Ken Watanabe

Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Known Credits

5.0026

Gender

Male

Birthday

21-Oct-1959

Age

(66 years old)

Place of Birth

Uonuma, Niigata, Japan

Also Known As
  • 渡邊謙
  • 渡辺 謙
  • کِن واتانابه
  • ک ِن واتانابه

Ken Watanabe

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.


Credits

白銀ジャック 白銀ジャック (2014) Character: Reiji Kurata
A blackmail arrives at Appi ski resort. “We demand 30,000,000 yen as consolation money for the destruction of the environment. If you do not respond to the demand, a time bomb set on the ski slope will be detonated.” If the bomb goes off, it will not only hurt the skiers but trigger an avalanche and cause a major catastrophe. The general manager of the ski pistes, Kurata (Ken Watanabe) pleads for an immediate shutdown of the ski site and reporting to the police, but the president of the ski resort gives priority to business interests and decides to negotiate with the blackmailer. And a negotiation process for a despicable ransom case with a massive hostage of all the skiers at the resort begins.
仕掛人 藤枝梅安スペシャル 仕掛人 藤枝梅安スペシャル (1990) Character: Dr. Baian
Fujieda Baian is admired during the day as a skilled acupuncturist. However, his nighttime persona is that of a highly skilled assassin. For money, he eliminates those whose existence is considered harmful, quietly disposing of them. One night, Baian is mistaken for another doctor by the young swordsman Kosugi Jūgorō and is attacked. He manages to avoid harm, but the doctor Kosugi originally intended to target is connected to the assassination target assigned by Baian’s boss, Hanzaemon Otowa. Baian and his companion Hikojiro begin investigating their target, Chōbei Izuyaya, the owner of a candle shop...
仕掛人 藤枝梅安スペシャル 対決 仕掛人 藤枝梅安スペシャル 対決 (1993) Character: Dr. Baian
Fujieda Baian is admired during the day as a skilled acupuncturist. However, at night, he is a highly skilled assassin, taking on contracts to quietly eliminate those whose existence is deemed toxic to society. Baian's latest target, assigned by his boss Otowa, is Shirakoya Kikuemon, the head of a powerful organization in Osaka. In the past, Baian had been indebted to Shirakoya, but due to a conflict involving the swordsman Kosugi Jūgorō, their relationship has turned adversarial. After his lover is abducted, Shirakoya storms into Edo. With his life now targeted, Baian resolves to confront Shirakoya in a desperate final showdown.
Ai inochi - Shinjuku Kabukicho Kakekomi Dera - Ai inochi - Shinjuku Kabukicho Kakekomi Dera - (2011) Character: N/A
Japanese TV movie
星ひとつの夜 星ひとつの夜 (2007) Character: Nonoyama Hiroji
Janitor Hiroharu Nonoyama (Ken Watanabe) discovers a coat filled with cash while working. The coat belongs to Daiki Iwasaki (Hiroshi Tamaki), who lives in a luxury apartment building. When Taiki offers Hiroharu a wad of cash as thanks for returning the coat, Hiroharu refuses and walks away... This incident sparks a connection between the two men, though each has reasons they don't want probed. As Taiki gradually opens up, Hiroharu still carries a secret he doesn't want anyone to know.
塀の中の中学校 塀の中の中学校 (2010) Character: N/A
"A School Behind Bars" centers around Asahi Junior High School, which is located within Nagano Matsumoto Boy's prison in Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture - the only public school in Japan that is located inside a prison. The school's students are all prisoners ranging in age from 20-70. The students are carefully selected after taking an entrance exam and being selected by the school's admission board.
陽はまた昇る 陽はまた昇る (2002) Character: Okubo
A Japanese film that tells the tale of the birth of VHS. It follows Kagatani Shizuo, an electronics employee who rallies his coworkers to save their jobs by increasing sales. They do this by developing the VHS standard. They battle with Sony and their standard and ultimately prevail.
町奉行日記 町奉行日記 (1992) Character: Mochizuki Koheita
In a maelstrom of evil, can a new magistrate, samurai Mochizuki Koheita, with a reputation like an alley cat, bring order to the town of Horisoto, or is he, too a corrupt villain looking to gain wealth from the oppressed people? From the pen of famed samurai author Yamamoto Shugoro, this exciting tale turns the tables on the standard samurai story with a unique lead character previously portrayed in Ichikawa Kon’s “Dora Heita.”
Commando Invasion Commando Invasion (1987) Character: N/A
The leader of a group of American commandos has 5 days to kidnap a VC General to prove his innocence after all his men are killed in an abortive raid.
Dirty, Clean, & Inbetween Dirty, Clean, & Inbetween (2017) Character: Restaurant Patron
