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Ken Watanabe (I)


Both of Ken Watanabe's parents were teachers: his mother taught general education and his dad taught calligraphy. He became interested in acting at the age of 24 when a director of England's National Theatre Company, where he was studying, told him that acting was his special gift. Ken is mostly known in Japan for playing samurais... See full bio »

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Nominated for Oscar. Another 10 wins & 15 nominations See more awards »

Known For


Filmography

Hide HideActor (58 titles)
2014 Godzilla (filming)
 
2013 Unforgiven (post-production)
Jubee kamata
 
2012 Makete katsu - sengo wo tsukutta otoko Yoshida Shigeru (TV mini-series)
Shigeru Yoshida
Episode #1.1 (2012) … Shigeru Yoshida
 
2012 Hayabusa: The Long Voyage Home
Shunichiro Yamaguchi
 
2010 Hei no naka no chûgakkô (TV movie)
 
2010 Inception
Saito
 
2010 Shanghai
Tanaka
 
2010 Tômawari no ame (TV movie)
Sohei Fukumoto
 
2009 Clouds Over the Hill (TV series)
Narration
Ryugakusei (2009) … Narration
Nisshin Kaisen (2009) … Narration
Kokka Meido (2009) … Narration
Sei-un (2009) … Narration
Shônen no kuni (2009) … Narration
 
2009 The Unbroken
Hajime Onchi
 
2009 Keiji ichidai: Hiratsuka Hachibei no Shôwa jiken shi (TV series)
Hachibei Hiratsuka
 
2007 Hoshi hitotsu no yoru (TV movie)
 
2006 Memories of Tomorrow
Masayuki Saeki
 
2005 Batman Begins (Video Game)
Ra's al Ghul (voice)
 
2005 Year One in the North
Hideaki Komatsubara
 
2004 Suna no utsuwa (TV series)
Syuichiro Imanishi
 
2003 Itan no natsu (TV movie)
Tatsumi
 
2003 T.R.Y.
Masanobu Azuma
 
2002 Tô-san no natsumatsuri (TV movie)
 
2002 Chinmoku no aribai (TV movie)
 
2002 Hi wa mata noboru
Okubo
 
2002 Another Battle/Conspiracy
Fujimaki Hiroaki
 
2001 Chûshingura 1/47 (TV movie)
 
2001 Sennen no koi - Hikaru Genji monogatari
Fujiwara no Michinaga/Fujiwara no Nobutaka
 
2001 Oboreru sakana
Miyota
 
2001 Ningen no shômei 2001 (TV movie)
 
2001 Hôjô Tokimune (TV series)
 
2000 Zawa-zawa Shimo-Kitazawa
Ishida
 
2000 Ikebukuro West Gate park (TV series)
Yokoyama
Episode #1.11 (2000) … Yokoyama
Episode #1.1 (2000) … Yokoyama
Episode #1.10 (2000) … Yokoyama
Episode #1.2 (2000) … Yokoyama
Episode #1.3 (2000) … Yokoyama
 
2000 Space Travelers
Sakamaki ("Crusher")
 
2000 Hatsuru sokonaki (TV movie)
 
1998 Kizuna
Detective Sako Akio
 
1997 Welcome Back, Mr. McDonald
Raita Onuki, the truck driver
 
1997 Gokenin Zankurô (TV series)
Zankurô Matsudaira
Episode #2.10 (1997) … Zankurô Matsudaira
 
1996 Tetsuko's Room (TV series)
Co-emcee
Episode #21.1 (1996) … Co-emcee
 
1992 Kimitachi ga ite boku ga iru II (TV movie)
Senjûrô Fujiwara
 
1992 Kimitachi ga ite boku ga iru (TV movie)
Senjûrô Fujiwara
 
1992 Oda Nobunaga (TV movie)
 
1990 Shikakenin Fujieda Baian (TV mini-series)
Baian Fujieda
 
1990 Takeda Shingen (TV mini-series)
Narrator
 
1989 Harenochi kaminari (TV series)
 
1987 Dokugan-ryu Masamune (TV series)
Date Masamune
Episode #1.1 (1987) … Date Masamune
Episode #1.10 (1987) … Date Masamune
Episode #1.11 (1987) … Date Masamune
Episode #1.12 (1987) … Date Masamune
Episode #1.13 (1987) … Date Masamune
 
1986 The Sea and Poison
Toda
 
1985 Tampopo
Gun
 
1985 Kekkon annai mystery
Funayama Tetsuya/Masakazu Sekine
 
1984 MacArthur's Children
Tetsuo
 
1984 Sanga moyu (TV series)
 
1983 Mibu no koiuta (TV series)
 
Show ShowProducer (3 titles)
2012 Hayabusa: The Long Voyage Home (co-executive producer)
 
2011 Unite for Japan (short) (executive producer)
 
2006 Memories of Tomorrow (executive producer)
 
Show ShowDirector (1 title)
2011 Unite for Japan (short)
 
Show ShowMiscellaneous Crew (1 title)
2009 Half Kenneth (short) (benefactor)
 
Show ShowSelf (20 titles)
2013 Bokura no jidai (TV series)
Himself
 
2011 Unite for Japan (short)
Himself
 
2011 The 34th Annual Japan Academy Awards (TV special)
Himself/presenter
 
2010 Janela Indiscreta (TV series)
Himself
Episode #1.22 (2010) … Himself
 
2005-2010 HBO First Look (TV series documentary)
Himself
Inception (2010) … Himself (also archive footage)
Batman Begins: An Origin Story (2005) … Himself
 
2010 The 33rd Annual Japan Academy Awards (TV special)
Himself
 
2009 Tetsuko's Room (TV series)
Himself
Ken Watanabe (2009) … Himself
 
2009 Waratte iitomo! (TV series)
Himself
Episode dated 23 October 2009 (2009) … Himself
 
2007 ETV Special (TV series documentary)
Himself
 
2007 Earth (documentary)
Narrator (voice: Japanese version)
 
2007 Live Earth (TV documentary)
Himself
 
2007 100 Nen Interview (TV series)
Himself
Watanabe Ken (2007) … Himself
 
2007 The 79th Annual Academy Awards (TV special)
Himself - Co-Presenter: Foreign-Language Films Montage
 
2005 Sekai ga moshi hyaku nin no mura dattara 3 (TV movie)
Himself - Narrator
 
2005 Tetsuko no heya 30nen special (TV special)
Guest
 
2005 Ashes and Snow (documentary)
Japanese Narrator (voice)
 
2005 On the Set: Memoirs of a Geisha (TV documentary)
Himself/Chairman
 
2000 The 51st Annual NHK kôhaku uta gassen (TV movie)
Himself
 
1986 Making of 'Tampopo' (video documentary)
Himself
 
Show ShowArchive Footage (1 title)
2006 Alberto Iglesias, el músico fiel (TV documentary)
The Chairman (uncredited)
 

Related Videos

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Personal Details

Other Works:

Print ad, American Express credit card, 2006

Publicity Listings:

1 Interview  | 4 Articles  | 3 Magazine Cover Photos  | See more »


Height:

6' 0¾" (1.85 m)
Edit

Did You Know?

Personal Quote:

I'm not a big star in Japan. I'm an actor. I have a very normal life. Four days a week, I cook at home. A star doesn't do that. See more »

Trivia:

Already extremely tall by Japanese standards, he gained a good amount of weight (about 20 pounds) to be an even more imposing presence for his role as "Katsumoto" in The Last Samurai. See more »

Star Sign:

Libra