Ken Watanabe

Acting

Ken Watanabe

Born October 21, 1959Uonuma, Niigata, Japan100 credits

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

Samurai Vengeance
9.2

Samurai Vengeance

Movie

2026

Kyotojin no Hisokana Tanoshimi Rouge: Keisho

Kyotojin no Hisokana Tanoshimi Rouge: Keisho

TV

2026

The Final Piece
9.4

The Final Piece

Movie

2025

LA PANTHÈRE DE CARTIER

LA PANTHÈRE DE CARTIER

Movie

2025

Kokuho
7.9

Kokuho

Movie

2025

Unbound
9.3

Unbound

TV

2025

Filmography

Samurai Vengeance
2026Samurai Vengeanceas Kinji ShinodaMovie
Kyotojin no Hisokana Tanoshimi Rouge: Keisho
2026Kyotojin no Hisokana Tanoshimi Rouge: Keishoas 東雲朔太郎TV
The Final Piece
2025The Final Pieceas Shigeyoshi ToumyoMovie
LA PANTHÈRE DE CARTIER
2025LA PANTHÈRE DE CARTIERMovie
Kokuho
2025Kokuhoas Hanjiro HanaiMovie
Unbound
2025Unboundas Tamema OkitsuguTV
TRUE COLORS
2025TRUE COLORSas Taichirou TsujimuraTV
All Lives
2024All LivesMovie
Kensuke's Kingdom
2024Kensuke's Kingdomas Kensuke (voice)Movie
True Love: Making The Creator
2023True Love: Making The Creatoras SelfMovie
The Creator
2023The Creatoras HarunMovie
Tokyo Vice
2022Tokyo Viceas Hiroto KatagiriTV
Alice in Borderland
2020Alice in Borderlandas Old GentlemanTV
Toubousha
2020TouboushaTV
劇場の灯を消すな！PARCO劇場編
2020劇場の灯を消すな！PARCO劇場編Movie
Fukushima 50
2020Fukushima 50as Masao YoshidaMovie
Godzilla: King of the Monsters
2019Godzilla: King of the Monstersas Dr. Ishiro SerizawaMovie
Pokémon Detective Pikachu
2019Pokémon Detective Pikachuas Lieutenant Hide YoshidaMovie
An Artist of the Floating World
2019An Artist of the Floating Worldas Ono MasujiMovie
The King and I
2018The King and Ias The King of SiamMovie
Bel Canto
2018Bel Cantoas Katsumi HosokawaMovie
Isle of Dogs
2018Isle of Dogsas Head Surgeon (voice)Movie
7 Guardians of the Tomb
20187 Guardians of the Tombas FatherMovie
Segodon
2018Segodonas Shimazu NariakiraTV
NHK WORLD PRIME
2017NHK WORLD PRIMEas Self - PresenterTV
Transformers: The Last Knight
2017Transformers: The Last Knightas Drift (voice)Movie
Dirty, Clean, & Inbetween
2017Dirty, Clean, & Inbetweenas Restaurant PatronMovie
The Memories of Happiness
2017The Memories of Happinessas Taro MiuraMovie
五年目のひとり
2016五年目のひとりas 키자키 슈지TV
Rage
2016Rageas Yohei MakiMovie
The Sea of Trees
2016The Sea of Treesas Takumi NakamuraMovie
The Secret Lives of Kyoto Folk
2015The Secret Lives of Kyoto Folkas 東雲朔太郎TV
Evolution Within Extinction
2014Evolution Within Extinctionas SelfMovie
Snow Jack
2014Snow Jackas Reiji KurataMovie
Back of Father
2014Back of Fatheras Takamura KoujiTV
Transformers: Age of Extinction
2014Transformers: Age of Extinctionas Drift (voice)Movie
Godzilla
2014Godzillaas Dr. Ishiro SerizawaMovie
Unforgiven
2013Unforgivenas Jubee KamataMovie
Hayabusa: The Long Voyage Home
2012Hayabusa: The Long Voyage Homeas Junichiro KawaguchiMovie
Gyoretsuno dekiru sodanjo
2011Gyoretsuno dekiru sodanjoas RegularTV
Ai inochi - Shinjuku Kabukicho Kakekomi Dera -
2011Ai inochi - Shinjuku Kabukicho Kakekomi Dera -Movie
A School Behind Bars
2010A School Behind BarsMovie
Inception
2010Inceptionas SaitoMovie
Shanghai
2010Shanghaias TanakaMovie
Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant
