Photo: Kevin Mazur © WireImage.com

Born Kensaku Watanabe in Koide, Nigata, Japan. His mother taught general education, and his father taught calligraphy. Became interested in acting at the age of 24 when a director of England's National Theatre Company told him that acting was his special gift, when he studied there. Watanabe is known mostly in Japan for playing samurais, and he incorporates the samurais' values into his daily life by not amassing too many material possessions and by living his life with honor, pride and discipline. Some of Watanabe's notable screen credits include SETOUCHI SHONEN YAKYU DAN / MacARTHUR'S CHILDREN (1984), KEKKON ANNAI MYSTERY and TAMPOPO / DANDELION (both 1985), UMI TO DOKUYAKU / THE SEA AND POISON (1986), BAKUMATSU JYUNJYODEN (1991), RAJIO NO JIKAN / WELCOME BACK, MR. McDONALD (1997), KIZUNA / BONDS (1998), OBORERU SAKANA and SUPÊSUTORABERAAZU / SPACE TRAVELERS (both 2000), SENNEN NO KOI - HIKARU GENJI MONOGATARI / GENJI: A THOUSAND-YEAR LOVE and HI WA MATA NOBURU (both 2002), T.R.Y. and THE LAST SAMURAI (both 2003), KITA NO ZERONEN / YEAR ONE IN THE NORTH, BATMAN BEGINS and MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA (all 2005), ASHITA NO KIOKU / MEMOIRES OF TOMORROW and LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA (both 2006), CIRQUE DU FREAK and SHANGHAI (both scheduled for release in 2008), and THE SHINJUKU INCIDENT (in production for 2009 release). In 2005, Watanabe divorced his wife Yumiko, with whom he had two children: a son, Dai (b. 1984) who is an actor; and a daughter, An (b. 1986), who works as a model. In 2005, Watanabe married Japanese actress Kaho Minami (b. 1964).  Nominated for Actor in a Supporting Role 2003: THE LAST SAMURAI 1 nomination