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Actor
Ken Watanabe
Ken Watanabe’s screen credits include Saito in Inception, Head Surgeon (voice) in Isle of Dogs, and Chairman in Memoirs of a Geisha.
Born October 21, 1959 Uonuma, Niigata, Japan9 movies on MoviHero
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Where to start
A selection of released films from our catalog, with the credited role to help you choose.
THE PERSON BEHIND THE ROLES
About Ken Watanabe
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.
GALLERY
Photos
Portraits of Ken Watanabe.
MOVIHERO CREDITS
Movies and roles
Explore 9 movie guides, credited roles and upcoming releases.
Movies on MoviHero 9
Showing 8 of 9 credits
- 2019Godzilla: King of the Monsters2h 12m · Action · Science FictionDr. Ishiro Serizawa
- 2018Isle of Dogs1h 41m · Adventure · AnimationHead Surgeon (voice)
- 2014Transformers: Age of Extinction2h 45m · Action · AdventureDrift (voice)
- 2014Godzilla2h 3m · Action · DramaDr. Ishiro Serizawa
- 2010Inception2h 28m · Action · AdventureSaito
- 2006Letters from Iwo Jima2h 21m · Action · DramaGeneral Tadamichi Kuribayashi
- 2005Memoirs of a Geisha2h 26m · Drama · HistoryChairman
- 2005Batman Begins2h 20m · Action · CrimeRa's al Ghul
- 2003The Last Samurai2h 34m · Action · DramaMoritsugu Katsumoto
More film credits 62 additional titles
These credits do not currently have a MoviHero movie guide. Use the filters to separate released and upcoming work.
Showing 8 of 62 credits
- 2026Yamazaki Riverside - Over an Actor's Shoulder -Self
- 2026Samurai VengeanceKinji Shinoda
- 2025The Final PieceShigeyoshi Toumyo
- 2025LA PANTHÈRE DE CARTIERActor
- 2025KokuhoHanjiro Hanai
- 2024All LivesActor
- 2024Kensuke's KingdomKensuke (voice)
- 2023True Love: Making The CreatorSelf
- 2023The CreatorHarun
- 2020劇場の灯を消すな！PARCO劇場編Actor
- 2020Fukushima 50Masao Yoshida
- 2019Pokémon Detective PikachuLieutenant Hide Yoshida
- 2019An Artist of the Floating WorldOno Masuji
- 2018The King and IThe King of Siam
- 2018Bel CantoKatsumi Hosokawa
- 20187 Guardians of the TombFather
- 2017Transformers: The Last KnightDrift (voice)
- 2017Dirty, Clean, & InbetweenRestaurant Patron
- 2017The Memories of HappinessTaro Miura
- 2016RageYohei Maki
- 2016The Sea of TreesTakumi Nakamura
- 2014Evolution Within ExtinctionSelf
- 2014Snow JackReiji Kurata
- 2013UnforgivenJubee Kamata
- 2012Hayabusa: The Long Voyage HomeJunichiro Kawaguchi
- 2011Ai inochi - Shinjuku Kabukicho Kakekomi Dera -Actor
- 2010A School Behind BarsActor
- 2010ShanghaiTanaka
- 2009Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's AssistantMr. Tall
- 2009The UnbrokenHajime Onchi
- 2007EarthNarrator (voice)
- 2007星ひとつの夜Nonoyama Hiroji
- 2007Red Sun, Black Sand: The Making of 'Letters from Iwo Jima'Self
- 2006Memories of TomorrowProducer · Masayuki Saeki
- 2005Ashes and SnowJapanese Narrator (voice)
- 2005Year One in the NorthKomatsubara Hideaki
- 2003第三の時効Actor
- 2003Another Battle/ConspiracyFujimaki Hiroaki
- 2003T.R.Y.Masanobu Azuma
- 2002Dawn of a New Day: The Man Behind VHSOkubo
- 2001Love of a Thousand Years - Story of GenjiActor
- 2001Drowning FishMiyota
- 2001Proof of the Man 2001Munesue Koichiro
- 2000The Whispered CityIshida
- 2000Space TravelersSakamaki ("Crusher")
- 1998BondsDetective Sako Akio
- 1997Welcome Back, Mr. McDonaldRaita Onuki
- 1993Baian the Assassin: ShowdownDr. Baian
- 1993Hanzo, the RazorActor
- 1992Chronicle of the Town MagistrateMochizuki Koheita
- 1992Oda NobunagaActor
- 1992Ganryujima: Kojiro and MusashiKojirō
- 1991A Naive History of the Bakumatsu EraRyoma Sakamoto
- 1991Takeda ShingenNarrator
- 1990Baian the AssassinDr. Baian
- 1989HarimaoProducer
- 1987Commando InvasionActor
- 1986The Sea and PoisonToda
- 1986The Making of "Tampopo"Self
- 1985TampopoGun
- 1985Kekkon Annai MysteryActor
- 1984MacArthur's ChildrenTetsuo Nakai
CHARACTER GUIDES
Characters and roles
Explore character guides connected to Ken Watanabe's movie credits.
Moritsugu Katsumoto
The Last Samurai
Open character guideChairman
Memoirs of a Geisha
Open character guideSaito
Inception
Open character guideDr. Ishiro Serizawa
Godzilla · Godzilla: King of the Monsters
Open character guideCONNECTED THROUGH MOVIES
Shared credits
Discover the people who share these films.
Actor
Bryan Cranston
2 shared films on MoviHeroDirector
Christopher Nolan
2 shared films on MoviHeroActor
Cillian Murphy
2 shared films on MoviHeroActor