![Ken Watanabe video This is probably the best Ken Watanabe homage here on YouTube. The lyrics of the song are these: "Warrior's pride" by Rhapsody The ... clip](http://www.celebrityonlinenews.com/viewVideo.html?title=☆Ken Watanabe 渡辺謙☆&videoType=YouTube&summary=This is probably the best Ken Watanabe homage here on YouTube. The lyrics of the song are these: "Warrior's pride" by Rhapsody The ...&link=http://www.youtube.com/v/YKkkZGCVRuM&fs=1&source=uds&autoplay=1&thumb=http://3.gvt0.com/vi/YKkkZGCVRuM/default.jpg&celebrity=Ken Watanabe)
 1&videoType=YouTube&summary=Director: Sadao Nakajima Cast: Ken Watanabe Yûko Natori Hikaru Kurosaki Hiroyuki Sanada Rino Katase Miyuki Kanou Saburô Shinoda Hiroki Matsukata ...&link=http://www.youtube.com/v/fJantYB1Qz0&fs=1&source=uds&autoplay=1&thumb=http://1.gvt0.com/vi/fJantYB1Qz0/default.jpg&celebrity=Ken Watanabe)
'Unbroken' wins Japan film awards
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Variety - Found Mar. 5, 2010 Best actor was awarded to Ken Watanabe for his turn as a corporate reformer in "The Unbroken," while actress went to Takako Matsu for her perf... 'Shizumanu' wins at Japan Academy awards - Hollywood Reporter Explore All |
Ellen Sterling: ShoWest Day 4: The Party Ends With Day-Long ...
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Huffington Post - Found 2 hours ago ... in 2000, This time around it's a sci-fi thriller called Inception, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Ken Watanabe, Ellen Page, Michael Caine, Joseph... |
Comic Fans Guide to the Summer Blockbuster Season
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Examiner.com - Found Mar. 18, 2010 Sir Michael Caine, Ellen Page, Cillian Murphy, Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, and Tom Berenger. |
Leonardo DiCaprio: `Everyone is in for a treat with Inception`
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Monsters and Critics - Found Mar. 16, 2010 ... forward to the release of the movie by The Dark Knight's Christopher Nolan, which he starred in alongside Marion Cotillard and Ken Watanabe. Leonardo DiCaprio's Complicated Inception - MaleFirst Mens Magazine Leonardo DiCaprio talks Inception's complex plot structure - JoBlo Movie Emporium "Everyone's going to be in for a treat when they see it, including ... - Empire Online DiCaprio Talks Inception - Empire Online Explore All |
Monsters and Critics |
Leo DiCaprio talks Inception, compares it to Memento on much larger ...
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JoBlo Movie Emporium - Found Mar. 16, 2010 Source: Empire Spilled Blood: INCEPTION features an A-list ensemble: Leo, Marion Cotillard (above), Ken Watanabe, Michael Caine, Ellen Paige... Leonardo DiCaprio's complicated Inception - STV.tv 'Inception' a complicated film: DiCaprio - Sify 'Inception' a complicated film: DiCaprio - Malaysia Sun Explore All |
STV.tv |
Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant
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Sydney Morning Herald - Found Mar. 10, 2010 The ticket seller is a pint-sized ghoul who bites Steve's finger; the MC is a Chinese giant called Mr Tall (Ken Watanabe). |
Vampires become totally lost in the dark
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Sydney Morning Herald - Found Mar. 10, 2010 The ticket seller is a pint-sized ghoul who bites Steve's finger; the MC is a Chinese giant called Mr Tall (Ken Watanabe). |
Vampires become totally lost in the dark
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Brisbane Times - Found Mar. 10, 2010 The ticket seller is a pint-sized ghoul who bites Steve's finger; the MC is a Chinese giant called Mr Tall (Ken Watanabe). |
15 MAINSTREAM FILMS FROM 2010 TO BE EXCITED FOR: DAY FOURTEEN
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CHUD - Found Mar. 9, 2010 Nolan Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Tom Berenger, Ken Watanabe, Michael Caine, Marion Cotillard, and... |
HOMELESS CHIC - The Coolest Man in China
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San Francisco Sentinel - Found Mar. 9, 2010 His good looks are reminiscent of popular Asian actors like Takeshi Kaneshiro or the Oscar- nominated Ken Watanabe. |
Ken Watanabe Biography
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Ken Watanabe
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This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (September 2008) |
| Ken Watanabe 渡辺 謙 |
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|---|---|
 Ken Watanabe in 2007 |
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| Born | October 21, 1959 Koide, Niigata, Japan |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1979—present |
| Spouse(s) | Yumiko Watanabe (div. 2005) Kaho Minami (2005—present) |
Ken Watanabe (渡辺 謙 Watanabe Ken) (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 Moritsu in The Last Samurai, for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
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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.
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.
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.
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 1991 suffered a relapse.
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.
In 2002, he quit the En (Engeki-Shudan En) theatre 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.
In 2006, he finally won Best Lead Actor at the Japanese Academy Awards for his role in Memories of Tomorrow (Ashita no Kioku), in which he played a patient with Alzheimer's Disease.
American films
Watanabe was introduced to most Western audiences with the 2003 film The Last Samurai for which his performance as Katsumoto earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
Watanabe also appeared in the 2005 films Batman Begins as Ra's Al Ghul's Decoy and Memoirs of a Geisha, where he played The Chairman. In 2006, he starred in Clint Eastwood's film Letters from Iwo Jima. He also reprised his role of Ra's Al Ghul's Decoy in Batman Begins The Video game. He has also filmed advertisements for American Express and Yakult, and in 2004, he was featured in People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People edition.
