Ken Watanabe Profile


                        
       waiting for his picture... .
     渡辺 謙
real name    Ken  WATANABE
occupation        actor
date of birth    21 October, 1959
birth place    Uonuma (Koide), Niigata, Japan
blood type          A
size height/ 184cm ( 6 feet 1&1/2 inches )
weight/ 76kg ( 167 lb. )
hobbies
and
specialities
ski, golf, tennis, basketball,
truck driver's licence, trumpet,
horseback riding, baseball, cooking
office       K DASH
fan mail address Mr. Ken Watanabe
c/o K DASH
5F Okamoto LK building
2-7-10, Higashi, Shibuya-ku,
Tokyo 150-0011
Japan

      Ken Watanabe Biography
   

1978
After graduating from Koide high school in Niigata, he left for Tokyo to enter an
actor/actress training studio. After a while, he joined another actor/ actress
training studio, ENGEKI-SYUDAN EN. Until he moved to his present office,
K DASH, he had belonged to EN for over 20 years.

1981
His first appearance on the stage was remarkable. While he was still a trainee of EN,
he was unusually chosen as the main role of "Shitaya mannencho monogatari"
directed by Yukio Ninagawa. Ken also starred in another of Ninagawa's stages,
"Hamlet" in 1988.

1982
He appeared on TV for the first time with "Michinaru Hanran" and his first samurai
TV drama series, "Mibu no koiuta".

1984
He made his film debut in "Setouchi shonen yakyudan (MacArther's Children)".

1987
He crossed over into stardom after playing the main charactor of "Dokuganryu
Masamune ( One eyed dragon, Masamune )",
a one year-long NHK TV samurai
drama series. The drama got the best rating ( 39.8% ) out of all of the NHK
samurai dramas in the past.
With this work he became one of the most popular actors in Japan.

Also this year he received the Ecran d’Or Best New Actor Award from
the Japan Film and Television Producers Society
. with the film "Umi to dokuyaku
( The Sea and poison )"


1989
While acting in the film, "Ten to chi to ( Heaven and Earth )" in Calgary, Alberta,
Canada, it was discovered that he had leukemia. He had to stop filming, but
fortunately he recovered from the illness the next year and was able to appear
on the film " Bakumatsu junjouden"
In 1994 he had went back into the hospital with a relapse. He once again
overcame the illness and began appearing on TV dramas again in 1995.

1998
It took a little longer for him to return to his film, with "Kizuna",
co-starring Kouji Yakusho. Ken received a Japanese Academy Award .for this film.

2001
After 13 years' absence, he finally came back to the stage both for the audience
and himself.

2002
He moved to K DASH from EN on January 1st.
Playing two Heian-period noblemen, Michinaga Fujiwara and the husband of
Lady Murasaki in "Sennen no koi -hikaru genji monogatari ( Genji, a
thousand-year love )"
led to his being awarded with a Japanese Academy Award.

2003
He costarred with Tom Cruise and Hiroyuki Sanada in the Hollywood movie
"The Last Samurai" which was released at the end of 2003.
He participated in the Japanese Academy Award ceremony in New Zealand
with the cast and crew of "The Last Samurai" including other nominees.
He was awarded with a Japanese Academy Award for the role, Okubo,
the sidekick of the main charactor in the film "Hiwa mata noboru
( The Sun Will Rise Again )"

Before the release, Ken's performance in "The Last Samurai" is already
generating talk about a best supporting actor Oscar nomination.

**********************************************************
He has a good reputation for his roles in Samurai movies. Especially "Gokenin
Zankuro"
,which lasted 5 series, must be one of his most important works.
In the last and 50th episode he even directed and starred himself. His innovative
direction also became a topic.of discussion.
Another work which should be mentioned is "Mibugishiden". It was a 10-hour
samurai TV drama that aired on January 2nd, 2002. This touching story and
his incredible performance moved a lot of viewers to tears and created sensation.

Currently Ken aggressively continues to make good works and enjoys playing
distinct personalities such as a serious cop, a typical Japanese office worker,
a violent gangster, a cool and attractive samurai, a dignified feudal lord, a
charismatic Heian-period nobleman, .a sharp professional soldier like a razor blade
and a Hojo regency of dignity and monarchy. His costume-play is also worth
watching. He continues his active career today as one of the few contemporary
actors with a broad range of works. He is literally one of the most recognized
Japanese actors now in Japan and so will be in the world soon. Further successes
in many fields are expected.

