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
All Lives
2024
True Love: Making The Creator
Self
2023
The Creator
Harun
2023
劇場の灯を消すな！PARCO劇場編
2020
Godzilla: King of the Monsters
Dr. Ishiro Serizawa
2019
Pokémon Detective Pikachu
Lieutenant Hide Yoshida
2019
Bel Canto
Katsumi Hosokawa
2018
Isle of Dogs
Head Surgeon (voice)
2018
Transformers: The Last Knight
Drift (voice)
2017
Dirty, Clean, & Inbetween
Restaurant Patron
2017
Rage
Yohei Maki
2016
The Sea of Trees
Takumi Nakamura
2016
Evolution Within Extinction
Self
2014
Snow Jack
Reiji Kurata
2014
Transformers: Age of Extinction
Drift (voice)
2014
Godzilla
Dr. Ishiro Serizawa
2014
Unforgiven
Jubee Kamata
2013
Hayabusa: The Long Voyage Home
Junichiro Kawaguchi
2012
Ai inochi - Shinjuku Kabukicho Kakekomi Dera -
2011
A School Behind Bars
2010
Inception
Saito
2010
Shanghai
Tanaka
2010
Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant
Mr. Tall
2009
The Unbroken
Hajime Onchi
2009
Earth
Narrator (voice)
2007
Letters from Iwo Jima
General Tadamichi Kuribayashi
2006
Memories of Tomorrow
Masayuki Saeki
2006
Batman Begins
Ra's al Ghul
2005
Year One in the North
Komatsubara Hideaki
2005
The Last Samurai
Moritsugu Katsumoto
2003
T.R.Y.
Masanobu Azuma
2003
Drowning Fish
Miyota
2001
Space Travelers
Sakamaki ("Crusher")
2000
Hanzo, the Razor
1993
Chronicle of the Town Magistrate
Mochizuki Koheita
1992
Oda Nobunaga
1992
Commando Invasion
1987
Tampopo
Gun
1985
第三の時効
盤上の向日葵
2025
Kokuho
Hanjiro
2025
Unbound
Tamema Okitsugu · (40 episodes)
2025
TRUE COLORS
Taichirou Tsujimura · (9 episodes)
2025
Kensuke's Kingdom
Kensuke (voice)
2024
Tokyo Vice
Hiroto Katagiri · (18 episodes)
2022
Toubousha
(2 episodes)
2020
Fukushima 50
Masao Yoshida
2020
An Artist of the Floating World
Ono Masuji
2019
The King and I
The King of Siam
2018
7 Guardians of the Tomb
Father
2018
Segodon
Shimazu Nariakira · (17 episodes)
2018
NHK WORLD PRIME
Self - Presenter · (1 episode)
2017
The Memories of Happiness
Taro Miura
2017
五年目のひとり
키자키 슈지 · (1 episode)
2016
Back of Father
Takamura Kouji · (1 episode)
2014
Gyoretsuno dekiru sodanjo
Regular · (1 episode)
2011
Memoirs of a Geisha
Chairman
2005
Vessel of Sand
Shuichiro Imanishi · (11 episodes)
2004
川、いつか海へ 6つの愛の物語
(6 episodes)
2003
Another Battle/Conspiracy
Fujimaki Hiroaki
2003
藤田宜永サスペンス「異端の夏」
(1 episode)
2003
Mibu Gishiden: Shinsengumi de Ichiban Tsuyokatta Otoko
(4 episodes)
2002
横山秀夫サスペンス シリーズ (TBS)
(6 episodes)
2002
強行犯捜査第七係
(1 episode)
2002
Dawn of a New Day: The Man Behind VHS
Okubo
2002
Hojo Tokimune
Hojo Tokiyori · (49 episodes)
2001
The Whispered City
Ishida
2000
Ikebukuro West Gate Park
Yokoyama · (11 episodes)
2000
Shimei Tehai
(4 episodes)
1998
Bonds
Detective Sako Akio
1998
Welcome Back, Mr. McDonald
Raita Onuki
1997
Gokenin Zankuro
Zankuro Matsudaira · (8 episodes)
1995
Baian the Assassin: Showdown
Dr. Baian
1993
The Fire Still Burns
Fujiwara Tsunekiyo · (35 episodes)
1993
Kagi-shi
(1 episode)
1993
Waga Machi
(10 episodes)
1992
Izakaya Chōji
(1 episode)
1992
Ganryujima: Kojiro and Musashi
Kojirō
1992
Baian the Assassin
Fujieda Baian · (5 episodes)
1991
A Naive History of the Bakumatsu Era
Ryoma Sakamoto
1991
Baian the Assassin
Dr. Baian
1990
Musuko no Gokikan
(2 episodes)
1990
Yonimo Kimyou na Monogatari Tokubetsuhen
(5 episodes)
1990
Oda Nobunaga
(1 episode)
1989
Masamune Shogun
伊達政宗 · (50 episodes)
1987
The Sea and Poison
Toda
1986
Hanekonma
Genzo Onodera · (156 episodes)
1986
The Making of "Tampopo"
Self
1986
Kekkon Annai Mystery
1985
MacArthur's Children
Tetsuo Nakai
1984
A Tale of Two Truncheons
(13 episodes)
1984