Dirty, Clean and Inbetween is a Sex and The City for guys, with a delightful mix of Entourage, Suits and Workaholics all coming together to make for one hell of a ride. In the pilot episode Martin, a 25 yr old virgin and has yet to even drink alcohol, arranges a chance encounter with his long time crush Sky Stone. His life is about to change with a dream job opportunity at a large hedge fund. Randall and Brok are on the verge of selling their infamous APP 'Dickheads', which lets users paste cartoon male genitalia onto pictures of their friends faces. The $10 million deal was negotiated by their lawyer and friend, Matt, whose overly controlling girlfriend is a constant cause of ridicule. The group throw the party of their lives to celebrate the upcoming sale and show off their success. But are they celebrating too soon?
Evolution Within Extinction Evolution Within Extinction (2014) Character: Self
The definitive feature-length documentary on the creation of "Transformers: Age of Extinction".
Red Sun, Black Sand: The Making of 'Letters from Iwo Jima' Red Sun, Black Sand: The Making of 'Letters from Iwo Jima' (2007) Character: Self
Documentary on the making of Clint Eastwood's film 'Letters from Iwo Jima'.
織田信長 織田信長 (1992) Character: N/A
Among the great ‘Warlords’ in Japanese history, Oda Nobunaga holds a unique place. In effect, his military success led to the ultimate unification of the country. This historically accurate portrayal of Nobunaga’s life and times is highlighted by many of Japan’s biggest stars, most notably Watanabe Ken in the lead role. Bloody realistic fighting, massive battles, and castle intrigues all drawn from historical sources bring this 2 part drama to new heights in storytelling.
絆 絆 (1998) Character: Detective Sako Akio
Tetsuro Haga is a troubled gangster, living under the assumed identity Ise for ten years, to escape jail for gunning down his cruel adoptive father. His life begins to unravel when a journalist following him takes an interest in the wife of a boyhood chum, and the wife of another close friend takes an interest in Ise. A couple of murders later, Ise/Haga goes on the run and also sets out for revenge.
True Love: Making The Creator True Love: Making The Creator (2023) Character: Self
Join director Gareth Edwards and crew for nearly an hour look behind the scenes. Hear from actors about the filming experience, and learn about the production's documentary-style approach, the innovative camera and lighting work, and much more.
沈まぬ太陽 沈まぬ太陽 (2009) Character: Hajime Onchi
Onchi was exiled to posts around Asia and Africa due to his work as head of a labor union for National Air Line. He is ordered to return to head office after ten years, and continues to struggle. When a National Air Line plane is involved in the worst air disaster in Japanese history, he is assigned to console and provide restitution to the families of the victims.
Transformers: The Last Knight Transformers: The Last Knight (2017) Character: Drift (voice)
Humans and Transformers are at war. Optimus Prime is gone. The key to saving our future lies buried in the secrets of the past, in the hidden history of Transformers on Earth. Saving our world falls upon the shoulders of an unlikely alliance: Cade Yeager; Bumblebee; an English Lord; and an Oxford Professor.
7 Guardians of the Tomb 7 Guardians of the Tomb (2018) Character: Father
An innocent discovery of a well-preserved mummified Emperor from 200 BC China unearths a 2000 year old nightmare - a secret that should have remained buried.
国宝 国宝 (2025) Character: Hanjiro Hanai
Nagasaki, 1964: Following the death of his yakuza father, 15-year-old Kikuo is taken under the wing of a famous kabuki actor. Alongside Shunsuke, the actor’s only son, he decides to dedicate himself to this traditional form of theatre. For decades, the two young men grow and evolve together – and one will become the greatest Japanese master of the art of kabuki.
Earth Earth (2007) Character: Narrator (voice)
An epic story of adventure, starring some of the most magnificent and courageous creatures alive, awaits you in EARTH. Disneynature brings you a remarkable story of three animal families on a journey across our planet – polar bears, elephants and humpback whales.
Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant (2009) Character: Mr. Tall
When Darren Shan is taken to a circus that's chock-full of sideshow oddities, he meets a vampire and receives a life-changing bite on the neck.
瀬戸内少年野球団 瀬戸内少年野球団 (1984) Character: Tetsuo Nakai
In this drama at the end of World War II, the inhabitants of a small Japanese fishing village must come to terms with their nation's defeat and the sudden occupation of General MacArthur and his troops.
Bel Canto Bel Canto (2018) Character: Katsumi Hosokawa
A famous opera singer is held hostage in South America by a guerrilla rebel group after performing at a Japanese businessman's lavish birthday party. Unexpected bonds are forged in the standoff that ensues.
Letters from Iwo Jima Letters from Iwo Jima (2006) Character: General Tadamichi Kuribayashi
