Ken Watanabe (渡辺 謙, Watanabe Ken^?, born October 21, 1959) is a Academy Award-nominated 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 in The Last Samurai. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 535 pixelsFull resolution (3000 × 2008 pixel, file size: 3. ... is the 294th day of the year (295th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Koide (小出町; -machi) is a town located in Kitauonuma District, Niigata, Japan. ... Kaho Minami (南 果歩 Minami Kaho, born January 20, 1964 in Amagasaki, Hyogo Prefecture– ) is a Japanese actress active in film, television and commercials. ... is the 294th day of the year (295th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Although he never won an Oscar for any of his movie performances, the comedian Bob Hope received two honorary Oscars for his contributions to cinema. ... For other usages see Theatre (disambiguation) Theater (American English) or Theatre (British English and widespread usage among theatre professionals in the US) is that branch of the performing arts concerned with acting out stories in front of an audience using combinations of speech, gesture, music, dance, sound and spectacle — indeed... This article is about motion pictures. ... For other uses, see Actor (disambiguation). ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... A tragic hero is a literary character who makes a judgment error that inevitably leads to his/her own destruction. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Tadamichi Kuribayashi (Japanese: 栗林忠道 Kuribayashi Tadamichi) (July 7, 1891 in Nagano city, Japan – March 23, 1945 on Iwo Jima, Japan) was a General in the Imperial Japanese Army, best known as overall commander of the Japanese garrison during most of the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II. Assigned by... Letters from Iwo Jima ) is a 2006 Academy Award and Golden Globe-winning critically-acclaimed[1][2][3] war film whose cast includes Ken Watanabe and Kazunari Ninomiya. ... The Last Samurai is an action/drama film written by John Logan and Edward Zwick & Marshall Herskovitz based on a story by Logan. ...

Biography

Born Ken Watanabe in Koide, Niigata prefecture, his mother was a school teacher and his father taught calligraphy. Koide (小出町; -machi) is a town located in Kitauonuma District, Niigata, Japan. ... Niigata Prefecture ) is located on HonshÅ« island on the coast of the Sea of Japan. ... Contemporary Western Calligraphy. ...

Japanese roles

After graduating from high school in 1978, Watanabe moved to Tokyo to begin his acting career, getting his big break with the Tokyo-based theater troupe En. While with the troupe, he was cast as the hero in the play Shimodani Mannencho Monogatari, under Yukio Ninagawa's direction. The role attracted critical and popular notice. Year 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar). ... For other uses, see Tokyo (disambiguation). ... Yukio Ninagawa (蜷川幸雄 Ninagawa Yukio, born October 15, 1935) is a Japanese theatre director, particularly known for his Japanese language productions of Shakespeare plays and Greek tragedies. ...

In 1982, he made his first TV appearance in Michinaru Hanran (Unknown Rebellion), and his first appearance on TV as a samurai in Mibu no koiuta. He made his feature-film debut in 1984 with MacArthur's Children. The year 1982 in television involved some significant events. ... TV redirects here. ... // Events The Walt Disney Company founds Touchstone Pictures to release movies with subject matter deemed inappropriate for the Disney name. ... MacArthurs Children was a popular and influential Japanese motion picture which detailed the impact of the United States occupation of Japan from the perspective of the inhabitants of a small, rural island community. ...

Watanabe is mostly known in Japan for playing samurai, as in the 1987 Dokuganryu Masamune (One eyed dragon, Masamune) the 50-episode NHK drama for which he is now best known. He played the lead character, Matsudaira Kurō, in the television jidaigeki Gokenin Zankurō, which ran for several seasons. He has gone on to earn acclaim in such historical dramas as Oda Nobunaga, Chushingura, and the movie Bakumatsu Junjo Den. For other uses, see Samurai (disambiguation). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... NHK Broadcasting Center in Shibuya, Tokyo NHK (, Nippon Hōsō Kyōkai), or the Japan Broadcasting Corporation, is Japans public broadcaster. ... Jidaigeki (時代劇) is a genre of film and television in Japan. ... Gokenin Zankurō ) is a novel by Renzaburo Shibata. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Incense burns at the burial graves of the 47 Ronin at Sengaku-ji. ...

In 1989, while filming Haruki Kadokawa's Heaven and Earth, Watanabe was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia. He returned to acting while simultaneously undergoing chemotherapy treatments, but in 1994 suffered a relapse. // Actress Kim Basinger and her brother Mick purchase Braselton, Georgia for $20 million. ... Heaven and Earth (天と地と, Ten to chi to) is a 1990 film directed by Kadokawa Haruki starring Enoki Takaaki, Tsugawa Masahiko, Asano Atsuko, Zaizen Naomi and Nomura Hironobu. ... Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), also known as acute myeloid leukemia, is a cancer of the myeloid line of blood cells. ... Chemotherapy is the use of chemical substances to treat disease. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ...

