Ken Watanabe

Actor, Producer, Additional Crew

Birthdate: October 21, 1959 (66 Years Old)

Birthplace: Uonuma, Japan

Ken Watanabe was born on October 21, 1959 in Uonuma, Japan. Both of his 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 Theater Company, where he was studying, told him that acting was his special gift. In 1978, he moved to Tokyo to pursue acting. He drew the attention of the critics when Yukio Ninagawa, a famous Japanese director, chose him for the lead role in one of his plays, even though Ken was still an acting student. He made his first TV appearance in 1982. His big career breakthrough came when he was chosen to play the lead in the Japanese national TV drama series called "Dokugan ryu Masamune". He played a samurai leader hero, making him a household name in Japan. In 1989, he collapsed while filming a movie in Canada due to leukemia. He made a miraculous comeback & co-starred with Tom Cruise in The Last Samurai (2003), which pushed him to the center stage of Hollywood. Ken has a daughter, model, actress, & singer Anne Watanabe, & a son. He's an avid fan of Hanshin Tigers (Japanese professional baseball team) & Kobe Steel rugby team. He loves noodles.

Movies

Known For

Kokuho

(2025)

Godzilla: King of the Monsters

Dr. Ishiro Serizawa (2019)

Pokémon: Detective Pikachu

Lieutenant Hide Yoshida (2019)

Tampopo

Gun (2016)

Ken Watanabe Movies

Actor

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Previous (14)

2024 |
Kensuke's Kingdom
Kensuke's Kingdom
2024
Adventure, Animation
Young Michael, shipwrecked on a remote island, must adapt to life alone. Over time, he feels another presence, learning that this world is home to both unimaginable danger and beauty.
asKensuke
2023 |
The Creator
The Creator
2023
Action, Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Against the backdrop of a war between humans and robots with artificial intelligence, a former soldier finds the robots' secret weapon to end the conflict, an AI in the form of a child.
asHarun
2019 |
Godzilla: King of the Monsters
Godzilla: King of the Monsters
2019
Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
The crypto-zoological agency Monarch faces 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.
More Info
asDr. Ishiro Serizawa
2019 |
Pokémon: Detective Pikachu
Pokémon: Detective Pikachu
2019
Adventure, Comedy, Family, Mystery, Sci-Fi
In a world where people collect Pokémon to do battle, a boy comes across an intelligent talking Pikachu who seeks to be a detective.
asLieutenant Hide Yoshida
2018 |
Bel Canto
Bel Canto
2018
Drama, Music, Romance, Thriller
A world-renowned opera singer becomes trapped in a hostage situation when she's invited to perform for a wealthy industrialist in South America.
More Info
asHosokawa
2018 |
Isle of Dogs
Isle of Dogs
2018
Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Set in Japan, Isle of Dogs follows a boy's odyssey in search of his lost dog.
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asHead Surgeon
2016 |
The Sea of Trees
The Sea of Trees
2016
Drama, Fantasy, Mystery, Thriller
A suicidal American befriends a Japanese man lost in a forest near Mt. Fuji and the two search for a way out.
asTakumi Nakamura
2016 |
Tampopo
Tampopo
2016
Comedy
A truck driver stops at a small family-run noodle shop and decides to help its fledgling business. The story is intertwined with various vignettes about the relationship of love and food.
asGun
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as Dr. Ishiro Serizawa
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as Saito
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Letters from Iwo Jimaas General Kuribayashi
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The Last Samuraias Katsumoto
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as Ra's Al Ghul
-- |
as Hanjiro Hanai