The story of the battle of Iwo Jima between the United States and Imperial Japan during World War II, as told from the perspective of the Japanese who fought it.
生きとし生けるもの 生きとし生けるもの (2024) Character: N/A
TV Tokyo's 60th anniversary special drama. This is a human drama about a doctor struggling with his life and a patient who has been told he has little time left to live, as they travel around the world in search of answers to the eternal questions of what people live for and what they leave behind.
ラヂオの時間 ラヂオの時間 (1997) Character: Raita Onuki
A love story written by an ordinary housewife is going to be broadcast as a radio drama and almost everyone among the crew insists on changing various parts of the play to their liking.
明日の記憶 明日の記憶 (2006) Character: Masayuki Saeki
After being stricken with Alzheimer's disease in the prime of his life, a successful young businessman slips slowly away from his loving family.
結婚案内ミステリー 結婚案内ミステリー (1985) Character: N/A
A 19-year-old girl Hiroko Terasawa working in a matching agency promises her client Masakazu Sekine that she'll pose as his fiancée for a remarkable cash reward. Hiroko moves to Sekine's mansion and prepares to attend the family's meeting. However, this only turns out to be a prelude of a bloody fight over the family's legacy.
巌流島 小次郎と武蔵 巌流島 小次郎と武蔵 (1992) Character: Kojirō
In the 16th Year of Keityo (1611), the lord of Ogura Castle in Kyushu admitted Sasaki Kojiro's because of his great sword techniques. However, a group within the feudal clan which supported to use guns considered Kojiro an obstacle in their goals and has the well-known ronin, Miyamoto Musashi, fight him. Now because of political gain and greed, two honorable men are to fight to the death on Ganryu Island.
浮世の画家 浮世の画家 (2019) Character: Ono Masuji
In the face of the misery in his homeland, the artist Masuji Ono was unwilling to devote his art solely to the celebration of physical beauty. Instead, he put his work in the service of the imperialist movement that led Japan into WWII.
海と毒薬 海と毒薬 (1986) Character: Toda
Two interns and a nurse are interrogated by American MPs for their involvement in an atrocity during the war: the vivisections of a downed American air crew.
盤上の向日葵 盤上の向日葵 (2025) Character: Shigeyoshi Toumyo
Keisuke, a 10-year-old boy, living hard despite being abused by his father, finds a ray of light in the midst of his suffering and conflict ---- a shogi world where he fights quietly and passionately in his sharpened senses. Even though he gives up and tries to escape from the light, his passion for shogi continues to guide him thereafter. Eventually, he would learn the true meaning of life.
The Sea of Trees The Sea of Trees (2016) Character: Takumi Nakamura
In Japan's Aokigahara Forest, a troubled teacher meets a mysterious lost stranger who takes him on a life-changing journey of love and redemption.
伊丹十三の「タンポポ」撮影日記 伊丹十三の「タンポポ」撮影日記 (1986) Character: Self
Documentary about the making of Juzo Itami's film "Tampopo" (1985).
新・仁義なき戦い/謀殺 新・仁義なき戦い/謀殺 (2003) Character: Fujimaki Hiroaki
Katsunori Takahashi and Ken Watanabe star in a modern yakuza tale in the classic Japanese film series, Battles Without Honor and Humanity, directed by Hajime Hashimoto.
スペーストラベラーズ スペーストラベラーズ (2000) Character: Sakamaki ("Crusher")
Three bank robbers, who declare themselves to be Space Travelers, take six persons as hostages when they are surrounded by the police. Among the hostages, there is a terrorist with a hidden bomb. In order to escape, the robbers ask the hostages to pretend to be part of the gang. Surprisingly, the hostages soon enjoy doing so. On that strange day, the bank becomes a tropical paradise...
The Creator The Creator (2023) Character: Harun
Amid a future war between the human race and the forces of artificial intelligence, a hardened ex-special forces agent grieving the disappearance of his wife, is recruited to hunt down and kill the Creator, the elusive architect of advanced AI who has developed a mysterious weapon with the power to end the war—and mankind itself.
Inception Inception (2010) Character: Saito
Cobb, a skilled thief who commits corporate espionage by infiltrating the subconscious of his targets is offered a chance to regain his old life as payment for a task considered to be impossible: "inception", the implantation of another person's idea into a target's subconscious.
北の零年 北の零年 (2005) Character: Komatsubara Hideaki
In 1868, after the fall of the Shogun-dominated Japan, the new government orders people from Awaji, near Kobe, to re-locate to the northern part of Hokkaido. These people once supported the now displaced Samurais of the older days. After two years, over 500 of them settled in their new land under the leadership of Hideaki, husband of Shino. However, as crops fail he is to go to Sapporo to learn new techniques of farming, leaving his wife and daughter for 5 years. All this time, the new community is constantly watched by the government which choose to again uproot them from their new homes.
