Japan actor Watanabe returns to Broadway after cancer surgery

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese Hollywood star Ken Watanabe left Tokyo Saturday following successful treatment for cancer to return to New York where he is starring in the Broadway musical "The King and I".

Watanabe, star of "Last Samurai" -- for which he received an Academy Award nomination -- "Inception" and Clint Eastwood's "Letters From Iwo Jima", underwent endoscopic surgery for stomach cancer last month and has since recovered well.

"I was in hospital only for four days and have begun working out," a smiling Watanabe told reporters at Tokyo's Narita airport ahead of his departure.

"I caused a lot of worries but now I can move forward and get down to new work and acting," the Oscar-nominated actor said.

"I want to start over by remotivating myself," he added.

The 56-year-old said he would resume his role in "The King and I" on March 17.

Last year, he became the first Japanese actor to be nominated for a Tony Award following his run in the musical.

The actor survived two bouts of leukemia in 1989 and 1994.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Actor Ken Watanabe battling early-stage stomach cancer

TOKYO - Japanese actor Ken Watanabe was diagnosed with an early-stage stomach cancer, his agent said Tuesday, adding the actor, who starred in a Broadway musical in 2015, has already undergone endoscopic surgery to remove it.

The 56-year-old actor released a comment seeking understanding for the postponement of his reappearance in the musical "The King and I" in New York.

Watanabe had been scheduled to star again in the musical beginning in March.

"I am preparing myself in earnest for the (Broadway) stage. I would like to ask for your understanding that the start of my performance in New York will be a little delayed."

The actor is currently recuperating at a hospital in Japan, the agent said. The cancer was detected in a medical checkup.

Watanabe has a history of overcoming leukemia, a type of cancer, and expanding his career abroad afterward.

In 1989, he was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, but he returned to acting the following year. In 2004, he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Lord Katsumoto Moritsugu in the U.S. film "The Last Samurai."

Watanabe made his Broadway debut in April 2015 when he starred in "The King and I" at the Lincoln Center Theater, playing the king of Siam who develops an unexpected bond with an English teacher in a story set in the 19th century in what is now Thailand.

For this performance, he was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com