Franka Potente (born July 22, 1974) is a German film actress and singer. She first appeared in the comedy After Five in the Forest Primeval (1995) and gained critical recognition in the action thriller Lola rennt (released in English as Run Lola Run) (1998). Potente received Germany's highest film and television awards for her performances in Run Lola Run and Opernball. After half a decade of critically acclaimed roles in German films, Potente went on to garner the role of Barbara Buckley in Blow (2001) and as Jason Bourne's love interest in the Bourne film series. The elder of two children, Potente was born in Münster, and raised in nearby Dülmen. Her mother, Hildegard, is a medical assistant, and her father, Dieter Potente, is a teacher. Her Italian surname stems from her great-grandfather, a Sicilian slater who emigrated to Germany during the 19th century. When 17 years old, she spent a few months as an exchange student in Humble, Texas, United States. After finishing high school in Germany, Potente enrolled at the Otto Falckenberg School of Performing Arts in Munich. Potente took acting jobs outside school time and appeared in her first movie in the 1995 student film Aufbruch.