Actor Hiroyuki Watanabe Has Passed Away

Actor Hiroyuki Watanabe has passed away at the age of 66.  

Actor Hiroyuki Watanabe has passed away at the age of 66 years old. According to official sources on May 5, 2022, the veteran Japanese actor was found passed out in the training room of his basement on Wednesday, May 3, 2022.

An official statement by Watanabe’s management agency released the following statement:

The family and staff are stunned and saddened by the suddenness of this event. As for the funeral, the company said, “After consulting with the family, we will hold a secret funeral.“

Watanabe was widely known to tokusatsu fans for his roles as Gaoh/Kamen Rider Gaoh in the 2007 movie Kamen Rider Den-O: I’m Born!, Taiga Saejima in GARO (2005-2006), and Commander Akio Ishiguro in Ultraman Gaia (1998).

Watanabe was also featured in the Gamera reboot film trilogy (1995-1999), as well as the 2001 movie Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack. Watanabe also provided the voice for Michael Keaton for Bruce Wayne/Batman in the Japanese dub of Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992).

Source: Yahoo Japan