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Ken Watanabe is a Actor Japonais born on 21 october 1959 at Uonuma (Japon)

Ken Watanabe

Ken Watanabe
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Nationality Japon
Birth 21 october 1959 (64 years) at Uonuma (Japon)

Ken Watanabe (渡辺 謙, Watanabe Ken, born October 21, 1959) is a Japanese 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 films Batman Begins and Inception. In 2014, he starred in the reboot of Godzilla, and lent his voice to the fourth installment of the Transformers franchise, Transformers: Age of Extinction as Decepticon turned Autobot Drift. He made his Broadway debut in April of 2015 in Lincoln Center Theater's revival production of The King and I in the title role (opposite Kelli O'Hara as Anna Leonowens). In 2015, Watanabe received his first Tony nomination for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical at the 69th Tony Awards for his role as The King. He is the first Japanese actor to be nominated in this category.

Biography

In 1983, Watanabe married his first wife, Yumiko. In March 2005, following two years of arbitration, he and Yumiko were divorced. He got to know Kaho Minami when they were acting together in a suspense drama for TV Tokyo. Around the time of his divorce the two began seriously dating, and were married on December 3 of the same year. The couple's relationship was initially kept out of the mass media. It was not until an "unidentified guest" accompanying Watanabe at a New York premiere of his film Sayuri who is seen in an Associated Press photo was found to be Minami that their marriage was publicly announced.

Watanabe formally adopted Minami's son from her previous marriage to director Jinsei Tsuji, and for a time the three of them lived in Los Angeles. In order to increase the amount of time the family could spend together, considering Ken's work requiring him to travel so much, they later returned to Japan. Initially Minami and Ken did not hold any wedding ceremony, but in 2010, marking their fifth anniversary, they announced that they had held a ceremony in Los Angeles.

Watanabe has two biological children and an adopted son. His oldest son, Dai Watanabe (born 1984) is an actor, and his daughter Anne Watanabe (born 1986) is also an actress and fashion model. In August 2008, Dai had his first child, making Ken a grandfather at the age of 48. As of 2014, Watanabe has two grandchildren.

In 1989 Watanabe was diagnosed with bone marrow leukemia, but he later recovered.

In 2006 Watanabe revealed in his autobiography Dare? - Who Am I? that he has hepatitis C. At a press conference held 23 May 2006 in Tokyo's Ginza district, he said he was in good condition but was still undergoing treatment.

On March 13, 2011, he launched a YouTube page to raise awareness about the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami and invited celebrities to add their videos. In his video in English, he made a call to action to support the victims and to raise funds in the relief effort. In conjunction, he has created his own website for the cause.

Best films

Inception (2010)
(Actor)
Transformers: The Last Knight (2017)
(Actor)
Godzilla (2014)
(Actor)
The Last Samurai (2003)
(Actor)
Pokémon Detective Pikachu (2019)
(Actor)
Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)
(Actor)

Usually with

Michael Bay
Michael Bay
(3 films)
Paul Weitz
Paul Weitz
(2 films)
Erik Aadahl
Erik Aadahl
(4 films)
Source : Wikidata

Filmography of Ken Watanabe (33 films)

