Personal details
Born:
- Birthday: 1965-01-28
- Born Place: Kanagawa, Japan
Also Known As:
泽田谦也
Kenya Sawada
Kenya Sawada (born January 28, 1965, in Kanagawa, Japan) is a Japanese actor known for his roles primarily in Hong Kong and other international film productions. A seasoned veteran of the industry with over 25 years of experience, Sawada is also an experienced martial artist, holding a 3rd Dan in Shorinji Kempo, and has also practiced kickboxing. His martial arts background has informed many of his roles, where he is frequently cast as villains or antagonists.Sawada gained international recognition for his role as Captain Sawada in the 1994 film Street Fighter. He was originally intended to play the character Ryu, but due to his limited English language skills at the time, the original character Captain Sawada was created to keep him in the cast, a character who later appeared in the video game adaptation of the film.His extensive filmography includes numerous Hong Kong films, such as a minor role in the 1995 Jackie Chan film Thunderbolt and a key role in Chan's 2009 crime drama Shinjuku Incident, where he played Nakajima Hiromasa. He also appeared in the highly acclaimed 2000 Chinese film Devils on the Doorstep, which won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival. Other notable credits include The Legend Is Born: Ip Man (2010), The Great Magician (2011), and Hidden Man (2018). Beyond acting, he has also been involved in anime, having a writing credit for the Street Fighter II V anime series and serving as a script coordinator for Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie.
