Once again, Iris Berben (72) conquers the catwalk. At Paris Fashion Week, the actress walked the runway at the fifth runway show, “Le Défilé L’Oréal Paris,” on Sunday night. Together with Rebecca Mir (30), Jacob Rott (22) and many more, Berben celebrated the empowerment of women at the École Militaire in the heart of Paris. In an interview, Berben explains which women are still her great role models today and why a modeling career was never an option for her.
Iris Berben: It’s like a big children’s birthday party. A meeting of many different women who are extremely funny and in a good mood. In fact, it’s like an outing where for a few minutes it’s all about passing – a total fun factor for me.
Berben: I was very nervous at the beginning. I asked myself, “How is this all supposed to work?” Because it’s very different from acting, everything is timed very precisely. But over time, it becomes more and more relaxed. On the one hand because you are surrounded by professionals, but also because the audience carries you so well. The one time I was allowed to be there for L’Oréal Paris at “Le Défilé” in France was so incredibly easy and relaxed. There I was able to experience how the audience pulls you along and how nervous you completely fall away.
Berben: No, somehow that was never my way. I need different content, I have to deal with life differently. I need and love working on different roles and views of life. The world of models – as I experienced it when I was young – was just too short-lived for me. Also, filming was at my side so early on that I never even thought of starting a modeling career. As a supplement, I currently enjoy taking small steps into the modeling world from time to time and still staying true to acting all around.
Berben: I think when you’re happy you feel your best. At least that’s how I feel. In the moments when I am aware of my privileges – how I live, that I have a job that I am loved for, that I am healthy, that I can constantly face new challenges – I am happy. This contentment makes me feel beautiful. The fact that I can always slip into other characters and deal with the diversity of people and life forms gives me strength and expands my mind. It is a privilege to be able to live like this.
Berben: In my 72 years, I have received an extremely large number of compliments of all kinds. That is of course always a very nice push. But I think the best compliment is when people say they’re inspired. If you are a lighthouse for them in a certain way, a role model and thus get the feeling that you are walking the right and a good way. A path that is meaningful to oneself and visible to others as well.
Berben: We have to keep demanding, we have to create the same opportunities that exist for men. It must be possible to start a family and still have a job. And unequal pay is still a big issue. We must reach a point where all our demands no longer have to be fought for through quotas, but are fully integrated into the understanding and togetherness of a society. L’Oréal Paris supports exactly this approach and actively addresses issues that are important for all women, regardless of age. It was incredibly exciting for me when I started shooting the first commercials for the company together with Helen Mirren, Jane Fonda and Andie MacDowell, which made women visible worldwide. Showing women, even beyond the age limit of 20 years – L’Oréal Paris is a great pioneer and a great accomplice that we all have at our side. The brand takes issues, brings them to the public, and at events like Le Défilé in Paris, shows an image of women that cuts across society. And that’s important!
Berben: Individuality. uniqueness. self-determination. In my eyes, a strong woman is headstrong and stubborn and tries not to buckle even when faced with adversity. We all know that our lives are full of compromises, but we have to be very careful about where and at what points we want to make them. For me, being able to make this decision independently is what characterizes a strong woman.
Berben: I can endure and persevere very well. This strength helps me to go my own way and stay true to my values.
Berben: I always find it difficult to name a specific role model. When it comes to the topic of self-determination, however, it is clearly my mother. She was a very self-determined person and embodied and lived this in a time that was absolutely unpopular for it. And for that very reason, she will always be an extremely strong role model for me. Otherwise, I was inspired by personalities from film or literature – women like Simone de Beauvoir, who presented us with new female characters. For me, women will always act as role models who lived in a different time and brought images of women into the world that we still have to participate in and defend today. With every generation there are new adversities to face and new things to work for. Here we are continuously building on the strengths of women from the past.
