Tetsu Watanabe is a Japanese actor whose career spans both live-action film and voice acting. Born on March 11, 1950 in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, he has been active as a performer since 1989. While he is primarily known as a film and television actor with over 90 film credits, he has taken on several notable voice roles in anime productions.

Watanabe's work in animation includes several prominent roles in major feature films. He is recognized for providing the voice of Muta, also known as Renaldo Moon, in the Studio Ghibli film The Cat Returns. In Hayao Miyazaki's landmark film Princess Mononoke, he voiced the role of a mountain dog or wild wolf.

Beyond feature films, Watanabe has also contributed to anime television series. He served as the narrator for the fourth season of the horror anime series Yamishibai: Japanese Ghost Stories in 2017. He also had a voice role in The World Yamizukan.

Watanabe's acting career is characterized by frequent collaborations with acclaimed director Takeshi Kitano. He has appeared in several of Kitano's films, including Sonatine, Hana-bi, Takeshis', and Glory to the Filmmaker. He has also worked with director Sion Sono on films such as Cold Fish, Himizu, and Why Don't You Play in Hell?.

In addition to his work in anime, Watanabe maintains an extensive career in live-action Japanese cinema and television. His live-action roles include Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary for Crisis Management Hajime Kōriyama in Shin Godzilla, Tetsu Ando in Ikebukuro West Gate Park, Suzuki in Tomie: Forbidden Fruit, Kenji Kashiwada in Ring: The Final Chapter, and Taguchi in Zeiram 2. He has also appeared in American films such as Prisoners of the Ghostland.