"Jeremy Irons has embodied some iconic characters that have accompanied me throughout my journey in cinema," Berlinale artistic director Carlo Chatrian said in a statement, adding he was "proud to welcome him" to the festival.
"It is with feelings of great pleasure and not inconsiderable honour that I take on the role of president of the international jury," Irons said.
Active in film since the 1980s after beginnings in the theatre, Irons won both the Best Actor Academy Award and the Golden Globe in 1991 for his role in "Reversal of Fortune" by Barbet Schroeder.
We are excited to announce the legendary actor #JeremyIrons as our president of the International Jury at this year´s #Berlinale! He has embodied numerous iconic characters and won multiple awards, including the #AcademyAward for Best Actor. ? https://t.co/rHXJYteLRD pic.twitter.com/eBia12qmA2
— Berlinale (@berlinale) January 9, 2020
Over the decades he has appeared in dozens of productions across all kinds of films, ranging from blockbusters like "Die Hard: With A Vengeance" to the controversial film adaption of Vladimir Nabokov's novel "Lolita".
His most recent film at the Berlinale was "Night Train to Lisbon" by Bille August in 2013, while he is currently on US small screens in HBO's comic book-based series "Watchmen".
This year's edition of the film festival runs from February 20th to March 1st.
READ ALSO: Movie directors call for drastic overhaul of Berlinale Film Festival
The 11-day event prides itself on being the most politically engaged of the A-list cinema showcases, presenting hundreds of movies from around the world, most on hard-hitting topical themes.
Last year the festival made a statement against entertainment industry sexism by welcoming an unprecedented line-up of female directors.
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