She was born in 1941 in Bucharest, the daughter of Constantin and Elena Petrescu.[5] She graduated from the Institute of Theatre and Film I.L. Caragiale, class of 1963, under the guidance of teachers Ion Șahighian [ro] and David Esrig. Irina Petrescu was noticed one day by director Savel Știopul [ro], who came to her table in the Continental restaurant and asked her to audition for his film. The film has not done, but the audition was shown to Liviu Ciulei, who searched for – and found – an interpreter for Ana's role in "Waves of the Danube". At that time Petrescu was only 17 years old. For the Institute she also prepared with Știopul, who insisted to give the exam, and she had gotten in reciting lyrics of Mihai Eminescu and a fable by Marcel Breslașu [ro].[6]
She died in 2013 at Elias Hospital [ro] after a long battle with breast cancer, and was buried at the Reînvierea Cemetery in the Colentina neighborhood of Bucharest.[2]
