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.
Known For
TV
Alice in Borderland
Old Gentleman
2020
Film
Inception
Saito
2010
TV
Tokyo Vice
Hiroto Katagiri
2022
TV
Yonimo Kimyou na Monogatari Tokubetsuhen
1990
Film
Batman Begins
Ra's al Ghul
2005
TV
Segodon
Shimazu Nariakira
2018
Film
Godzilla
Dr. Ishiro Serizawa
2014
Film
The Creator
Harun
2023
Film
Kokuho
Hanjiro Hanai
2025
Film
Transformers: Age of Extinction
Drift (voice)
2014
Film
Godzilla: King of the Monsters
Dr. Ishiro Serizawa
2019
TV
Ikebukuro West Gate Park
Yokoyama
2000
TV
Hanekonma
Genzo Onodera
1986
Film
The Last Samurai
Moritsugu Katsumoto
2003
TV
Hojo Tokimune
Hojo Tokiyori
2001
TV
Unbound
Tamema Okitsugu
2025
Film
Transformers: The Last Knight
Drift (voice)
2017
Film
Pokémon Detective Pikachu
Lieutenant Hide Yoshida
2019
TV
The Fire Still Burns
Fujiwara Tsunekiyo
1993
TV
Back of Father
Takamura Kouji
2014
Filmography
2026FilmSamurai Vengeanceas Kinji Shinoda2026TVKyotojin no Hisokana Tanoshimi Rouge: Keishoas 東雲朔太郎2025FilmThe Final Pieceas Shigeyoshi Toumyo2025FilmLA PANTHÈRE DE CARTIER2025FilmKokuhoas Hanjiro Hanai2025TVUnboundas Tamema Okitsugu2025TVTRUE COLORSas Taichirou Tsujimura2024FilmAll Lives2024FilmKensuke's Kingdomas Kensuke (voice)2023FilmTrue Love: Making The Creatoras Self2023FilmThe Creatoras Harun2022TVTokyo Viceas Hiroto Katagiri2020TVAlice in Borderlandas Old Gentleman2020TVToubousha2020Film劇場の灯を消すな！PARCO劇場編2020FilmFukushima 50as Masao Yoshida2019FilmGodzilla: King of the Monstersas Dr. Ishiro Serizawa2019FilmPokémon Detective Pikachuas Lieutenant Hide Yoshida2019FilmAn Artist of the Floating Worldas Ono Masuji2018FilmThe King and Ias The King of Siam2018FilmBel Cantoas Katsumi Hosokawa2018FilmIsle of Dogsas Head Surgeon (voice)2018Film7 Guardians of the Tombas Father2018TVSegodonas Shimazu Nariakira2017TVNHK WORLD PRIMEas Self - Presenter2017FilmTransformers: The Last Knightas Drift (voice)2017FilmDirty, Clean, & Inbetweenas Restaurant Patron2017FilmThe Memories of Happinessas Taro Miura2016TV五年目のひとりas 키자키 슈지2016FilmRageas Yohei Maki2016FilmThe Sea of Treesas Takumi Nakamura2015TVThe Secret Lives of Kyoto Folkas 東雲朔太郎2014FilmEvolution Within Extinctionas Self2014FilmSnow Jackas Reiji Kurata2014TVBack of Fatheras Takamura Kouji2014FilmTransformers: Age of Extinctionas Drift (voice)2014FilmGodzillaas Dr. Ishiro Serizawa2013FilmUnforgivenas Jubee Kamata2012FilmHayabusa: The Long Voyage Homeas Junichiro Kawaguchi2011TVGyoretsuno dekiru sodanjoas Regular2011FilmAi inochi - Shinjuku Kabukicho Kakekomi Dera -2010FilmA School Behind Bars2010FilmInceptionas Saito2010FilmShanghaias Tanaka2009FilmCirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistantas Mr. Tall2009FilmThe Unbrokenas Hajime Onchi2009TV刑事一代 平塚八兵衛の昭和事件史2007FilmEarthas Narrator (voice)2007Film星ひとつの夜as Nonoyama Hiroji2007FilmRed Sun, Black Sand: The Making of 'Letters from Iwo Jima'as Self2006FilmLetters from Iwo Jimaas General Tadamichi Kuribayashi2006FilmMemories of Tomorrowas Masayuki Saeki2005FilmMemoirs of a Geishaas Le président2005FilmBatman Beginsas Ra's al Ghul2005FilmYear One in the Northas Komatsubara Hideaki2004TVVessel of Sandas Shuichiro Imanishi2003TV川、いつか海へ 6つの愛の物語2003FilmThe Last Samuraias Moritsugu Katsumoto2003Film第三の時効2003FilmAnother Battle/Conspiracyas Fujimaki Hiroaki2003TV藤田宜永サスペンス「異端の夏」2003FilmT.R.Y.as Masanobu Azuma2002TVMibu Gishiden: Shinsengumi de Ichiban Tsuyokatta Otoko2002TV横山秀夫サスペンス シリーズ (TBS)2002TV強行犯捜査第七係2002FilmDawn of a New Day: The Man Behind VHSas Okubo2001FilmDrowning Fishas Miyota2001TVHojo Tokimuneas Hojo Tokiyori2000FilmThe Whispered Cityas Ishida2000TVIkebukuro West Gate Parkas Yokoyama2000FilmSpace Travelersas Sakamaki ("Crusher")1998TVShimei Tehai1998FilmBondsas Detective Sako Akio1997FilmWelcome Back, Mr. McDonaldas Raita Onuki1995TVGokenin Zankuroas Zankuro Matsudaira1993FilmBaian the Assassin: Showdownas Dr. Baian1993TVThe Fire Still Burnsas Fujiwara Tsunekiyo1993TVKagi-shi1993FilmHanzo, the Razor1992FilmChronicle of the Town Magistrateas Mochizuki Koheita1992TVWaga Machi1992TVIzakaya Chōji1992FilmOda Nobunaga1992FilmGanryujima: Kojiro and Musashias Kojirō1991TVBaian the Assassinas Fujieda Baian1991FilmA Naive History of the Bakumatsu Eraas Ryoma Sakamoto1991FilmTakeda Shingenas Narrator1990FilmBaian the Assassinas Dr. Baian1990TVMusuko no Gokikan1990TVYonimo Kimyou na Monogatari Tokubetsuhen1989TVOda Nobunaga1987TVMasamune Shogunas 伊達政宗1987FilmCommando Invasion1986FilmThe Sea and Poisonas Toda1986TVHanekonmaas Genzo Onodera1986FilmThe Making of "Tampopo"as Self1985FilmTampopoas Gun1985FilmKekkon Annai Mystery1984FilmMacArthur's Childrenas Tetsuo Nakai1984TVA Tale of Two Truncheons