As his health improved his career picked back up. He co-starred with Koji Yakusho in the 1998 Kizuna, for which he was nominated for the Japanese Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Koji Yakusho (役所 広司 Yakusho Kōji) is a Japanese actor. ... The year 1998 in film involved some significant events. ... The Japanese Academy Awards have been held since 1977 to reward excellence in Japanese film. ... Best Supporting Actor or Best Supporting Actress is an accolade given by a group of film or theatre professionals in recognition of the work of supporting and character actors. ...

In 2002, he quit the En (Engeki-Shudan En) theater group where he had his start and joined the K-Dash agency. The film Sennen no Koi (Thousand-year Love, based on The Tale of Genji) earned him another Japanese Academy Award nomination. Also see: 2002 (number). ... Ilustration of ch. ... The Japanese Academy Awards have been held since 1977 to reward excellence in Japanese film. ...

In 2006, he finally won Best Lead Actor at the Japanese Academy Awards for his role in Memories of tomorrow (Ashita no Kioku), where he played a patient with Alzheimer's Disease. Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Japanese Academy Awards have been held since 1977 to reward excellence in Japanese film. ... Ashita no Kioku/Memories of Tomorrow is a 2006 Japanese drama film starring Ken Watanabe and directed by Yukihiko Tsutsumi. ... Alzheimers disease (AD), also known simply as Alzheimers, is a neurodegenerative disease that, in its most common form, is found in people over age 65. ...

Western films

Watanabe was introduced to most Western audiences with the 2003 film The Last Samurai for which his performance as Katsumoto in earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Last Samurai is an action/drama film written by John Logan and Edward Zwick & Marshall Herskovitz based on a story by Logan. ... Academy Award The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are the most prominent and most watched film awards ceremony in the world. ... Best Supporting Actor or Best Supporting Actress is an accolade given by a group of film or theatre professionals in recognition of the work of supporting and character actors. ...

Watanabe also appeared in the 2005 films Batman Begins and Memoirs of a Geisha, where he played The Chairman. In 2006 he starred in Clint Eastwood's film Letters from Iwo Jima. He has also filmed ads for American Express and Yakult and in 2004, he was featured in People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People edition. This is a list of film-related events in 2005. ... For the video game based on the film, see Batman Begins (video game). ... Memoirs of a Geisha is an Academy Award and Grammy Award-winning movie adaptation of the novel of the same name, produced by Steven Spielbergs Amblin Entertainment and directed by Rob Marshall. ... // Please note that following the tradition of the English language film industry, these are the top grossing films that were first released in the United States and Canada in 2006; because they may have made most of their income in a later year, they may not be the top-grossing... For other uses, see Clint Eastwood (disambiguation). ... Letters from Iwo Jima ) is a 2006 Academy Award and Golden Globe-winning critically-acclaimed[1][2][3] war film whose cast includes Ken Watanabe and Kazunari Ninomiya. ... American Express (NYSE: AXP), sometimes known as AmEx or Amex, is a diversified global financial services company, headquartered in New York City. ... Japanese Yakult. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... People, a weekly magazine of celebrity and popular culture news, debuted on February 27, 1974. ...

Personal life

In 2001 he announced at a press conference that his ¥170 million (1.4 million USD, 2001) home had been repossessed and that he was heavily in debt. Watanabe had ignored his finances, leaving them entirely to his wife. Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ...

Ken is divorced from his ex-wife, Yumiko, with whom he has two children: Anne Watanabe, a 20 year-old model, and Dai (渡辺大), a 23 year-old actor. Anne Watanabe (b. ...

On December 3, 2005, he married actress Kaho Minami. is the 337th day of the year (338th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Kaho Minami (南 果歩 Minami Kaho, born January 20, 1964 in Amagasaki, Hyogo Prefecture– ) is a Japanese actress active in film, television and commercials. ...