Godzilla: King of the Monsters Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) Character: Dr. Ishiro Serizawa
Follows the heroic efforts of the crypto-zoological agency Monarch as its members face off against a battery of god-sized monsters, including the mighty Godzilla, who collides with Mothra, Rodan, and his ultimate nemesis, the three-headed King Ghidorah. When these ancient super-species, thought to be mere myths, rise again, they all vie for supremacy, leaving humanity's very existence hanging in the balance.
Isle of Dogs Isle of Dogs (2018) Character: Head Surgeon (voice)
In the future, an outbreak of canine flu leads the mayor of a Japanese city to banish all dogs to an island used as a garbage dump. The outcasts must soon embark on an epic journey when a 12-year-old boy arrives on the island to find his beloved pet.
Shanghai Shanghai (2010) Character: Tanaka
An American man returns to a corrupt, Japanese-occupied Shanghai four months before Pearl Harbor and discovers his friend has been killed. While he unravels the mysteries of the death, he falls in love and discovers a much larger secret that his own government is hiding.
トライ トライ (2003) Character: Masanobu Azuma
At the turn of the 20th Century amongst tension between China and Japan, a Japanese swindler in Shanghai plans to profit by selling weapons. He steals arms from the Japanese military and sells them to the rich Chinese.
The Last Samurai The Last Samurai (2003) Character: Moritsugu Katsumoto
Nathan Algren is an American hired to instruct the Japanese army in the ways of modern warfare, which finds him learning to respect the samurai and the honorable principles that rule them. Pressed to destroy the samurai's way of life in the name of modernization and open trade, Algren decides to become an ultimate warrior himself and to fight for their right to exist.
許されざる者 許されざる者 (2013) Character: Jubee Kamata
An old swordsman, his former comrade and a young braggart are hired by prostitutes to track down bandits who mutilated one of the women.
ざわざわ下北沢 ざわざわ下北沢 (2000) Character: Ishida
Director Jun Ichikawa spins this affectionate portrait of the people who populate Shimokitazawa, a bohemian corner of Tokyo filled with small theater companies and smoky coffeehouses.
幕末純情伝 幕末純情伝 (1991) Character: Ryoma Sakamoto
In the last days of the Tokugawa shogunate, there was a cute warrior, Souji Okita, who belonged to the armed police of the shogunate in Kyoto. Very few knew that Souji was not a boy, but a woman. Souji loved the vice-leader of the armed police, Toshizou Hijikata. Souji suffered from pulmonary tuberculosis and coughed up blood during a battle. Toshizou helped her but said that he did not care for the girl with a smell of blood. Souji had a real talent for swordsmanship and no one but Ryouma Sakamoto could compete with her. Ryouma was a liberal intellectual and tried to carry out a revolution without blood. However, the bloody Meiji Restoration broke out and Souji killed Ryouma who lost his dream. Because a friendship had sprung up between Toshizou and Ryouma, Toshizou got angry and slashed at Souji with a sword. Unwillingly, she unsheathed her sword and thought that she might get love if she was killed by the man she loved.
はやぶさ 遥かなる帰還 はやぶさ 遥かなる帰還 (2012) Character: Junichiro Kawaguchi
In May 2003, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (or JAXA) launched an unmanned spacecraft of their own development to retrieve samples from an asteroid. Seven long years later, Hayabusa achieved its goal and was the first of any kind of craft launched from Earth to safely return samples of this kind to home base. The story was one of such great national pride for Japan, and in the wake of the tsunami and resulting tragedies in Japan it’s strong nationalistic message became the subject of no less than three rival films. Yukihiko Tsutsumi’s high-profile effort, simply titled Hayabusa (2011) starred the incomparable Toshiyuki Nishida. Most recently, Welcome Home, Hayabusa (2012) was released to Japanese audiences. Slipping in between those two was Hayabusa: The Long Voyage Home, concentrating on the people on the ground who helped return the probe safely.
怒り 怒り (2016) Character: Yohei Maki
A man brutally murders a married couple and leaves the word “ikari” (“rage”) written with their blood. The killer undergoes plastic surgery and flees. At three different locations in Japan, a male stranger appears. People suspect that the stranger might be the murderer.
御用牙 御用牙 (1993) Character: N/A
