Harfouch was born in Suhl, East Germany, the daughter of the teacher Wolfgang Meffert and his wife Marianne (née Kleber).

She worked as a nurse and studied acting at the National Theatre School in Berlin from 1978 to 1981.

In 1994, Harfouch was a member of the jury at the 44th Berlin International Film Festival, chaired by Jeremy Thomas.

[1] After a few guest roles in the Tatort crime series, Harfouch became part of the permanent cast in 2023, succeeding Meret Becker in the series' Berlin team.

This article about a German film and television actor is a stub.