Filmography

// Events The Walt Disney Company founds Touchstone Pictures to release movies with subject matter deemed inappropriate for the Disney name. ... MacArthurs Children was a popular and influential Japanese motion picture which detailed the impact of the United States occupation of Japan from the perspective of the inhabitants of a small, rural island community. ... // Back to the Future, starring Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd and Lea Thompson Rambo: First Blood Part II, starring Sylvester Stallone Rocky IV, starring Sylvester Stallone The Color Purple, starring Whoopi Goldberg, Danny Glover, Oprah Winfrey, Margaret Avery, Rae Dawn Chong, Adolph Caesar Out of Africa, starring Meryl Streep and... // April 12 - Actor Morgan Mason marries The Go-Gos Belinda Carlisle Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger marries television journalist Maria Shriver. ... Tampopo (タンポポ or 蒲公英 which translate to dandelion) is a 1985 Japanese comedy film by director Juzo Itami, starring Tsutomu Yamazaki, Nobuko Miyamoto and Ken Watanabe. ... // May 9 - Actor Tom Cruise marries actress Mimi Rogers. ... // Michael Jacksons first film was Moonwalker Rain Man, starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise Who Framed Roger Rabbit, starring Bob Hoskins Coming to America, starring Eddie Murphy Big, starring Tom Hanks Twins, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito Crocodile Dundee II Die Hard, starring Bruce Willis The Naked Gun... // Actress Kim Basinger and her brother Mick purchase Braselton, Georgia for $20 million. ... The year 1998 in film involved some significant events. ... Welcome Back, Mr. ... The year 2000 in film involved some significant events. ... The year 2000 in film involved some significant events. ... For the 1968 science-fiction film and novel, see 2001: A Space Odyssey The year 2001 in film involved some significant events. ... The year 2003 in film involved some significant events. ... The Last Samurai is an action/drama film written by John Logan and Edward Zwick & Marshall Herskovitz based on a story by Logan. ... The year 2004 in film involved some significant events. ... This is a list of film-related events in 2005. ... Memoirs of a Geisha is an Academy Award and Grammy Award-winning movie adaptation of the novel of the same name, produced by Steven Spielbergs Amblin Entertainment and directed by Rob Marshall. ... For the video game based on the film, see Batman Begins (video game). ... Ras al Ghul, sometimes written Rās al GhÅ«l (Arabic: رأس الغول), is a DC Comics supervillain and an enemy of Batman. ... // Please note that following the tradition of the English language film industry, these are the top grossing films that were first released in the United States and Canada in 2006; because they may have made most of their income in a later year, they may not be the top-grossing... Ashita no Kioku/Memories of Tomorrow is a 2006 Japanese drama film starring Ken Watanabe and directed by Yukihiko Tsutsumi. ... 2007 has been referred to, by film and media critics, as the year of the threequels, a nickname referring to both the 2004 summer movie season and several film franchises which premiered or had installments released in 2004, which appear again this year: Spider-Man 3, Shrek the Third, Ocean... Dream of the Red Chamber (Chinese: 紅樓夢; pinyin: hóng lóu mèng) or Chronicles of the Stone (Chinese: 石頭記; pinyin: shí tóu jì), written by Cao Xueqin, is one of the greatest masterpieces of Chinese fiction, written in the 18th century during the Qing Dynasty. ... Letters from Iwo Jima ) is a 2006 Academy Award and Golden Globe-winning critically-acclaimed[1][2][3] war film whose cast includes Ken Watanabe and Kazunari Ninomiya. ... Tadamichi Kuribayashi (Japanese: 栗林忠道 Kuribayashi Tadamichi) (July 7, 1891 in Nagano city, Japan – March 23, 1945 on Iwo Jima, Japan) was a General in the Imperial Japanese Army, best known as overall commander of the Japanese garrison during most of the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II. Assigned by... 2008 in film is expected to feature another battle of the sequels, as many properties release new installments, including: Ace Ventura Jr. ... Cirque du Freak is a movie announced by Universal Pictures based on the Vampire Blood trilogy by Darren Shan, incorporating the plots of Cirque du Freak, The Vampires Assistant, and Tunnels of Blood (with plans to release the remaining 3 trilogies as movies as well). ...

Stage

• Britannicus henso (1980)
• Shitaya mannencho monogatari (1981)
• Fuyu no raion (The Lion in Winter) (1981)
• Pajaze (1981)
• Platonof (1982)
• Kafun netsu (1982)
• Pizarro (1985)
• Hamlet (1988)
• Hamlet no gakuya -anten (2000)
• Eien part1-kanojo to kare (2000)
• Eien part2-kanojo to kare (2001)

Awards and nominations

2007 has been referred to, by film and media critics, as the year of the threequels, a nickname referring to both the 2004 summer movie season and several film franchises which premiered or had installments released in 2004, which appear again this year: Spider-Man 3, Shrek the Third, Ocean... The Japanese Academy Awards have been held since 1977 to reward excellence in Japanese film. ... Ashita no Kioku/Memories of Tomorrow is a 2006 Japanese drama film starring Ken Watanabe and directed by Yukihiko Tsutsumi. ... The year 2004 in film involved some significant events. ... Academy Award The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are the most prominent and most watched film awards ceremony in the world. ... The Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor is one of the awards given to male actors working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; nominations are made by Academy members who are actors and actresses. ... The Last Samurai is an action/drama film written by John Logan and Edward Zwick & Marshall Herskovitz based on a story by Logan. ... The Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA) is the largest film critics organization in the U.S. and Canada, representing 199 television, radio and online critics. ... The Critics Choise Award for Best Supporting Actor is one of the awards given to people working in the motion picture industry by the Broadcast Film Critics Association. ... The Golden Globe Awards are American awards for motion pictures and television programs, given out each year during a formal dinner. ... The Satellite Awards are an annual award given by the International Press Academy. ... The Actor: The Screen Actors Guild Award Statue The Screen Actors Guild Awards are an annual award given by the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) to recognize outstanding performances by members. ... The Blue Ribbon Awards are film-specific prizes awarded solely by movie critics and writers in Tokyo, Japan. ... The year 2003 in film involved some significant events. ... The Japanese Academy Awards have been held since 1977 to reward excellence in Japanese film. ... The year 2002 in film involved some significant events. ... The year 1999 in film involved some significant events. ... // May 9 - Actor Tom Cruise marries actress Mimi Rogers. ...

External links

• Ken Watanabe at the Internet Movie Database
• USA Today Interview
• About.com Interview
• Watanabe Ken's JMDb Listing (in Japanese)
• Ken Watanabe profile on Hoga Central