Ken Watanabe
October 21, 1959 (65 years old) in Koide, Niigata, Japan
Ken Watanabe (born October 21, 1959) is a Japanese stage, film, and television actor. To English-speaking audiences he is known for playing tragic hero characters, such as General Tadamichi Kuribayashi in Letters from Iwo Jima and Lord Katsumoto Moritsugu in The Last Samurai, for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Among other awards, he has won the Japan Academy Prize for Best Actor twice, in 2007 for Memories of Tomorrow and in 2010 for Shizumanu Taiyō. He is also known for his roles in director Christopher Nolan's Hollywood blockbusters Batman Begins and Inception.
Known For
Credits
- 2025 ·National Treasureas
- 2025 ·TRUE COLORSas Taichirou Tsujimura
- 2025 ·Unboundas Tamema Okitsugu
- 2024 ·All Livesas
- 2024 ·Kensuke's Kingdomas Kensuke (voice)
- 2023 ·True Love: Making The Creatoras Self
- 2023 ·The Creatoras Harun
- 2022 ·Tokyo Viceas Hiroto Katagiri
- 2020 ·Touboushaas
- 2020 ·劇場の灯を消すな！PARCO劇場編as
- 2020 ·Fukushima 50as Masao Yoshida
- 2019 ·Godzilla: King of the Monstersas Dr. Ishiro Serizawa
- 2019 ·Pokémon Detective Pikachuas Lieutenant Hide Yoshida
- 2019 ·An Artist of the Floating Worldas Ono Masuji
- 2018 ·The King and Ias The King of Siam
- 2018 ·Bel Cantoas Katsumi Hosokawa
- 2018 ·Isle of Dogsas Head Surgeon (voice)
- 2018 ·7 Guardians of the Tombas Father
- 2018 ·Segodonas Shimazu Nariakira
- 2017 ·NHK WORLD PRIMEas Self - Presenter
- 2017 ·Transformers: The Last Knightas Drift (voice)
- 2017 ·Dirty, Clean, & Inbetweenas Restaurant Patron
- 2017 ·The Memories of Happinessas Taro Miura
- 2016 ·五年目のひとりas 키자키 슈지
- 2016 ·Rageas Yohei Maki
- 2016 ·The Sea of Treesas Takumi Nakamura
- 2014 ·Evolution Within Extinctionas Self
- 2014 ·Snow Jackas Reiji Kurata
- 2014 ·Back of Fatheras Takamura Kouji
- 2014 ·Transformers: Age of Extinctionas Drift (voice)
- 2014 ·Godzillaas Dr. Ishiro Serizawa
- 2013 ·Unforgivenas Jubee Kamata
- 2012 ·Hayabusa: The Long Voyage Homeas Junichiro Kawaguchi
- 2011 ·Gyoretsuno dekiru sodanjoas Regular
- 2011 ·Ai inochi - Shinjuku Kabukicho Kakekomi Dera -as
- 2010 ·A School Behind Barsas
- 2010 ·Inceptionas Saito
- 2010 ·Shanghaias Tanaka
- 2009 ·Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistantas Mr. Tall
- 2009 ·The Unbrokenas Hajime Onchi
- 2007 ·Earthas Narrator (voice)
- 2006 ·Letters from Iwo Jimaas General Tadamichi Kuribayashi
- 2006 ·Memories of Tomorrowas Masayuki Saeki
- 2005 ·Memoirs of a Geishaas Chairman
- 2005 ·Batman Beginsas Ra's al Ghul
- 2005 ·Year One in the Northas Komatsubara Hideaki
- 2004 ·Vessel of Sandas Shuichiro Imanishi
- 2003 ·川、いつか海へ 6つの愛の物語as
- 2003 ·The Last Samuraias Moritsugu Katsumoto
- 2003 ·Another Battle/Conspiracyas Fujimaki Hiroaki
- 2003 ·藤田宜永サスペンス「異端の夏」as
- 2003 ·T.R.Y.as Masanobu Azuma
- 2002 ·Mibu Gishiden: Shinsengumi de Ichiban Tsuyokatta Otokoas
- 2002 ·横山秀夫サスペンス シリーズ (TBS)as
- 2002 ·強行犯捜査第七係as
- 2002 ·Dawn of a New Day: The Man Behind VHSas Okubo
- 2001 ·Drowning Fishas Miyota
- 2001 ·Hojo Tokimuneas Hojo Tokiyori
- 2000 ·The Whispered Cityas Ishida
- 2000 ·Ikebukuro West Gate Parkas Yokoyama
- 2000 ·Space Travelersas Sakamaki ("Crusher")
- 1998 ·Shimei Tehaias
- 1998 ·Bondsas Detective Sako Akio
- 1997 ·Welcome Back, Mr. McDonaldas Raita Onuki
- 1995 ·Gokenin Zankuroas Zankuro Matsudaira
- 1993 ·Baian the Assassin: Showdownas Dr. Baian
- 1993 ·The Fire Still Burnsas Fujiwara Tsunekiyo
- 1993 ·Kagi-shias
- 1993 ·Hanzo, the Razoras
- 1992 ·Chronicle of the Town Magistrateas Mochizuki Koheita
- 1992 ·Waga Machias
- 1992 ·Izakaya Chōjias
- 1992 ·Oda Nobunagaas
- 1992 ·Ganryujima: Kojiro and Musashias Kojirō
- 1991 ·Baian the Assassinas Fujieda Baian
- 1991 ·A Naive History of the Bakumatsu Eraas Ryoma Sakamoto
- 1990 ·Baian the Assassinas Dr. Baian
- 1990 ·Musuko no Gokikanas
- 1990 ·Yonimo Kimyou na Monogatari Tokubetsuhenas
- 1989 ·Oda Nobunagaas
- 1987 ·Masamune Shogunas 伊達政宗
- 1987 ·Commando Invasionas
- 1986 ·The Sea and Poisonas Toda
- 1986 ·Hanekonmaas Genzo Onodera
- 1986 ·The Making of "Tampopo"as Self
- 1985 ·Tampopoas Gun
- 1985 ·Kekkon Annai Mysteryas
- 1984 ·MacArthur's Childrenas Tetsuo Nakai
- 1980 ·Bruce's Fists Of Vengeanceas Samurai Master
- Future ·第三の時効as