Ken Watanabe informs his fans that he is battling stomach cancer and would be taking a break. (Photo : Facebook/Ken Watanabe)
Ken Watanabe, the Japanese actor who starred in the "Last Samurai" with Tom Cruise, was revealed to be battling stomach cancer. The disease forced him to reschedule his return to stage acting via the Broadway musical "The King and I."
The actor recently underwent endoscopic surgery and is now resting and recovering at a hospital in Japan. It was fortunate that the Academy Award nominee spotted the tumor early so he was able to seek immediate treatment.
"I was really shocked, my wife and daughter pushed me to have a health check and the cancer was found. It was a very early stage and they operated immediately," Reuters quoted Watanabe as saying. "I'll be resting in February so my arrival in New York will be somewhat delayed."
Watanabe also formally announced his delayed comeback to stage musicals by posting a message on his Facebook account. He also asked fans for understanding as he will not be able to participate in the Rodgers and Hammerstein Broadway classic.
This is the actor's third battle with cancer. He previously fought and won his battle against leukemia and he overcame the disease twice.
In 1989, he was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia but he never rested and continued to act while on chemotherapy treatment. He was cured but became sick again in early 90s. His next treatments worked well and he was healthy until his stomach cancer diagnosis in January.
At any rate, Watanabe is a fine Japanese actor who has always been praised for his performances. He was nominated for best supporting actor for his role in the 2003 movie "Last Samurai." In stage musicals, he was the first Japanese to make it as a nominee for a Tony Award.
Some of his latest Hollywood acting projects include the "Inception," Christopher Nolan's "Batman Begins" and the reboot of "Godzilla" in 2014. In addition, he was once of the voice actors for the fourth installment of the Transformers movie series, "Transformers: Age of Extinction."
Meanwhile, Watanabe was born in the northwestern part of Japan, along the region of Koide, Niigata. After his highschool graduation, he moved to Tokyo to fulfill his dream of getting into acting.
He got his break after joining En, the Tokyo-based theater troupe. He was cast as a lead in "Shimodani Mannencho Monogatari" stage play and people quickly noticed his great talent. Watanabe eventually made his way to television via "Michinaru Hanran" where he acted as a samurai.
Watch the clip of Watanabe's most notable performances below!
