Iben was born in 1971. She studied acting at the State Theatre School of Denmark, and graduated in 1996. Before and after she was invovled in film projects. In 1991, she got a role in a short film titled "Naked". Later on the same director who had given her a role in his short film, also offered her a role in his new film "Portland" ( 1996 ) But it wasn´ t until she got the role as Liva, in "Mifune", her name came to be known by the public. "Mifune" was one of the five films of the Dogme project. The film was also one of many, at the Berlin Filmfestival, and Iben won a "Bear" for her performance in the movie. In the "Shooting Star" categori.

It was here, that she met Stephen Frears, who later would cast her as Laura, in "High Fidelity".
"High Fidelity" has come to be Iben´s breaktrough in the States.