About

Known credits:
83
Birthday:
1959-10-21
Place of birth:
Koide, Niigata, Japan
Website:
Click here

Ken Watanabe

Overview

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

Acting
2024 All Lives Actor 59
Average
2024 Kensuke's Kingdom Actor Kensuke (voice) 59
Average
2023 True Love: Making The Creator Actor Self 59
Average
2023 The Creator Actor Harun 69
Fair
2022 Tokyo Vice Actor Hiroto Katagiri 77
Good
2020 Toubousha Actor 69
Fair
2020 劇場の灯を消すな！PARCO劇場編 Actor 59
Average
2020 Fukushima 50 Actor Masao Yoshida 60
Fair
2019 Godzilla: King of the Monsters Actor Dr. Ishiro Serizawa 66
Fair
2019 Pokémon Detective Pikachu Actor Lieutenant Hide Yoshida 68
Fair
2019 An Artist of the Floating World Actor Ono Masuji N/A
N/A
2018 The King and I Actor The King of Siam 59
Average
2018 Bel Canto Actor Katsumi Hosokawa 58
Average
2018 Isle of Dogs Actor Head Surgeon (voice) 76
Good
2018 7 Guardians of the Tomb Actor Father 57
Average
2017 Transformers: The Last Knight Actor Drift (voice) 60
Fair
2017 Dirty, Clean, & Inbetween Actor Restaurant Patron N/A
N/A
2017 The Memories of Happiness Actor Taro Miura N/A
N/A
2016 五年目のひとり Actor 키자키 슈지 N/A
N/A
2016 Rage Actor Yohei Maki 60
Fair
2016 The Sea of Trees Actor Takumi Nakamura 60
Fair
2014 Evolution Within Extinction Actor Self 59
Average
2014 Snow Jack Actor Reiji Kurata N/A
N/A
2014 Transformers: Age of Extinction Actor Drift (voice) 58
Average
2014 Godzilla Actor Dr. Ishiro Serizawa 63
Fair
2013 Unforgiven Actor Jubee Kamata 60
Fair
2012 Hayabusa: The Long Voyage Home Actor Junichiro Kawaguchi 58
Average
2011 Gyoretsuno dekiru sodanjo Actor Regular N/A
N/A
2011 Ai inochi - Shinjuku Kabukicho Kakekomi Dera - Actor N/A
N/A
2010 A School Behind Bars Actor 59
Average
2010 Inception Actor Saito 83
Very good
2010 Shanghai Actor Tanaka 59
Average
2009 The Unbroken Actor Hajime Onchi 59
Average
2009 Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant Actor Mr. Tall 58
Average
2007 Earth Actor Narrator (voice) 65
Fair
2006 Letters from Iwo Jima Actor General Tadamichi Kuribayashi 71
Good
2006 Memories of Tomorrow Actor Masayuki Saeki 59
Average
2005 Memoirs of a Geisha Actor Chairman 74
Good
2005 Batman Begins Actor Ra's al Ghul 76
Good
2005 Year One in the North Actor Komatsubara Hideaki 58
Average
2004 Vessel of Sand Actor Shuichiro Imanishi 68
Fair
2003 川、いつか海へ 6つの愛の物語 Actor N/A
N/A
2003 The Last Samurai Actor Moritsugu Katsumoto 74
Good
2003 Another Battle/Conspiracy Actor Fujimaki Hiroaki N/A
N/A
2003 藤田宜永サスペンス「異端の夏」 Actor N/A
N/A
2003 T.R.Y. Actor Masanobu Azuma 59
Average
2002 Mibu Gishiden: Shinsengumi de Ichiban Tsuyokatta Otoko Actor N/A
N/A
2002 横山秀夫サスペンス シリーズ (TBS) Actor N/A
N/A
2002 強行犯捜査第七係 Actor N/A
N/A
2002 Dawn of a New Day: The Man Behind VHS Actor Okubo N/A
N/A
2001 Drowning Fish Actor Miyota 59
Average
2001 Hojo Tokimune Actor Hojo Tokiyori N/A
N/A
2000 The Whispered City Actor Ishida N/A
N/A
2000 Ikebukuro West Gate Park Actor Yokoyama 71
Good
2000 Space Travelers Actor Sakamaki ("Crusher") 58
Average
1998 Shimei Tehai Actor N/A
N/A
1998 Bonds Actor Detective Sako Akio 58
Average
1997 Welcome Back, Mr. McDonald Actor Raita Onuki 60
Fair
1993 Baian the Assassin: Showdown Actor Dr. Baian N/A
N/A
1993 The Fire Still Burns Actor Fujiwara Tsunekiyo N/A
N/A
1993 Kagi-shi Actor N/A
N/A
1993 Hanzo, the Razor Actor N/A
N/A
1992 Chronicle of the Town Magistrate Actor Mochizuki Koheita N/A
N/A
1992 Waga Machi Actor N/A
N/A
1992 Izakaya Chōji Actor N/A
N/A
1992 Oda Nobunaga Actor 59
Average
1992 Ganryujima: Kojiro and Musashi Actor Kojirō 59
Average
1991 Baian the Assassin Actor Fujieda Baian 70
Good
1991 A Naive History of the Bakumatsu Era Actor Ryoma Sakamoto 59
Average
1990 Baian the Assassin Actor Dr. Baian N/A
N/A
1989 Oda Nobunaga Actor N/A
N/A
1987 Masamune Shogun Actor 伊達政宗 71
Good
1987 Commando Invasion Actor 59
Average
1986 The Sea and Poison Actor Toda 59
Average
1986 Hanekonma Actor Genzo Onodera 70
Good
1986 The Making of "Tampopo" Actor Self N/A
N/A
1985 Tampopo Actor Gun 66
Fair
1985 Kekkon Annai Mystery Actor 59
Average
1984 MacArthur's Children Actor Tetsuo Nakai 59
Average
1980 Bruce's Fists Of Vengeance Actor Samurai Master 59
Average
第三の時効 Actor N/A
N/A

Production
2022 Tokyo Vice Production Executive Producer 77
Good
1989 Harimao Production Producer 59
Average