Ken Watanabe Age, Height, Wife, Net Worth, Movies And More

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Ken Watanabe is a famous Japanese actor known for playing complex character roles.

He is best known internationally for portraying samurai characters in films like The Last Samurai and Letters from Iwo Jima.

Let’s read his biography to have an idea of his life, including his age, height, net worth, wife and movies.

Who is Ken Watanabe?

Ken Watanabe is a famous Japanese actor born in 1959. He is known for playing tragic hero roles in both Japanese and Hollywood films.

Some of his most notable roles include General Kuribayashi in Letters from Iwo Jima and Lord Katsumoto in The Last Samurai.

He received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for the latter role. In Japan also, he has won several prestigious awards for his acting.

He is considered one of the most popular actors from Japan, with a long career spanning over decades.

Ken is also admired for battling cancer twice and continuing his successful career post-recovery.

His portrayals of complex characters have earned him recognition worldwide.

Early Life of Ken Watanabe

Ken Watanabe was born on 21 October 1959 in Koide, Niigata, Japan. He was taken to Ryoichi, and an unknown mother, who were teachers.

As his parents moved frequently for work, Ken had to relocate to different places during childhood.

He studied at Niigata Prefectural Koide High School. Ken was passionate about music during school and learned to play the trumpet. He also formed a school band with his friends.

After graduation, Ken planned to attend a music conservatory but couldn’t due to financial issues in the family.

He then enrolled in an acting school in Tokyo to pursue his dream of becoming an actor.

Even during his training, Ken showed incredible acting skills and was chosen to play the lead role in his second stage play.

So, Ken Watanabe had an artistic childhood and faced some financial troubles during education, which led him to choose acting as his profession to fulfill his dreams.

Ken Watanabe Age

Ken Watanabe is currently 65 years old as of 2023 because he was born on 21 October 1959. He has achieved great success in his acting career at this age.

In his over 40 years career, he has received several prestigious awards, including the Japanese Academy Award twice for his roles in Memories of Tomorrow (2006) and Shizumanu Taiyo (2009).

Even at the age of 65, he is actively working in films and television shows.

Ken Watanabe Height and Weight

Ken Watanabe is 6 feet 1 inch tall, which is equal to 185.5 centimeters or 1.85 meters. His weight is around 74 kg, which is equal to 163 lbs.

Watanabe has maintained a slim build throughout his acting career. He takes good care of his health and physical appearance.

He’s tall stature and lean physique have helped him convincingly portray different characters over the decades.

Ken Watanabe Career

Ken Watanabe is a renowned Japanese actor who is widely popular across the globe.

He started his career in theater in 1978 and debuted in films and television in the early 1980s. Some of his most notable works in Japan were historical dramas portraying samurais.

Ken Watanabe Movies and TV Shows

He gained international recognition for his role as General Tadamichi Kuribayashi in Clint Eastwood’s 2006 war film Letters from Iwo Jima.
In the 2003 epic war film The Last Samurai, he played the pivotal role of Lord Katsumoto, for which he received an Academy Award nomination.
Other Hollywood films include Memoirs of a Geisha, Batman Begins, Inception, Godzilla, Transformers franchises, and Pokémon Detective Pikachu.
In Japan, he starred in various taiga drama period films and received acclaim for roles in films like Memories of Tomorrow and Sennen no Koi.
On Broadway, he debuted in the 2015 musical The King and I, becoming the first Japanese actor nominated for a Tony Award.
Television shows include long-running jidaigeki, like Gokenin Zankurō, set in the Edo period.

Watanabe’s has had an illustrious career spanning over four decades doing meaningful roles in films, TV, and theater both in Japan and Hollywood.

Ken Watanabe Wife

Ken Watanabe is currently single right now. He has been married twice in his life. He was first married to Yumiko Watanabe from 1983 to 2005.

The couple had two children together – a son named Dai Watanabe and a daughter named Anne Watanabe.

However, after over 20 years of marriage, Ken and Yumiko divorced in 2005.

Soon after his divorce, Ken started dating actress Kaho Minami, whom he had met while working on a TV show. They got married in 2005.

Minami also had a son from her previous relationship whom Ken legally adopted.

Unfortunately, in 2018, Kaho and Ken also ended their marriage after he admitted to having an extramarital affair.

Though Ken has been married twice, his marriages unfortunately ended in divorce. He is currently believed to be single and focusing on his successful acting career.

Ken Watanabe Net Worth

Ken Watanabe’s estimated net worth is $45 million as of 2023. He is a renowned Japanese actor who has garnered fame worldwide.

As an established actor, his primary sources of income include movie salaries and stage production payments. Besides acting, he owns a production house and earns from brand endorsements.

With over three decades of experience and starring in box office hits globally, estimates put. He has amassed wealth through career earnings and savvy investments over the years.

Facts About Ken Watanabe

Ken Watanabe was born on 21 October 1959, in Niigata, Japan.
He began his career as a stage actor in the early 1980s and made his screen debut in 1984.
Some of his most notable roles include General Kuribayashi in Letters from Iwo Jima and Lord Katsumoto in The Last Samurai.
He has received numerous accolades, including an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for The Last Samurai.
Ken Watanabe stands at 1.84 m tall and weighs around 78 kg.
He has been married twice, first to Yumiko Watanabe from 1983 to 2005 and then to Kaho Minami from 2005 to 2018.
Ken Watanabe has also appeared in Hollywood blockbusters such as Batman Begins, Inception, Godzilla, and Detective Pikachu.
He was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia in 1989 and stomach cancer in 2016 but has since recovered.