Tony-nominated actor Ken Watanabe battling stomach cancer

Posted February 09, 2016 6:00 am

By MARK KENNEDY

A publicist for Ken Watanabe says the Tony Award- and Oscar-nominated actor has been forced to delay his return to Broadway's "The King and I" while he battles stomach cancer. The Associated Press

NEW YORK - A publicist for Ken Watanabe says the Tony Award- and Oscar-nominated actor has been forced to delay his return to Broadway's "The King and I" while he battles stomach cancer.

The 56-year-old Japanese actor, who made his American stage debut last year opposite Kelli O'Hara in the revival of "The King and I," was due to return to the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical from March 1-April 17.

Craig Bankey, Watanabe's press agent, said Tuesday the actor has undergone endoscopic surgery and is recuperating at a hospital in Japan. In a statement, the actor said: "I would like to ask for your understanding that the start of my performance in New York will be a little delayed."

Watanabe, who has been in Christopher Nolan's "Batman Begins" and "Inception," also starred in the reboot of "Godzilla" and "Letters From Iwo Jima" and lent his voice to the fourth installment of the Transformers franchise, "Transformers: Age of Extinction."

He earned an Academy Award for best supporting actor in the Tom Cruise-led film "The Last Samurai."

Word of the diagnosis was first reported by Kyodo News service

FILE - In this April 29, 2015 file photo, Ken Watanabe attends the 2015 Tony Awards Meet The Nominees Press Junket in New York. A publicist for Watanabe says the Tony Award- and Oscar-nominated actor has been forced to delay his return to Broadwayâs âThe King and Iâ while he battles stomach cancer. The actor has undergone endoscopic surgery and is recuperating at a hospital in Japan. (Photo by Andy Kropa/Invision/AP, File) The Associated Press

FILE - In this June 7, 2015 file photo, Ken Watanabe performs a number from "The King and I" at the 69th annual Tony Awards in New York. A publicist for Watanabe says the Tony Award- and Oscar-nominated actor has been forced to delay his return to Broadwayâs âThe King and Iâ while he battles stomach cancer. The actor has undergone endoscopic surgery and is recuperating at a hospital in Japan. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, File) The Associated Press

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