After her parents' divorce, she relocated to Hamburg with her mother, where she attended elementary school followed by several boarding schools. She left school before completing her high school diploma. Berben was involved in Hamburg's protest scene and entered the film industry in the late 1960s. She took dance and movement classes in London and received training in speaking and singing in Berlin. Starting in 1967, she appeared in short films at the Hamburg Art School, and just a year later, she made her film debut in "The Man with the Glass Eye." She subsequently appeared on television, including in the film "Arsonist." The TV series "Two Heavenly Daughters," starring alongside Ingrid Steeger, brought her initial recognition. Throughout the 1970s, she continued with various TV and film roles, though major success took time to arrive. Her son Oliver was born in 1971.
In the 1980s, Iris Berben's popularity increased, culminating in a breakthrough in 1985 with Diether Krebs. Together, they starred in the hit comedy series "Sketchup" until 1986. Berben also featured in crime series like "Der Alte," "Derrick," and "Soko," as well as the family saga "Die Guldenburgs." She gained significant public acclaim, becoming one of Germany's most beloved actresses. She earned multiple awards, including the "Golden Camera" in 1987 and the "Bambi" in 1989. Collaborations with her son, producer Oliver Berben, included projects such as "Das Miststück" (1998) and episodes of the series "Rosa Roth."
In 1991, "The Frog Prince" was produced, followed by "Rochade" in 1994. The comedic film "Rennschwein Rudi Rüssel" was released in cinemas in 1995. Berben joined the board of trustees of the German AIDS Foundation and, in 1997, received the Federal Cross of Merit from Federal President Roman Herzog for her social engagement. In 1998, she appeared in TV films like "Andrea and Marie" and "Raped," as well as cinema productions "Frau Rettich, die Czerni and I" and "Am I Beautiful?" Her other works include the 2002 comedy "666 - Don't Trust Anyone You Sleep With." That same year, she was honored with the "Leo Baeck Prize" by Paul Spiegel of the Central Council of Jews in Germany for her efforts against anti-Semitism. Michael Verhoeven also directed her in contrasting readings from the diaries of Anne Frank and Josef Goebbels that year.
In February 2004, she received the Golden Camera award commemorating her 10 years with the TV series "Rosa Roth." In June, she was presented the "World Tolerance Award" by Mikhail Gorbachev during the "World Woman's Award" event in Hamburg. She also won the "Romy" award in 2004 and 2005. In 2005, she appeared in productions such as "The Patriarch," "The Command," and "Silver Wedding," and was honored with the Bavarian Order of Merit. In January 2007, Berben received the Karl Valentin Order. In 2009, she portrayed Bertha Krupp in the TV series "Krupp - A German Family." In 2010, she was elected President of the German Film Academy alongside Bruno Ganz; from 2013 to 2019, she served as the sole president. In 2016, she supported the SPD-initiated campaign "My Voice for Reason."
In 2018, she was awarded the platinum Romy, and in 2019, she received the honorary prize at the "Max Ophüls Film Festival.
