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Ken Watanabe

Acting

Ken Watanabe

Ken Watanabe is an actor born on October 21, 1959 in Uonuma, Niigata, Japan. He is known for Inception, Godzilla and The Last Samurai. GloboWatch shows where to watch one of his movies and TV shows, country by country.

Known for
Acting
Born
October 21, 1959
Place of birth
Uonuma, Niigata, Japan
Also known as
渡邊謙 · 渡辺 謙 · کِن واتانابه

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

  1. 2026Samurai Vengeanceas Kinji Shinoda
  2. 2025The Final Pieceas Shigeyoshi Toumyo
  3. 2025Kokuhoas Hanjiro Hanai
  4. 2025Unboundas Tamema Okitsugu · 48 episodes
  5. 2025TRUE COLORSas Taichirou Tsujimura · 9 episodes
  6. 2024All Lives
  7. 2024Kensuke's Kingdomas Kensuke (voice)
  8. 2023True Love: Making The Creatoras Self
  9. 2023The Creatoras Harun
  10. 2022Tokyo Viceas Hiroto Katagiri · 18 episodes · Executive producer
  11. 2020Alice in Borderlandas Old Gentleman · 1 episode
  12. 2020Fukushima 50as Masao Yoshida
  13. 2019Godzilla: King of the Monstersas Dr. Ishiro Serizawa
  14. 2019Pokémon Detective Pikachuas Lieutenant Hide Yoshida
  15. 2018The King and Ias The King of Siam
  16. 2018Bel Cantoas Katsumi Hosokawa
  17. 2018Isle of Dogsas Head Surgeon (voice)
  18. 20187 Guardians of the Tombas Father
  19. 2018Segodonas Shimazu Nariakira · 17 episodes
  20. 2017Transformers: The Last Knightas Drift (voice)
  21. 2016Rageas Yohei Maki
  22. 2016The Sea of Treesas Takumi Nakamura
  23. 2015The Secret Lives of Kyoto Folkas 東雲朔太郎 · 9 episodes
  24. 2014Evolution Within Extinctionas Self
  25. 2014Transformers: Age of Extinctionas Drift (voice)
  26. 2014Godzillaas Dr. Ishiro Serizawa
  27. 2013Unforgivenas Jubee Kamata
  28. 2012Hayabusa: The Long Voyage Homeas Junichiro Kawaguchi
  29. 2010Inceptionas Saito
  30. 2010Shanghaias Tanaka
  31. 2009The Unbrokenas Hajime Onchi
  32. 2009Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistantas Mr. Tall
  33. 2007Earthas Narrator (voice)
  34. 2006Letters from Iwo Jimaas General Tadamichi Kuribayashi
  35. 2006Memories of Tomorrowas Masayuki Saeki · Executive producer
  36. 2005Memoirs of a Geishaas Chairman
  37. 2005Batman Beginsas Ra's al Ghul
  38. 2005Ashes and Snowas Japanese Narrator (voice)
  39. 2005Year One in the Northas Komatsubara Hideaki
  40. 2004Vessel of Sandas Shuichiro Imanishi · 11 episodes
  41. 2003The Last Samuraias Moritsugu Katsumoto
  42. 2003T.R.Y.as Masanobu Azuma
  43. 2002Dawn of a New Day: The Man Behind VHSas Okubo
  44. 2001Love of a Thousand Years - Story of Genji
  45. 2001Drowning Fishas Miyota
  46. 2000The Whispered Cityas Ishida
  47. 2000Ikebukuro West Gate Parkas Yokoyama · 11 episodes
  48. 2000Space Travelersas Sakamaki ("Crusher")
  49. 1998Bondsas Detective Sako Akio
  50. 1997Welcome Back, Mr. McDonaldas Raita Onuki
  51. 1995Gokenin Zankuroas Zankuro Matsudaira · 8 episodes
  52. 1992Oda Nobunaga
  53. 1992Ganryujima: Kojiro and Musashias Kojirō
  54. 1991A Naive History of the Bakumatsu Eraas Ryoma Sakamoto
  55. 1987Masamune Shogunas 伊達政宗 · 50 episodes
  56. 1987Commando Invasion
  57. 1986The Sea and Poisonas Toda
  58. 1985Tampopoas Gun
  59. 1985Kekkon Annai Mystery
  60. 1984MacArthur's Childrenas Tetsuo Nakai