2009Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistantas Mr. TallMovie
The Unbroken
2009The Unbrokenas Hajime OnchiMovie
刑
2009刑事一代 平塚八兵衛の昭和事件史TV
Earth
2007Earthas Narrator (voice)Movie
星ひとつの夜
2007星ひとつの夜as Nonoyama HirojiMovie
Red Sun, Black Sand: The Making of 'Letters from Iwo Jima'
2007Red Sun, Black Sand: The Making of 'Letters from Iwo Jima'as SelfMovie
Letters from Iwo Jima
2006Letters from Iwo Jimaas General Tadamichi KuribayashiMovie
Memories of Tomorrow
2006Memories of Tomorrowas Masayuki SaekiMovie
Memoirs of a Geisha
2005Memoirs of a Geishaas Le présidentMovie
Batman Begins
2005Batman Beginsas Ra's al GhulMovie
Year One in the North
2005Year One in the Northas Komatsubara HideakiMovie
Vessel of Sand
2004Vessel of Sandas Shuichiro ImanishiTV
川、いつか海へ 6つの愛の物語
2003川、いつか海へ 6つの愛の物語TV
The Last Samurai
2003The Last Samuraias Moritsugu KatsumotoMovie
第三の時効
2003第三の時効Movie
Another Battle/Conspiracy
2003Another Battle/Conspiracyas Fujimaki HiroakiMovie
藤
2003藤田宜永サスペンス「異端の夏」TV
T.R.Y.
2003T.R.Y.as Masanobu AzumaMovie
Mibu Gishiden: Shinsengumi de Ichiban Tsuyokatta Otoko
2002Mibu Gishiden: Shinsengumi de Ichiban Tsuyokatta OtokoTV
横山秀夫サスペンス シリーズ (TBS)
2002横山秀夫サスペンス シリーズ (TBS)TV
強
2002強行犯捜査第七係TV
Dawn of a New Day: The Man Behind VHS
2002Dawn of a New Day: The Man Behind VHSas OkuboMovie
Drowning Fish
2001Drowning Fishas MiyotaMovie
Hojo Tokimune
2001Hojo Tokimuneas Hojo TokiyoriTV
The Whispered City
2000The Whispered Cityas IshidaMovie
Ikebukuro West Gate Park
2000Ikebukuro West Gate Parkas YokoyamaTV
Space Travelers
2000Space Travelersas Sakamaki ("Crusher")Movie
S
1998Shimei TehaiTV
Bonds
1998Bondsas Detective Sako AkioMovie
Welcome Back, Mr. McDonald
1997Welcome Back, Mr. McDonaldas Raita OnukiMovie
Gokenin Zankuro
1995Gokenin Zankuroas Zankuro MatsudairaTV
Baian the Assassin: Showdown
1993Baian the Assassin: Showdownas Dr. BaianMovie
The Fire Still Burns
1993The Fire Still Burnsas Fujiwara TsunekiyoTV
Kagi-shi
1993Kagi-shiTV
Hanzo, the Razor
1993Hanzo, the RazorMovie
Chronicle of the Town Magistrate
1992Chronicle of the Town Magistrateas Mochizuki KoheitaMovie
Waga Machi
1992Waga MachiTV
Izakaya Chōji
1992Izakaya ChōjiTV
Oda Nobunaga
1992Oda NobunagaMovie
Ganryujima: Kojiro and Musashi
1992Ganryujima: Kojiro and Musashias KojirōMovie
Baian the Assassin
1991Baian the Assassinas Fujieda BaianTV
A Naive History of the Bakumatsu Era
1991A Naive History of the Bakumatsu Eraas Ryoma SakamotoMovie
Takeda Shingen
1991Takeda Shingenas NarratorMovie
Baian the Assassin
1990Baian the Assassinas Dr. BaianMovie
Musuko no Gokikan
1990Musuko no GokikanTV
Yonimo Kimyou na Monogatari Tokubetsuhen
1990Yonimo Kimyou na Monogatari TokubetsuhenTV
O
1989Oda NobunagaTV
Masamune Shogun
1987Masamune Shogunas 伊達政宗TV
Commando Invasion
1987Commando InvasionMovie
The Sea and Poison
1986The Sea and Poisonas TodaMovie
Hanekonma
1986Hanekonmaas Genzo OnoderaTV
The Making of "Tampopo"
1986The Making of "Tampopo"as SelfMovie
Tampopo
1985Tampopoas GunMovie
Kekkon Annai Mystery
1985Kekkon Annai MysteryMovie
MacArthur's Children
1984MacArthur's Childrenas Tetsuo NakaiMovie
A Tale of Two Truncheons
1984A Tale of Two TruncheonsTV