A driver circuit and a method drive an electronic component such as a laser diode with a variable electric current that is controlledly switched between at least two discrete current levels. The driver circuit includes circuit elements that damp ringing or initial transient oscillations that arise when switching the current between the current levels. The driver circuit includes a current mirror having a mirror amplification factor dependent on the frequency of the variable electric current. In order to counteract parasitic capacitances and/or inductances leading to the ringing, an inductance and/or a resistance are connected between the two series circuits making up the current mirror, a capacitance is connected parallel to a reference resistor of one of the series circuits, and/or a capacitance is connected across the voltage supply.