Ken Watanabe
Actor · Producer
Known for
One of the great Japanese actors with international projection. He became established in Hollywood with 'The Last Samurai' (2003) alongside Tom Cruise, for which he was Oscar-nominated. A Christopher Nolan collaborator in 'Batman Begins' (2005) and 'Inception' (2010), he played Doctor Serizawa in the 'Godzilla' saga (2014-2019). Japanese actor of imposing presence and extremely wide range between Japanese cinema and major Hollywood productions, recognized for his elegance and his interpretive gravity, one of the most prestigious and international Asian performers of his generation.
Ken Watanabe
Actor · Producer
Uonuma, Niigata, Japan
Oct 21, 1959
Age67years
Movies48
Series18
Known for
One of the great Japanese actors with international projection. He became established in Hollywood with 'The Last Samurai' (2003) alongside Tom Cruise, for which he was Oscar-nominated. A Christopher Nolan collaborator in 'Batman Begins' (2005) and 'Inception' (2010), he played Doctor Serizawa in the 'Godzilla' saga (2014-2019). Japanese actor of imposing presence and extremely wide range between Japanese cinema and major Hollywood productions, recognized for his elegance and his interpretive gravity, one of the most prestigious and international Asian performers of his generation.
Movies
Plays Saito
Inception
2010
Plays Dr. Ishiro Serizawa
Godzilla
2014
Plays Moritsugu Katsumoto
The Last Samurai
2003
Plays Ra's al Ghul
Batman Begins
2005
Plays Drift (voice)
Transformers: Age of Extinction
2014
Plays Dr. Ishiro Serizawa
Godzilla: King of the Monsters
2019
Plays Harun
The Creator
2023
Plays Drift (voice)
Transformers: The Last Knight
2017
Plays Lieutenant Hide Yoshida
Pokémon Detective Pikachu
2019
Plays Head Surgeon (voice)
Isle of Dogs
2018
Plays Kensuke (voice)
Kensuke's Kingdom
2024
Plays General Tadamichi Kuribayashi
Letters from Iwo Jima
2006
Plays Chairman
Memoirs of a Geisha
2005
Plays Hanjiro Hanai
Kokuho
2025
Plays Takumi Nakamura
The Sea of Trees
2016
Plays Mr. Tall
Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant
2009
Plays Gun
Tampopo
1985
Plays Tanaka
Shanghai
2010
Plays Katsumi Hosokawa
Bel Canto
2018
Plays The King of Siam
The King and I
2018
Plays Father
7 Guardians of the Tomb
2018
Plays Raita Onuki
Welcome Back, Mr. McDonald
1997
Plays Masao Yoshida
Fukushima 50
2020
Plays Jubee Kamata
Unforgiven
2013
Plays Yohei Maki
Rage
2016
Plays Toda
The Sea and Poison
1986
Plays Shigeyoshi Toumyo
The Final Piece
2025
Plays Masanobu Azuma
T.R.Y.
2003
Plays Tetsuo Nakai
MacArthur's Children
1984
Plays Hajime Onchi
The Unbroken
2009
Plays Ishida
The Whispered City
2000
Plays Komatsubara Hideaki
Year One in the North
2005
Plays Sakamaki ("Crusher")
Space Travelers
2000
Producer
Plays Masayuki Saeki
Memories of Tomorrow
2006
Plays Kinji Shinoda
Samurai Vengeance
2026
Plays Miyota
Drowning Fish
2001
Plays Okubo
Dawn of a New Day: The Man Behind VHS
2002
Plays Junichiro Kawaguchi
Hayabusa: The Long Voyage Home
2012
Plays Detective Sako Akio
Bonds
1998
TV Shows
Plays Genzo Onodera
Hanekonma
1986
Plays 伊達政宗
Masamune Shogun
1987
Plays Hojo Tokiyori
Hojo Tokimune
2001
Plays Tamema Okitsugu
Unbound
2025
Plays Fujiwara Tsunekiyo
The Fire Still Burns
1993
Producer
Plays Hiroto Katagiri
Tokyo Vice
2022
Plays Shimazu Nariakira
Segodon
2018
Plays Yokoyama
Ikebukuro West Gate Park
2000
Plays Shuichiro Imanishi
Vessel of Sand
2004
Plays 東雲朔太郎
The Secret Lives of Kyoto Folk
2015
Plays 東雲朔太郎
Kyotojin no Hisokana Tanoshimi Rouge: Keisho
2026
Plays Taichirou Tsujimura
TRUE COLORS
2025
Plays Zankuro Matsudaira
Gokenin Zankuro
1995
Plays Fujieda Baian
Baian the Assassin
1991
Plays 키자키 슈지
五年目のひとり
2016
Plays Regular
Gyoretsuno dekiru sodanjo
2011
Plays Takamura Kouji
Back of Father
2014
Plays Old Gentleman
Alice in Borderland
2020
Latest Trailers
Watch Trailer
Kokuho
Full Filmography 66
The Secret Lives of Kyoto Folk
東雲朔太郎 · 9 episodes
2026
Kyotojin no Hisokana Tanoshimi Rouge: Keisho
東雲朔太郎 · 9 episodes
2026
Samurai Vengeance
Kinji Shinoda
2026
TRUE COLORS
Taichirou Tsujimura · 9 episodes
2025
The Final Piece
Shigeyoshi Toumyo
2025
Alice in Borderland
Old Gentleman
2025Season 3
Kokuho
Hanjiro Hanai
2025
Unbound
Tamema Okitsugu · 48 episodes
2025–
Kensuke's Kingdom
Kensuke (voice)
2024
Photos
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Ken Watanabe and where are they from?
Ken Watanabe is 67 years old, born on October 21, 1959 in Uonuma, Niigata, Japan.
What are the most famous roles of Ken Watanabe?
Ken Watanabe is best known for roles in Inception, Batman Begins, Godzilla.
How many movies has Ken Watanabe been in?
Over a 42-year career (since 1984), Ken Watanabe has appeared in 48 movies and 17 TV shows.
What was Ken Watanabe's first movie?
The career of Ken Watanabe began with MacArthur's Children (1984).
What is Ken Watanabe's most recent movie or series?
Ken Watanabe's most recent release is Yamazaki Riverside - Over an Actor's Shoulder -, which premiered on October 28, 2026.
What TV shows has Ken Watanabe appeared in?
On television, Ken Watanabe has appeared in Alice in Borderland, Tokyo Vice, Ikebukuro West Gate Park, Unbound.
Ken Watanabe
1959-10-21 · Uonuma, Niigata, Japan
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.