# Iben Hjejle

Iben Hjejle (22 March 1971) is a Danish actress, notable for starring in the Stephen Frears film High Fidelity (2000). In Denmark, she is perhaps best known for appearing in the Danish television sitcom Langt fra Las Vegas (Far from Las Vegas) and playing the girlfriend of Danish comedian Casper Christensen, her former real life partner. She also plays Christensen's girlfriend in the sitcom Klovn (Clown) and the title role in the TV crime series Dicte.

## Career

Iben Hjejle has starred in a range of Danish movies, including a Dogme 95 film and Danish-produced action films such as Old Men in New Cars. She played the Swedish Queen Sofia Magdalena in SVT's successful period drama production of The Marriage of Gustav III (2001).
Hjejle also appeared in such films as Portland (1996), Mifune's Last Song (1999), The Emperor's New Clothes (2002), and in Dreaming of Julia and Flickering Lights, both in 2003.
For her performance in Mifune's Last Song, she won an Honourable Mention at the 49th Berlin International Film Festival. She was discovered by British director Stephen Frears at this same festival.
He offered her a part in his film High Fidelity (2000), in which she played Laura, girlfriend of John Cusack's character. In 2008 Frears offered her a part in Chéri, in a cameo as Marie Laure. This was part of a kind of international comeback for her. That same year she also worked on Defiance with Daniel Craig. In 2009 she filmed The Eclipse, which received a limited theatrical release in 2010.
Hjejle was for three seasons a part of the Danish popular television series Anna Pihl until it ended in April 2008. In 2012, she was cast as the lead in the crime show Dicte The show debuted in early 2013, and while its reviews were mixed, Hjejle received good reviews for her performance.
She had a part in Lars von Trier's Direktøren for det hele (2006, also known as The Boss of It All).
In June 2024, Hjejle received a Reumert Award for the Lead Actor of the Year for her performance in Lægen (The Doctor) at Folketeatret.

## Personal life

Hjejle was born in Copenhagen. From 1996 to 1999, she was married to Emil de Waal.

## Filmography

Filmography :
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1996 | Portland | Eva | |
| 1999 | Mifune's Last Song | Liva Psilander | Berlin International Film Festival – Honorable Mention Nominatated – Bodil Awards Best Actress Nominated – European Film Awards Best Actress The movie received limited theatrical release in the US |
| 2000 | High Fidelity | Laura | Nominated – Chicago Film Critics Association Awards Most promising actress |
| 2000 | Flickering Lights | Therese | |
| 2001 | The Emperor's New Clothes | Nicole 'Pumpkin' Truchaut | |
| 2001 | Gustav III:s äktenskap (aka The Marriage of Gustav III) | Queen Sofia Magdalena | TV series |
| 2002–2003 | Langt fra Las Vegas | Liva | TV-series. Main character seasons 2–5 |
| 2002 | Old Men in New Cars | Mille | |
| 2003 | Skagerrak | Marie | Reunited with Søren Kragh-Jacobsen, who directed her in Mifune |
| 2003 | Dreaming of Julia (aka Cuban Blood/Cuba Libre) (2003) | Julia | |
| 2004 | Monsterthursday | Sara | |
| 2005 | Klovn | Iben | (TV-series) (2005–2009) |
| 2006 | Direktøren for det Hele (aka The Boss of It All) | Lise | The first of her movies to be released theatrically in the US since The Emperor's New Clothes |
| 2006 | Anna Pihl | Mikala Hansen | (TV-series) (2006–2008) |
| 2008 | Boy Meets Girl [da] | Kathrine Poulsen | |
| 2008 | Defiance | Bella | To date the only movie she has starred in, that has been nominated for an Academy Award. |
| 2008 | Journey to Saturn | Susanne Mortensen, technical flight director | Voice role |
| 2009 | Chéri | Marie Laurie | Second collaboration with Stephen Frears |
| 2009 | The Eclipse | Lena Morrell | |
| 2010 | "Wallander (TV series)" | Kim Kristensen | The Ghost (Vålnaden) Season 2 Episode 10 |
| 2010 | Klovn | Iben | Released theatrically in the US in 2012 |
| 2011 | Rosa Morena | Christine | |
| 2011 | Stockholm East | Anna | |
| 2011 | Dag | Juanita | (TV series) (2011–2013) |
| 2012 | Fuck up | Malin | |
| 2013 | Dicte | Dicte | (TV series) (2013–2016) |
| 2013 | Eskil & trinidad | Mette | |
| 2013 | Alle barn er laget av ild | | |
| 2016 | Zootopia | Dawn Bellwether | Danish version |