Joe Abeywickrama
Deshabandu Gammana Patabendige Don John Abeywickrama (Sinhala:ජෝ අබේවික්රම) (22 June 1927 – 21 September 2011), popularly as Joe Abeywickrama, was an actor in Sri Lankan cinema, theater and television. Initially famed as a comedic actor in early 1950s, Abeywickrama became one of the greatest film actors of alltime in Sinhala cinema with several critically acclaimed award winning dramatic performances.
Joe Abeywickrama ජෝ අබේවික්රම | |
|---|---|
| Born | Gammana Patabendige Don John Abeywickrama June 22, 1927 Ratnapura, Sri Lanka |
| Died | 21 September 2011 (aged 84) |
| Nationality | Sri Lankan |
| Education | Sivali Central College |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1955-2011 |
| Known for | Crowned king of Sri Lankan cinema |
| Notable work | Saraiya in Saravita Vannihamy in Pura Handa Kaluwara Silindu in Baddegama |
He has won 18 Sarasavi Awards and Presidential Awards. At the 1999 Singapore International Film Festival, Abeywickrama won a Silver Screen Award for Best Asian Actor for his portrayal of a grieving father in Pura Handa Kaluwara (English: Death on a Full Moon Day), a first for a Sri Lankan.
He is also widely known as a Crowned king of Sri Lankan cinema history and he was the second to die of the three crowned cinema heroes. (the first cinema king to die was Gamini Fonseka and last of three to die was Tony Ranasinghe. He is the first Sri Lankan actor to ever participated for Filmfare Film Festival, where he participated in 1966.