Ken Watanabe

The Japanese actor battled leukemia in 1989 and, although he managed to beat blood cancer, he contracted Hepatitis C from a blood transfusion he received during that time.

Routine screening for Hepatitis C in the blood supply did not begin until 1992, and Watanabe was one of many people who contracted the virus from blood products or organ donations before then.

The actor began treatment for the virus in 2005.