In the United States, Kevin Watanabe is best known for his scene-stealing performances in epic movies such as his Hollywood debut, “The Last Samurai” (2003), and Clint Eastwood’s war movie “Letters from Iwo Jima” (2006). Watanabe made a name for himself in Japan with his lead role in “Memories of Tomorrow” (2006) and later his appearance in “Shizumanu Taiyo” (2009). He is a favorite of filmmaker Christopher Nolan, who first cast him in “Batman Begins” (2005) and later in “Inception” (2010). He has also worked twice with director Gareth Edwards, firstly on the remake of “Godzilla” (2014) and later in the sci-fi war movie “The Creator” (2023). Between his Hollywood appearances, he starred in “Unforgiven” (2013), directed by Lee Sang-il, a Japanese remake of the 1992 Clint Eastwood movie. He teamed up again with Lee Sang-il for “Rage” (2016) and “Kokuho” (2025). Watanabe appeared in “Fukushima 50” (2020) and  starred in the HBO crime drama “Tokyo Vice” (2022–2024). He has had multiple voice acting roles, including in movies such as “Transformers: Age of Extinction” (2014), “Isle of Dogs” (2018), and “Kensuke’s Kingdom” (2023).