Ken Watanabe
Acting
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.
Filmography
Acting (69)
2026
Samurai Vengeanceas Kinji Shinoda
8.5
2025
The Final Pieceas Shigeyoshi Toumyo
7.7
2025
Kokuhoas Hanjiro Hanai
7.8
2024
7.3
2024
Kensuke's Kingdomas Kensuke (voice)
7.1
2023
6.3
2023
The Creatoras Harun
7.0
7.0
2020
Fukushima 50as Masao Yoshida
6.5
2019
Godzilla: King of the Monstersas Dr. Ishiro Serizawa
6.7
2019
Pokémon Detective Pikachuas Lieutenant Hide Yoshida
6.9
2019
An Artist of the Floating Worldas Ono Masuji
2018
The King and Ias The King of Siam
7.0
2018
Bel Cantoas Katsumi Hosokawa
5.4
2018
Isle of Dogsas Head Surgeon (voice)
7.8
2018
7 Guardians of the Tombas Father
5.3
2017
Transformers: The Last Knightas Drift (voice)
6.1
2017
Dirty, Clean, & Inbetweenas Restaurant Patron
2017
The Memories of Happinessas Taro Miura
2016
Rageas Yohei Maki
6.9
2016
The Sea of Treesas Takumi Nakamura
6.2
2014
Evolution Within Extinctionas Self
7.7
2014
Snow Jackas Reiji Kurata
2014
Transformers: Age of Extinctionas Drift (voice)
6.0
2014
Godzillaas Dr. Ishiro Serizawa
6.4
2013
Unforgivenas Jubee Kamata
7.0
2012
Hayabusa: The Long Voyage Homeas Junichiro Kawaguchi
6.4
10.0
2010
Inceptionas Saito
8.4
2010
Shanghaias Tanaka
6.1
2009
Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistantas Mr. Tall
5.9
2009
The Unbrokenas Hajime Onchi
6.7
2007
Earthas Narrator (voice)
7.7
2007
星ひとつの夜as Nonoyama Hiroji
2006
Letters from Iwo Jimaas General Tadamichi Kuribayashi
7.5
2006
Memories of Tomorrowas Masayuki Saeki
6.1
2005
Memoirs of a Geishaas Chairman
7.6
2005
Batman Beginsas Ra's al Ghul
7.7
2005
Ashes and Snowas Japanese Narrator (voice)
7.3
2005
Year One in the Northas Komatsubara Hideaki
5.7
2003
The Last Samuraias Moritsugu Katsumoto
7.6
2003
2003
Another Battle/Conspiracyas Fujimaki Hiroaki
2003
T.R.Y.as Masanobu Azuma
7.2
2002
8.0
2001
Drowning Fishas Miyota
7.7
2001
Proof of the Man 2001as Munesue Koichiro
2000
The Whispered Cityas Ishida
9.0
2000
Space Travelersas Sakamaki ("Crusher")
6.1
1998
Bondsas Detective Sako Akio
5.6
1997
Welcome Back, Mr. McDonaldas Raita Onuki
7.7
1993
Baian the Assassin: Showdownas Dr. Baian
1993
1992
Chronicle of the Town Magistrateas Mochizuki Koheita
1992
8.0
1992
Ganryujima: Kojiro and Musashias Kojirō
8.5
1991
A Naive History of the Bakumatsu Eraas Ryoma Sakamoto
7.5
1991
Takeda Shingenas Narrator
10.0
1990
Baian the Assassinas Dr. Baian
6.8
1986
The Sea and Poisonas Toda
7.0
1986
The Making of "Tampopo"as Self
1985
Tampopoas Gun
7.8
8.8
1984
MacArthur's Childrenas Tetsuo Nakai
5.5
Production & Directing (3)
2012
Hayabusa: The Long Voyage HomeProduction Manager
6.4
2006
Memories of TomorrowExecutive Producer
6.1
1989
HarimaoProducer
8.0