Display filmography as list

Actor

Godzilla: King of the Monsters, 2h12
Directed by Michael Dougherty
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Science fiction, Thriller, Action, Adventure
Themes Films about animals, Dinosaur films, Kaiju films, Films about magic and magicians, La préhistoire, Animaux préhistoriques, Giant monster films, Godzilla films, Films about extraterrestrial life, Disaster films
Actors Vera Farmiga, Ken Watanabe, Sally Hawkins, Kyle Chandler, Millie Bobby Brown, Bradley Whitford
Roles Dr. Ishiro Serizawa
Rating60% 3.009333.009333.009333.009333.00933
L'agence crypto-zoologique Monarch déploie de nombreux moyens pour combattre des créatures de tailles divines, appelées Titans. Ces derniers réapparaissent petit à petit des entrailles de la terre. La paléobiologiste Emma Russell, travaillant pour Monarch, a été traumatisée par la mort de son fils Andrew en 2014. Elle a mis au point l'Orca, jadis imaginé avec son ex-mari Mark, une machine qui permet de capter et reproduire les signaux émis par les Titans. Son invention attire des convoitises. Emma entraine avec elle sa fille Madison. Son père, Mark va tout faire pour retrouver sa fille, tout en tentant de survivre dans un monde envahi de monstres. Godzilla va ainsi devoir compter sur une alliée, le papillon géant Mothra pour affronter les 2 menaces que représentent le ptérosaure super-rapide Rodan, ainsi que son pire ennemi, le dragon à trois têtes King Ghidorah, qui est l'Alpha des Titans. Ces anciennes super-espèces veulent toutes la suprématie et mettent en danger la survie de l'humanité. Alors qu'un combat apocalyptique se prépare, Godzilla, seul prétendant au titre capable de rivaliser avec l'Alpha, aidé des humains, devra s'imposer et ainsi affirmer sa place en tant que roi des monstres.
Pokémon Detective Pikachu, 1h44
Directed by Rob Letterman
Origin USA
Genres Fantastic, Fantasy, Action, Adventure
Themes Films about computing, Jeu, Films based on video games
Actors Ryan Reynolds, Justice Smith, Kathryn Newton, Ken Watanabe, Bill Nighy, Chris Geere
Roles Lieutenant Hide Yoshida
Rating65% 3.2576253.2576253.2576253.2576253.257625
L'histoire se déroule dans l'univers Pokémon. Tim Goodman est un jeune homme de 21 ans qui a abandonné le dressage de Pokémon suite au décès de sa mère et à l'absence de son père, Harry. Il voyage jusqu'à Ryme City, une métropole où humains et Pokémon vivent ensemble en harmonie, pour collecter les biens de Harry suite à son décès dans un accident de voiture. Dans l'appartement de Harry, Tim rencontre un Pikachu portant un deerstalker qui sait parler et que seul lui peut comprendre. Le duo échappe ensuite à l'attaque d'une bande de Capumain sous l'influence d'un gaz violacé « R » que Tim a accidentellement relâché pendant son inspection. Ils se réfugient dans un café où Pikachu apprend à Tim qu'il est détective et amnésique, mais qu'il était également le partenaire de Harry, et qu'ils étaient en train d'enquêter lorsque Harry a disparu. Ils cherchent alors Lucy Stevens, une jeune stagiaire désireuse de devenir reporter, que Tim avait déjà rencontrée. Elle emmène Pikachu et Tim vers un M. Mime, qu'ils interrogent avant d'être emmenés vers une arène illégale dirigée par un prénommé Sébastien et son pokémon Dracaufeu (qui est le champion de l'arène). Il demande une revanche contre Pikachu, qui avait précédemment battu son Dracaufeu. Cependant, Pikachu ne se souvient non plus de comment utiliser ses pouvoirs et Sébastien donne une dose du gaz R à Dracaufeu avant le combat, et Pikachu parvient à se sauver in extremis, avec l'aide de Tim. Sébastien libère alors le reste du gaz R dans le stade, ce qui provoque le chaos. Il dit à Tim qu'il a obtenu le gaz R grâce « à la doctoresse ».
Isle of Dogs, 1h41
Directed by Wes Anderson
Origin USA
Genres Comedy, Adventure, Animation
Themes Films about animals, Medical-themed films, Films about dogs, Films about viral outbreaks, Dystopian films, Mise en scène d'un mammifère
Actors Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Bob Balaban, Ken Watanabe
Roles Head Surgeon (voice)
Rating78% 3.9004953.9004953.9004953.9004953.900495
