21 Facts About Gamini Fonseka

Kala Keerthi Sembuge Gamini Shelton Fonseka was a Sri Lankan film actor, film director and politician.

Gamini Fonseka is the first to die of the three crowned kings of Sri Lankan Cinema.

Gamini Fonseka was born on 21 March 1936 in Dehiwela as the third child of William and Daisy Gamini Fonseka.

Gamini Fonseka married his longtime girlfriend Dorothy Margaret Valencia known as "Tina" in 1962, and the couple had four children: Chamila, Thanuja, Dammith and Ishara.

Gamini Fonseka remained married to Tina until his death in September 2004.

Gamini Fonseka's son Damith was a popular film actor in 1990s.

Gamini Fonseka acted in many commercially successful films such as Chandi Rejina, Ira Handa Illa, Chandiyage Putha, Cheriyo Darling, and Raththaran Malli.

Gamini Fonseka died on 30 September 2004 at the age of 68 at his residence in Ja-Ela.

Gamini Fonseka abruptly ended his secondary education and dove into the film industry.

Gamini Fonseka originally wanted to be a cameraman and in this line worked as the second Assistant Director on David Lean's The Bridge on the River Kwai and Lester James Peries' Rekava.

Gamini Fonseka was first on-screen in Rekava as part of a crowd.

Gamini Fonseka did some work on an English television series filmed in Sri Lanka.

Gamini Fonseka's first credited acting role was in Daiwa Yogaya in which he played a minor role.

In Titus Thotawatte's Chandiya, Gamini Fonseka played his first anti-heroic role in Sri Lankan cinema and in Mike Wilson's Sorungeth Soru, he played the role of Jamis Banda, the Sinhalese James Bond.

In 1964, at the first awards ceremony of the United Ceylon Fan Club held on 12 January at the Royal College Hall, Colombo, Gamini Fonseka won the Best Actor award in 1963 for his role as Jinadasa in the film Gamperaliya.

Gamini Fonseka entered television as well and became the best teledrama actor for the role he played in Kalu Saha Sudu.

In 1979, Gamini Fonseka played Jaffna Tamil clerk Nadarajah in Sunil Ariyaratne's Sarungale.

In 1989, Gamini Fonseka entered politics after joining the United National Party.

Gamini Fonseka was elected to Parliament in 1989 as a representative of the Matara District with the highest number of preferential votes and was appointed Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka.

Gamini Fonseka was later appointed by President Chandrika Kumaratunga as Governor of the now-defunct Northeastern Province.

Until his death, Gamini Fonseka acted in 108 films, 86 of them as a lead actor and 19 more as a supporting actor.