During Tenpo period, Bakuhu announced a law regulating expenditures in order to improve the financial situation. However, Doshin of a government office Itami Hanzo, called Kamisori Hanzo, challenged Bakuhu's oppressive way. Because of this, his father Magobei was told to kill himself by the Bakuhu and Hanzo himself was demoted. Five years later, Hanzo came back to the government office and implement a law regulating expenditures. He stands up for revenge Torii Kainokami who desires power as he likes.
The King and I The King and I (2018) Character: The King of Siam
Widowed Welsh mother Anna Loenowens becomes a governess and English tutor to the wives and many children of the stubborn King Mongkut of Siam. Anna and the King have a clash of personalities as she works to teach the royal family about the English language, customs and etiquette, and rushes to prepare a party for a group of European diplomats who must change their opinions about the King.
しあわせの記憶 しあわせの記憶 (2017) Character: Taro Miura
Taro's business failed and he got divorced. He also left his family's home. 5 years later, his oldest daughter Natsumi, second daughter Yuka and ex-wife Junko still live in the same house which Taro left. One day, Taro, who has been having difficulties paying his rent, visits his daughter Natsumi's office to ask for a loan. Natsumi is the bread winner for the family since he left., so she becomes angry at him. Later, Taro arrives at his former house unannounced and begins to live there.
溺れる魚 溺れる魚 (2001) Character: Miyota
When corporate executives are blackmailed into public displays of nudity on the busy streets of Shinjuku, the big guns are called out to locate "Oboreru Sakana". The "big guns" are a misfit duo of ethically questionable characters who must infiltrate a gay nightclub and "fit in" while they search for clues. What ensues is both hilarious and action-packed. Oboreru Sakana is a rather ambitious and often hilarious contemporary crime thriller. Its narrative swings from the grisly to the humorous and pulls in as many pop culture elements as it can manage.
タンポポ タンポポ (1985) Character: Gun
In this humorous paean to the joys of food, a pair of truck drivers happen onto a decrepit roadside shop selling ramen noodles. The widowed owner, Tampopo, begs them to help her turn her establishment into a paragon of the "art of noodle-soup making". Interspersed are satirical vignettes about the importance of food to different aspects of human life.
Transformers: Age of Extinction Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014) Character: Drift (voice)
As humanity picks up the pieces after the battle of Chicago, a shadowy group reveals itself in an attempt to control the direction of history…while an ancient, powerful new menace sets Earth in its crosshairs. With help from Cade Yeager, Optimus Prime and the Autobots rise to meet their most fearsome challenge yet.
Godzilla Godzilla (2014) Character: Dr. Ishiro Serizawa
Ford Brody, a Navy bomb expert, has just reunited with his family in San Francisco when he is forced to go to Japan to help his estranged father, Joe. Soon, both men are swept up in an escalating crisis when an ancient alpha predator arises from the sea to combat malevolent adversaries that threaten the survival of humanity. The creatures leave colossal destruction in their wake, as they make their way toward their final battleground: San Francisco.
Kensuke's Kingdom Kensuke's Kingdom (2024) Character: Kensuke (voice)
A young boy and his family set off on a sailing trip of a lifetime until a violent storm erupts, sweeping Michael and his dog overboard. After washing up on a remote island, terrified, they struggle to survive and adjust to life alone, One day, Michael discovers he is not alone when he is confronted by a mysterious Japanese man who has lived there secretly since World War II, angry that Michael has arrived. However, as dangerous invaders threaten their fragile island paradise, Michael and the old man, Kensuke, join forces to save their secret world.
Fukushima 50 Fukushima 50 (2020) Character: Masao Yoshida
Workers at the Fukushima Daiichi facility in Japan risk their lives and stay at the nuclear power plant to prevent total destruction after the region is devastated by an earthquake and tsunami in 2011.
Batman Begins Batman Begins (2005) Character: Ra's al Ghul
Driven by tragedy, billionaire Bruce Wayne dedicates his life to uncovering and defeating the corruption that plagues his home, Gotham City. Unable to work within the system, he instead creates a new identity, a symbol of fear for the criminal underworld - The Batman.
Pokémon Detective Pikachu Pokémon Detective Pikachu (2019) Character: Lieutenant Hide Yoshida
In a world where people collect pocket-size monsters (Pokémon) to do battle, a boy comes across an intelligent monster who seeks to be a detective.
Memoirs of a Geisha Memoirs of a Geisha (2005) Character: Chairman
In the years before World War II, a penniless Japanese child is torn from her family to work as a maid in a geisha house.



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