KEN WATANABE
Ken Watanabe
Gender: Male
Known for: Acting
Birthday: October 21, 1959
Place of Birth: Uonuma, Niigata, Japan
Biography
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.
Filmography
Starring
2026·
Samurai VengeanceKinji Shinoda
2025·
TRUE COLORSTaichirou Tsujimura
2025·
UnboundTamema Okitsugu
2025·
The Final PieceShigeyoshi Toumyo
2025·
KokuhoHanjiro Hanai
2024·
Kensuke's KingdomKensuke (voice)
2024·
All LivesSelf
2023·
The CreatorHarun
2022·
Tokyo ViceHiroto Katagiri
2020·
Alice in BorderlandOld Gentleman
2020·
Toubousha2020·
Fukushima 50Masao Yoshida
2020·
劇場の灯を消すな！PARCO劇場編Ono Masuji
Lieutenant Hide Yoshida
Dr. Ishiro Serizawa
2018·
SegodonShimazu Nariakira
Father
2018·
The King and IThe King of Siam
2018·
Bel CantoKatsumi Hosokawa
2018·
Isle of DogsHead Surgeon (voice)
2017·
NHK WORLD PRIMESelf - Presenter
Taro Miura
Drift (voice)
Restaurant Patron
2016·
五年目のひとり키자키 슈지
2016·
The Sea of TreesTakumi Nakamura
2016·
RageYohei Maki
東雲朔太郎
2014·
Back of FatherTakamura Kouji
2014·
Snow JackReiji Kurata
Self
Drift (voice)
2014·
GodzillaDr. Ishiro Serizawa
2013·
UnforgivenJubee Kamata
Junichiro Kawaguchi
Regular
2010·
A School Behind Bars2010·
ShanghaiTanaka
2010·
InceptionSaito
2009·
刑事一代 平塚八兵衛の昭和事件史2009·
The UnbrokenHajime Onchi
Mr. Tall
2007·
星ひとつの夜Nonoyama Hiroji
2007·
EarthNarrator (voice)
2006·
Memories of TomorrowMasayuki Saeki
General Tadamichi Kuribayashi
2005·
Ashes and SnowJapanese Narrator (voice)
2005·
Memoirs of a GeishaLe président
Komatsubara Hideaki
2005·
Batman BeginsRa's al Ghul
2004·
Vessel of SandShuichiro Imanishi
2003·
藤田宜永サスペンス「異端の夏」2003·
川、いつか海へ 6つの愛の物語Fujimaki Hiroaki
2003·
第三の時効2003·
T.R.Y.Masanobu Azuma
2003·
The Last SamuraiMoritsugu Katsumoto
2002·
強行犯捜査第七係2002·
横山秀夫サスペンス シリーズ (TBS)Okubo
2001·
Hojo TokimuneHojo Tokiyori
2001·
Drowning FishMiyota
Yokoyama
2000·
The Whispered CityIshida
2000·
Space TravelersSakamaki ("Crusher")
1998·
Shimei Tehai1998·
BondsDetective Sako Akio
Raita Onuki
1995·
Gokenin ZankuroZankuro Matsudaira
1993·
The Fire Still BurnsFujiwara Tsunekiyo
1993·
Kagi-shiDr. Baian
1993·
Hanzo, the Razor1992·
Waga Machi1992·
Izakaya ChōjiMochizuki Koheita
1992·
Oda NobunagaKojirō
1991·
Baian the AssassinFujieda Baian
1991·
Takeda ShingenNarrator
Ryoma Sakamoto
1990·
Musuko no Gokikan1990·
Baian the AssassinDr. Baian
1989·
Oda Nobunaga1987·
Masamune Shogun伊達政宗
1987·
Commando Invasion1986·
HanekonmaGenzo Onodera
1986·
The Sea and PoisonToda
Self
1985·
Kekkon Annai Mystery1985·
TampopoGun
1984·
MacArthur's ChildrenTetsuo Nakai
Production
2022·
Tokyo ViceExecutive Producer
Production Manager
2006·
Memories of TomorrowExecutive Producer
1989·
HarimaoProducer