Joe Abeywickrama
Joe Abeywickrama ජෝ අබේවික්රම | |
|---|---|
| Born | Gammana Patabendige Don John Abeywickrama June 22, 1927 Ratnapura, Sri Lanka |
| Died | 21 September 2011 (aged 84) |
| 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 |
Deshabandu Gammana Patabendige Don John Abeywickrama (Sinhala:ජෝ අබේවික්රම) (22 June 1927 – 21 September 2011), popularly known 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 all time in Sinhala cinema with several critically acclaimed award winning dramatic performances. Some critics and audiences regard him as the finest actor in the local industry, while others argue that distinction belongs to Gamini Fonseka . Among the three “crowned kings” of Sri Lankan cinema, Abeywickrama was the second to die, after Gamini Fonseka. The last to die was Tony Ranasinghe
He 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 (Death on a Full Moon Day), a first for a Sri Lankan.
He was the first Sri Lankan actor to participate in the Filmfare Film Festival, which he attended in 1966.