Personal life
Watanabe was born in Koide, Niigata prefecture; his mother was a school teacher and his father taught calligraphy.1 In 2006, Watanabe revealed in his newly-published autobiography "Dare? - Who Am I?" that he has Hepatitis C virus. At a PR event held on May 23, 2006 in Tokyo's Ginza district, he said he was in good condition, but was still undergoing treatment.2 His daughter is fashion model Anne Watanabe.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | MacArthur's Children | Tetsuo Nakai | |
| Bruce's Fists of Vengeance | |||
| 1985 | 9 Deaths of the Ninja | Sensei | |
| Kekkon Annai Mystery (結婚案内ミステリー Kekkon Annai Misuterī) |
Funayama Tetsuya/Masakazu Sekine | ||
| 1986 | The Sea and Poison (海と毒薬 Umi to Dokuyaku) |
Toda | |
| Tampopo | Gun | ||
| 1987 | Karate Warrior (Il ragazzo dal kimono d'oro) |
Master Kimura | |
| Commando Invasion | |||
| 1988 | Karate Warrior 2 (Il ragazzo dal kimono d'oro 2) |
Master Kimura | |
| 1989 | Violent Zone | Old Mishima | |
| 1998 | Welcome Back, Mr. McDonald | Raita Onuki, Truck Driver | |
| 2000 | Space Travellers (スペーストラベラーズ Supēsu toraberāzu) |
Sakamaki | |
| 2000 | Ikebukuro West Gate Park |
Inspector Yokoyama | TV series |
| 2001 | Genji: A Thousand-Year Love (千年の恋 ～ひかる源氏物語 Sennen no koi - Hikaru Genji Monogatari) |
Fujiwara Michinaga/Fujiwara Nobutaka | |
| 2003 | The Last Samurai | Katsumoto Moritsu | |
| T.R.Y. | Masanobu Azuma | ||
| 2004 | Castle of Sand (砂の器 Suna no utsuwa) |
Shūichirō Imanishi | TV series |
| 2005 | Memoirs of a Geisha | The Chairman | |
| Batman Begins | Ra's al Ghul's Decoy | ||
| Year One in the North (北の零年 Kita no zeronen) |
Hideaki Komatsubara | ||
| 2006 | Memories of Tomorrow (明日の記憶 Ashita no Kioku) |
Masayuki Saeki | first starring role |
| Letters from Iwo Jima | General Tadamichi Kuribayashi | ||
| 2009 | Shizumanu Taiyo | In Cinemas | |
| Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant | Mr. Tall | ||
| 2010 | Shanghai | In post-production | |
| Inception | Saito | In post-production |
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)
- Towa part1-kanojo (2000)
- Towa part2-kanojo to kare (2001)
Awards and nominations
| Year | Organization | Award | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Elandor Awards | Newcomer Award | Umi to Dokuyaku | Won |
| 1999 | Japanese Academy Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Kizuna | Nominated3 |
| 2002 | Japan Academy Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Sennen no Koi Story of Genji | Nominated3 |
| 2003 | Japan Academy Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Hi Wa Mata Noboru | Nominated3 |
| Washington DC Area Film Critics Association Awards | Best Supporting Actor | The Last Samurai | Nominated3 | |
| 2004 | Academy Awardss | Best Supporting Actor | Nominated3 | |
| Saturn Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Nominated3 | ||
| Blue Ribbon Awards | Special Award | Won3 | ||
| Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Nominated3 | ||
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Nominated3 | ||
| Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Nominated3 | ||
| Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Nominated3 | ||
| Satellite Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Nominated3 | ||
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Nominated3 | ||
| Television Drama Academy Awards (Winter) | Best Supporting Actor | Suna no Utsuwa | Won4 | |
| 2006 | Hochi Film Awards | Best Actor | Memories of Tomorrow | Won3 |
| Nikkan Sports Film Awards | Best Actor | Won3 | ||
| 2007 | Blue Ribbon Awards | Best Actor | Won5 | |
| Japan Academy Awards | Best Actor | Won6 | ||
| Fujimoto Prize | Special Prize | Won7 | ||
| Kinema Junpo Awards | Best Actor | Won8 | ||
| 2009 | Hochi Film Awards | Best Actor | Shizumanu Taiyo | Won9 |
| 2010 | Japan Academy Awards | Best Actor | Won10 |
References
- ^ http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2003-12-11-watanabe-ken_x.htm
- ^ Japan Entertainment News Archives for May 2006
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Awards for Ken Watanabe". IMDB. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0913822/awards. Retrieved 2010-03-07.
- ^ "Drama Academy Awards". Tokyograph. http://www.tokyograph.com/info/Drama_Academy_Awards. Retrieved 2010-03-07.
- ^ "Blue Ribbon Awards: 'Hula Girl' Aoi on top". Tokyograph. 2009-01-24. http://www.tokyograph.com/news/id-378. Retrieved 2010-03-07.
- ^ "Another win for 'Hula Girl' at Japan Academy Awards". Tokyograph. 2007-02-16. http://www.tokyograph.com/news/id-483. Retrieved 2010-03-07.
- ^ "TBS producer wins Fujimoto Prize". Tokyograph. 2007-06-08. http://www.tokyograph.com/news/id-1187. Retrieved 2010-03-07.
- ^ "Kinema Junpo announces Best 10". Tokyograph. 2007-01-09. http://www.tokyograph.com/news/id-323. Retrieved 2010-03-07.
- ^ "34th Hochi Film Awards". Tokyograph. 2009-11-28. http://www.tokyograph.com/news/id-5514. Retrieved 2010-03-07.
- ^ "33rd Japan Academy Awards". Tokyograph. 2010-03-06. http://www.tokyograph.com/news/id-5881. Retrieved 2010-03-07.
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
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