Ken Watanabe
Japanese actor
1959 — present
Quick Facts
Profession
Japanese actor
Born
October 21, 1959
Age
~67 years
Name Origin
English
Timeline
stage actor, television actor, film actor
JapanBorn in Uonuma
1959
Born in Uonuma (1959-10-21)
1985
Notable workTampopo
1986
Notable workThe Sea and Poison
1987
AwardElan d'or Award for Newcomer of the Year
2003
Notable workThe Last Samurai
2005
Notable workMemoirs of a Geisha
About
Ken Watanabe is a Japanese actor. He is best 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, Watanabe has won the Japan Academy Film Prize for Best Actor twice, in 2007 for Memories of Tomorrow and in 2010 for The Unbroken. He is also known for his roles in Christopher Nolan's films Batman Begins and Inception, as well as Memoirs of a Geisha, and Pokémon Detective Pikachu.
Read more on Wikipedia →Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Ken Watanabe?+
Ken Watanabe is a Japanese actor. He is best 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, Wat
What does the name Ken mean?+
The name Ken means "A diminutive of the male given name Kenneth.. Etymology: Borrowed from Ken, Kenneth in modern times. Also a rare variant of Kents, a short form of Innocentius.". It is of English origin.
When was Ken Watanabe born?+
Ken Watanabe was born on October 21, 1959.
Name Meaning
A diminutive of the male given name Kenneth.. Etymology: Borrowed from Ken, Kenneth in modern times. Also a rare variant of Kents, a short form of Innocentius.
The name Ken is of English origin, meaning "A diminutive of the male given name Kenneth.. Etymology: Borrowed from Ken, Kenneth in modern times. Also a rare variant of Kents, a short form of Innocentius.". It is traditionally a male name.
Other famous people named Ken
Ken Kesey
American novelist (1935–2001)
Ken Follett
British novelist (born 1949)
Ken Naganuma
Japanese association football player and manager (1930–2008)
Ken Noritake
Japanese association football player (1922–1994)
Ken Livingstone
English politician (born 1945); Mayor of London from 2000 until 2008
Ken Page
American actor (1954–2024)
Ken — October 21, 1959
Zodiac & Calendar Signs
Western Zodiac
Libra
Diplomatic, gracious, fair-minded
Air · Venus · Sep 23 – Oct 22
Chinese Zodiac
Pig
Compassionate, generous, diligent
Earth · Yin
Mayan Tzolkin
6 Ahau
Sun — enlightenment, ascension, mastery
Celtic Tree
Ivy
Loyal, compassionate, giving
Ogham: Gort · Sep 30 – Oct 27
Birthstone: Opal — Hope, creativity
Would you name your baby Ken?
Guestbook
The audition tape... I knew in the first ten seconds.
— a casting director
The world is a little different because you existed.
— ?
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