Dans un futur dystopique, dans la ville japonaise de Megasaki, un virus de la grippe se propage dans toute la population canine grandissante. Le maire autoritaire, Kobayashi (un homme issu d'une longue lignée d'amateurs de chats et haïsseurs de chiens) avec son bras droit le major Domo, signe un décret bannissant tous les chiens à l'Île poubelle (« l'île des déchets » où sont stockés les détritus de la ville), bien que le scientifique Watanabe fasse savoir qu'il est sur le point de trouver un remède. Le premier chien à être banni est Spots, qui appartenait à Atari Kobayashi, le neveu orphelin et pupille du maire.
Bel Canto
Bel Canto (2018)
, 1h42
Directed by Paul Weitz
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Thriller, Musical, Romance
Actors Julianne Moore, Ken Watanabe, Sebastien Koch, Christophe Lambert, Tenoch Huerta Mejía, Elsa Zylberstein
Roles Katsumi Hosokawa
Rating55% 2.7501152.7501152.7501152.7501152.750115
Une célèbre soprano américaine est invitée dans une dictature militaire en Amérique du Sud pour donner un concert privé pour l'anniversaire d'un riche industriel japonais. L'assistance est prise en otage…
7 Guardians of the Tomb, 1h41
Directed by Kimble Rendall
Origin Australie
Genres Action, Adventure, Horror
Themes Films about animals, Natural horror films, Films about spiders, Giant monster films
Actors Li Bingbing (李冰冰), Kellan Lutz, Kelsey Grammer, Stef Dawson, Shane Jacobson, Jason Chong
Roles Father
Rating44% 2.2262352.2262352.2262352.2262352.226235
En Chine, un groupe de scientifiques découvre la momie d'un empereur chinois datant de 200 avant J.C. dans une tombe se trouvant dans un labyrinthe d'une caverne truffée de pièges mortels. Mais leur découverte libère accidentellement une horde d'araignées mangeuses d'hommes. Pour atteindre la sortie, ils vont devoir lutter contre ses arachnides sanguinaires.
Transformers: The Last Knight, 2h29
Directed by Michael Bay
Origin USA
Genres Science fiction, Thriller, Fantasy, Action, Adventure
Themes Jeu, Films about toys, Robot films
Actors Mark Wahlberg, Nicola Peltz, Peter Cullen, Frank Welker, John Goodman, Gemma Chan
Roles Drift (voice)
Rating52% 2.614632.614632.614632.614632.61463
Les humains sont en guerre contre les Transformers. Optimus a disparu. Cade Yeager, Bumblebee, un Lord et une aristocrate professeur d'Oxford faisant partie des Witwiccans s'allient pour contrer la menace qui arrive. Optimus est de retour changé en Némésis Prime par Quintessa, la créatrice des Transformers qui cherche à s'emparer du bâton de Merlin pour tuer la Terre, Unicron. Car la survie de l'humanité réside dans l'histoire cachée des Transformers sur Terre remontant à la légende arthurienne.
Thor: Ragnarok, 2h10
Directed by Taika Waititi
Origin USA
Genres Science fiction, Comedy, Fantasy, Action, Adventure, Historical, Musical
Themes Space adventure films, Monde imaginaire, Films based on mythology, Sur une planète fictive, Hulk (comics) films, Superhero films, Films based on Norse mythology, Super-héros inspiré de comics, Children's films
Actors Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Cate Blanchett, Idris Elba
Roles Asgardian Noble
Rating78% 3.946283.946283.946283.946283.94628
Après les évènements de Sokovie et l'affrontement avec Ultron, Thor est parti à la recherche des Pierres d'Infinité. Deux ans plus tard, sans résultat, il finit emprisonné dans le monde de Surtur (Muspellheim). Il se libère et vainc le démon enflammé, après que ce dernier lui a appris qu'Asgard est sans défense en l'absence du « Père de Toute Chose », Odin. Thor lui arrache sa couronne que le démon comptait unir avec l'Éternelle Flamme afin de provoquer le Ragnarök, la destruction d’Asgard.
The Sea of Trees, 1h50
Directed by Gus Van Sant
Origin USA
Genres Drama
Themes Seafaring films, Films about suicide, Transport films
Actors Matthew McConaughey, Naomi Watts, Ken Watanabe, James Saito, Katie Aselton, Jordan Gavaris
Roles Takumi Nakamura
Rating61% 3.0522553.0522553.0522553.0522553.052255
An American man travels to the "Suicide Forest" (Aokigahara forest) to kill himself at the base of Mount Fuji in Japan, the site of numerous suicides. There he encounters a Japanese man, who wants to kill himself as well, and both men begin a journey of self-reflection and survival.
Godzilla
Godzilla (2014)
, 2h3
Directed by Gareth Edwards
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Science fiction, Thriller, Fantasy, Action, Horror