■He is a completely different person from the same-named actor,
Ken Watanabe, who often appears on Hollywood Ninja movies. ■


related link in English:
■ an article about "Shin jingi naki tatakai-bosatsu" >The Japan Times
■ an article about "Hi wa mata noboru", "The Sun Will Rise Again" > Taipei Times
■ Ken Watanabe expeditions to Grise Fiord in Nunavut, Canada > Canada-Goose
■ The Last Samurai official site
■ an article about "The Last Samurai" > San Francisco Chronicle 
■ an article about Ken Watanabe> USATODAY
■ Ken Watanabe profile >Modern Japan
■ "The Last Samurai" Premiere Interviews with Ken Watanabe and Shin Koyamada
■ Los Angeles Magazine
■ USA Today "The Sun Will Rise Again"
■ movieline award
■Ken Watanabe On His Next Film
Exclusive: It's a Japanese story >Empire




     Ken Watanabe Filmography

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


 ■movie■
 year original Japanese movie title
( English title )
    director      role
1984 Setouchi shonen yakyu dan
( MacArthur's Children (1984))
Masahiro Shinoda Tetsuo
1985 Tampopo
( Dandelion (1985))
Juzo Itami Gun
Kekkon annai mystery Matsunaga Tetsuya / Masakazu
1986 Umi to dokuyaku
(Sea and Poison, The (1987) (USA))
Kei Kumai Toda
1991 Bakumatsu jyunjyoden Mitsuyuki Yakushiji Ryouma Sakamoto
1997 Rajio no jikan
( Radio no jikan (1997)
Welcome Back, Mr. McDonald (1997))
Koki Mitani Truck Driver
1997 Tenamonya syosha Katsuhide Motoki Wang
1998 Kizuna Kichitaro Negishi Police Detective Sako
2000 Supeesu Toraberaazu
( Space Travelers )
Katsuyuki Motohiro Hayato Sakamaki
Zawazawa Shimokitazawa Jun Ichikawa Ishida
2001 Oboreru sakana Yukihiko Tsutsumi Miyota
2002 Sennen no koi -
hikaru genji monogatari
( Genji: A Thousand-Year Love )
Tonko Horikawa Fujiwara Michinaga/
Fujiwara Nobutaka
Hi wa mata noboru
aka The Sun Will Rise Again
Kiyoshi Sasabe Osamu Okubo
2003 T.R.Y. Kazuki Ohmori Masanobu Azuma
Shin jingi naki tatakai-bousatsu
(Fight Without Loyalty/Murder)
Hajime Hashimoto Hiroaki Fujimaki
Last Samurai, The Edward Zwick Katsumoto
2004 Kita no zeronen Isao Yukisada Hideaki Komatsubara
Batman begins Christopher Nolan Ra's Al Ghul 
Sayuri ( Memoirs of a Geisha) Rob Marshall Mr. Chairman


 ■TV drama■
year Japanese original title
1983 Mibu no koiuta (series)
Michinaru hanran
Kazoku no onna
Taiyo ni hoero "Bouken no umi"
1984 Sanga moyu (series)
Tenkou syojo Y (series)
Umi akeru toki
Nijitte monogatari (series)
1985 Orecchi no hoshizora yakyu
1986 Hanekonma (series)
Ose ni iki Ose ni shisu
1987 Dokuganryu masamune (series)
1988 Tabidachi
1989 Oda Nobunaga
Anata ga hoshii (series)
Harenochi Kaminari (series)
1990 Musuko no gokikan ( part 1-2 )
Shikakenin Fujieda Baian (series)
1992 Ganryujima-Kojiro to Musashi
Kimitachi ga ite bokugairu ( part 1-2 )
Izakaya Choji
1992 Aniki
Shiawase kazoku
Wagamachi ( part 1-10 )
Machibugyo nikki
1993 Homura tatsu (series)
Kagishi (part 1-5 )
Daisainan
1994 Goyokiba
1995 Gokenin zankuro (5 series)
Sushi, kuinee! (part1-4)
1996 Chushingura
1997 Tatakai sunde higa kurete
1998 Chokusen no shikaku
Shimei tehai (part 1-2)
Chusingura (series)
1999 Yonimo kimyona monogatari
"Jikan no nai machi"
Bakayaro special "humor tte nanda"
2000 Hatsuru sokonaki
Ikebukuro West Gate Park (series)
Asakusa Hanaoka syashinkan
2001 Hojo Tokimune (series)
Ningen no shoumei 2001
Kochira daisan syakaibu (series)
2002 Mibugishiden
Chinmoku no ariibai
Tosan no natsumatsuri
Kyokohan sousa dainanagakari
2003 Itan no natsu
2004 Suna no utsuwa



   This website, "Kensan-an" is an unofficial fansite of Ken Watanabe, and,
though remaining as an unofficial fansite, was approved by him and the agency
                  representing him in April, 2002.
         This English page was written by Kazuyon, the webmaster.
                  Special thanks to Misaki & T.A.
                  ■webmaster: Kazuyon
         ■HP: http://www.ne.jp/asahi/kensanan/kazuyon/
                 
              ■mail: kensanankazuyon●gmail.com
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      Kazuyon is just one of his fans. Therefore please do not send me
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