Ken Watanabe
Acting
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
Acting103
movieSamurai Vengeance
2026
Kinji Shinoda
movieThe Final Piece
2025
Shigeyoshi Toumyo
movieKokuho
2025
Hanjiro Hanai
tvUnbound
2025
Tamema Okitsugu
tvTRUE COLORS
2025
Taichirou Tsujimura
movieKensuke's Kingdom
2024
Kensuke (voice)
movieThe Creator
2023
Harun
tvTokyo Vice
2022
Hiroto Katagiri
tvAlice in Borderland
2020
Old Gentleman
movieFukushima 50
2020
Masao Yoshida
movieGodzilla: King of the Monsters
2019
Dr. Ishiro Serizawa
moviePokémon Detective Pikachu
2019
Lieutenant Hide Yoshida
movieAn Artist of the Floating World
2019
Ono Masuji
movieThe King and I
2018
The King of Siam
movieBel Canto
2018
Katsumi Hosokawa
movieIsle of Dogs
2018
Head Surgeon (voice)
tvSegodon
2018
Shimazu Nariakira
tvNHK WORLD PRIME
2017
Self - Presenter
movieTransformers: The Last Knight
2017
Drift (voice)
movieDirty, Clean, & Inbetween
2017
Restaurant Patron
movieThe Memories of Happiness
2017
Taro Miura
tv五年目のひとり
2016
키자키 슈지
movieRage
2016
Yohei Maki
movieThe Sea of Trees
2016
Takumi Nakamura
movieSnow Jack
2014
Reiji Kurata
tvBack of Father
2014
Takamura Kouji
movieTransformers: Age of Extinction
2014
Drift (voice)
movieGodzilla
2014
Dr. Ishiro Serizawa
movieUnforgiven
2013
Jubee Kamata
movieHayabusa: The Long Voyage Home
2012
Junichiro Kawaguchi
movieInception
2010
Saito
movieShanghai
2010
Tanaka
movieThe Unbroken
2009
Hajime Onchi
movieEarth
2007
Narrator (voice)
movie星ひとつの夜
2007
Nonoyama Hiroji
movieLetters from Iwo Jima
2006
General Tadamichi Kuribayashi
movieMemories of Tomorrow
2006
Masayuki Saeki
movieMemoirs of a Geisha
2005
Le président
movieBatman Begins
2005
Ra's al Ghul
movieAshes and Snow
2005
Japanese Narrator (voice)
movieYear One in the North
2005
Komatsubara Hideaki
tvVessel of Sand
2004
Shuichiro Imanishi
movieThe Last Samurai
2003
Moritsugu Katsumoto
movieAnother Battle/Conspiracy
2003
Fujimaki Hiroaki
movieT.R.Y.
2003
Masanobu Azuma
movieDrowning Fish
2001
Miyota
tvHojo Tokimune
2001
Hojo Tokiyori
tvIkebukuro West Gate Park
2000
Yokoyama
movieSpace Travelers
2000
Sakamaki ("Crusher")
movieBonds
1998
Detective Sako Akio
movieWelcome Back, Mr. McDonald
1997
Raita Onuki
tvGokenin Zankuro
1995
Zankuro Matsudaira
tvThe Fire Still Burns
1993
Fujiwara Tsunekiyo
movieChronicle of the Town Magistrate
1992
Mochizuki Koheita
tvBaian the Assassin
1991
Fujieda Baian
movieA Naive History of the Bakumatsu Era
1991
Ryoma Sakamoto
movieTakeda Shingen
1991
Narrator
movieBaian the Assassin
1990
Dr. Baian
tvHanekonma
1986
Genzo Onodera
movieMacArthur's Children
1984
Tetsuo Nakai
Production4
tvTokyo Vice
2022
Executive Producer
movieHayabusa: The Long Voyage Home
2012
Production Manager
movieMemories of Tomorrow
2006
Executive Producer
movieHarimao
1989
Producer