Themes Films about animals, Dinosaur films, La fin du monde, Kaiju films, Films about magic and magicians, Seafaring films, La préhistoire, Films about religion, Transport films, Films set in the future, Animaux préhistoriques, Giant monster films, Political films, Dystopian films, Alternate history films, Godzilla films, Films about extraterrestrial life, Arme nucléaire, Disaster films, United States Armed Forces in films
Actors Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Bryan Cranston, Elizabeth Olsen, David Strathairn, Juliette Binoche, Richard T. Jones
Roles Dr. Ishiro Serizawa
Rating63% 3.1991453.1991453.1991453.1991453.199145
In 1954, a nuclear bomb is detonated at the moment a giant creature emerges from the ocean. In 1999, Project Monarch scientists Ishiro Serizawa and Vivienne Graham investigate a colossal skeleton unearthed in a collapsed mine in the Philippines. They find two spores; one dormant and one hatched that made a trail into the sea. In Japan, the Janjira Nuclear Power Plant experiences unusual seismic activity and Supervisor Joe Brody sends his wife Sandra and a team of technicians into the reactor. A tremor breaches the reactor, leaving Sandra and her team unable to escape while the plant collapses.
Transformers: Age of Extinction, 2h45
Directed by Michael Bay
Origin USA
Genres Science fiction, Fantastic, Action, Adventure
Themes Films about animals, Dinosaur films, Jeu, Transport films, Aviation films, Films set in the future, Films about extraterrestrial life, Films about toys, Road movies, Chase films, Films about extraterrestrial life, Alien invasions in films, Robot films, Disaster films
Actors Mark Wahlberg, Frank Welker, Nicola Peltz, Miguel Ferrer, Jeffrey Combs, Jack Reynor
Roles Drift (voice)
Rating56% 2.8034752.8034752.8034752.8034752.803475
Sixty-five million years ago, the alien race known as the "Creators" invade Earth, wiping out most of life on the planet including the dinosaurs with the "Seeds", and cyber-form thousands of planets, including Cybertron. In the present, Darcy Tirrel discovered frozen dinosaur corpses in the Arctic.
Unbroken
Unbroken (2014)
, 2h17
Directed by Angelina Jolie
Origin USA
Genres Drama, War, Biography
Themes Seafaring films, Prison films, Sports films, Transport films, Aviation films, Athletics films, Political films, United States Armed Forces in films
Actors Jack O'Connell, Garrett Hedlund, Domhnall Gleeson, Miyavi, Jai Courtney, John Magaro
Roles Omori officer
Rating72% 3.6024653.6024653.6024653.6024653.602465
The film opens showing Louis "Louie" Zamperini flying as a bombardier of a United States Army Air Forces B-24 Liberator bomber, during an April 1943 bombing mission against the Japanese-held island of Nauru. The plane is badly damaged in combat, with a number of the crew injured. The hydraulics of the plane are shot and damaged, but the pilot, Phil, manages to bring it to a stop at the end of the runway thanks to a flat tire.
Unforgiven
Unforgiven (2013)
, 2h15
Directed by Lee Sang-il
Origin Japon
Genres Drama, Action, Crime, Western
Themes Seafaring films, Sports films, Transport films, Martial arts films
Actors Ken Watanabe, Akira Emoto, Koichi Sato, Yūya Yagira, Shiori Kutsuna, Eiko Koike
Roles Jubee Kamata
Rating69% 3.4969853.4969853.4969853.4969853.496985
Shortly after the start of the Meiji period, a former samurai under the Edo Shogunate, Jubei Kamata, flees from government forces on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido. Jubei kills his pursuers and disappears, but remains infamous as “Jubei the Killer”.
Inception
Inception (2010)
, 2h28
Directed by Christopher Nolan
Origin USA
Genres Science fiction, Thriller, Action, Adventure
Themes Films set in Africa, Seafaring films, Transport films, Heist films, Gangster films, Escroquerie
Actors Leonardo DiCaprio, Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy
Roles Saito
Rating83% 4.197274.197274.197274.197274.19727
Dominick "Dom" Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) are "extractors", people who perform corporate espionage using an experimental military technology to infiltrate the subconscious of their targets and extract information while experiencing shared dreaming. Their latest target is Japanese businessman Saito (Ken Watanabe). The extraction from Saito fails when sabotaged by a memory of Cobb's deceased wife Mal (Marion Cotillard). Saito reveals that he was actually auditioning the team to perform the difficult act of "inception": planting an idea in a person's subconscious.