Iben Hjejle

Born: 22nd March 1971
Where: Copenhagen, Denmark

Born and raised in Denmark, Iben spent one-year in Massachusetts as an exchange student, and studied acting at The National Theatre School of Denmark.

In 1991, she teamed up with director Neals Arden-Oplev in the short film Naked, and five years later, he cast her in Portland, marking her feature film debut as a woman abused by her lover.

She followed this with a co-starring role in Mifune, Soren Kragh-Jacobsen's feature, the third to operate within the confines of 'Dogme '95', a manifesto created with fellow Danish directors Thomas Vinterberg and Lars von Trier calling for naturalistic filmmaking.

Director Stephen Frears, was so impressed with Iben's work, that in 2000 he cast her in High Fidelity.

This was her breakthrough US role, which was followed a year later with a co-starring role alongside Ian Holm in The Emperor's New Clothes.