Seeking to not play just commercial roles, Fonseka appeared as Jinadasa in the groundbreaking Gamperaliya (1964) working again with Peries. With films like Adata Wediya Heta Hondai, Ranmuthu Duwa, Getawarayo, and Dheevarayo Fonseka achieved popularity and became a box-office draw. Lester James Peries Sandesaya (1960) first established him in a leading role. He also did some work on an English television series filmed in Sri Lanka.įonseka's first credited acting role was in Daiwa Yogaya (1959) in which he played a small role. Fonseka was first on-screen in Rekava as part of a crowd. He originally wanted to be a cameraman and in this line worked as the second Assistant Director on David Lean's Bridge on the River Kwai and Lester James Peries's Rekava (1956).
Film careerįonseka abruptly ended his secondary education and dove into the film industry. He acted in many commercially successful films such as Chandi Rejina, Ira Handa Illa, Chandiyage Putha, Cheriyo Darling, and Raththaran Malli.įonseka died on 30 September 2004 at the age of 68 at his residence in Ja-Ela. His son Damith was a popular film actor in 1990s. He remained married to Tina until his death in September 2004.
Many years later he also fathered Kaushalya and Poornima. He is widely regarded as the King of Sri Lankan cinema history and first Crowned King out of three (Joe Abeywickrama and Tony Ranasinghe are others) to die.įonseka was married to his longtime girlfriend Dorothy Margaret Valencia also known as "Tina" in 1962 and had four children Chamila, Thanuja, Dammith and Ishara. Apart from acting, he was the Deputy Speaker of Sri Lanka Parliament from 1989 to 1994 and Governor of the North-Eastern Province from 1995 to 1998.
Often considered as the Greatest Actor in the Sinhala Cinema, Fonseka dominated the cinema in 1960s and 1970s to bagged Best Actor award in multiple times. Kala Keerthi Sembuge Gamini Shelton Fonseka ( Sinhala:සෙම්බුගේ ගාමිණි ශෙල්ටන් ෆොන්සේකා) (21 March 1936 - 30 September 2004 as ), was a Sri Lankan film actor, film director and politician.
0 kommentar(er)
