Born Oct. 21, 1959, in Niigata Prefecture, Japan, Ken Watanabe began a life in the theatre while he was still an acting student.His first television appearance came in 1982 and was followed in 1985 by a small role in the hit crossover film Tampopo. But it was Watanabe's role as samurai leader Date Masamune in the TV series "Dokugan-ryu Masamune" (1987) that earned him a huge following in Japan.
After surviving a bout of leukemia, Watanabe slowly worked his way back into acting, an endeavor that culminated in an Oscar-nominated performance in The Last Samurai (2003) opposite Tom Cruise. He followed his first American triumph with a role as a villain in Batman Begins (2005).
Memoirs of a GeishaWhen 9-year-old Chiyo is sold to a Kyoto geisha house, she endures harsh treatment from the owners and the haughty head geisha, Hatsumomo -- who's envious of Chiyo's stunning beauty -- only to be rescued by Hatsumomo's rival. Chiyo blooms in her role as a geisha, but World War II threatens to change... Read More
Letters from Iwo JimaAs tens of thousands of Allied troops push further inland, the Japanese troops defending Iwo Jima during World War II prepare to meet their fate in this Clint Eastwood-directed Oscar nominee, a companion piece to his hit film Flags of Our Fathers. Ken Watanabe stars as a Japanese general who knows... Read More
Baian the Assassin: Vol. 1During the Edo period in Japan, acupuncturist Dr. Baian (Ken Watanabe) uses his skills to kill or cure. In fact, Baian often accepts payment to extinguish evildoers -- but only so that he can use the money to minister to the innocent sick. Think Robin Hood with needles and blades instead of a... Read More
PG-13 | ||
Shanghai (2010) | R | |
Letters from Iwo Jima (2007) | R | |
NR | ||
PG-13 | ||
PG-13 | ||
R | ||
NR | ||
Baian the Assassin: Vol 3 (1996) | NR | |
Baian the Assassin: Vol.4 (1996) | NR | |
Baian the Assassin: Vol. 2 (1992) | NR | |
Baian the Assassin: Vol. 1 (1991) | NR | |
Tampopo (1986) | NR | |
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