Irène Marie Jacob (born July 15, 1966) is a French-born Swiss actress considered one of the preeminent Swiss actresses of her generation. Jacob gained international recognition and acclaim through her work with Polish film director Krzysztof Kieslowski, who cast her in the lead role of The Double Life of Véronique and Three Colors: Red. She came to represent an image of European sophistication, Read more...

Jacob was born in Suresnes, France, a western suburb of Paris. The youngest child with three older brothers, Irène grew up in a highly educated and intellectual family and environment: her father was a physicist, her mother a psychologist, one brother a musician, and two brothers scientists. In 1969, at the age of three, Irène moved with her family to Geneva, Switzerland where she became interested Read more...

In 1987, Jacob returned to Paris, where the 21-year-old drama student obtained her first movie role in the film Au revoir, les enfants, playing the part of a piano teacher. She followed her film debut with six additional French movies in four years — mostly minor roles.

In 1991, Polish film director Krzysztof KieÅ›lowski cast her in the lead role of his film The Double Life of Véronique, Read more...