Veteran actor Jackson Anthony passed away

Veteran actor Jackson Anthony passed away while continuing to receive treatment following an accident in July 2022.
Anthony, who was 65-years-old passed away while receiving treatment at the Colombo National Hospital today.
The popular Sri Lankan actor sustained serious injuries after his vehicle crased into a wild elephant in Thalawa.
Anthony is married to his long time partner Kumari Munasinghe, who is also an actress and a singer. They have two sons and a daughter.

One of the most popular artists in Sri Lanka, Anthony won the award for the Best Actor for record sixteen times.
He has appeared before the public in versatile forms; director, producer, singer, screenwriter, television host, novelist, columnist, lyricist, historian and traveller.

In 1993 he came to film industry. Having acted in Guru Gedara, Chitti, Ayoma and Loku Duwa, in his initial days, Jackson went on to prove his status in films like Bawa Duka, Bawa Karma, Gini Awi Saha Gini Keli, Aswesuma, Agni Dahaya, Sooriya Arana, Mille Soya and Randiya Dahara. In the meantime, he came to terms with television as well. These fields helped him establish his own identity as an actor.

Some of his most popular television roles came through the serials: Palingu Manike, Ella Langa Walawwa, Suseema, Weda Hamine, Kadulla, Pitagamgarayo and Akala Sandya. Of these, he won the award for the Best Actor at the Sumathi Awards for his performance in the serial Pitagamkarayo. In the movie Tharanaya, he played the role of a train man named “Thangappan” and practiced dark magic. He learned low country dance from Sedaraman Gurunnance of Handapangoda for his performance in the film Bawa Duka. He learned the difference between a hunter and a shooter while acting for the film Sooriya Arana.

In 1992, he directed his maiden teledrama Esala Kaluwara. In 1990, a drama festival called ‘Bhumika 7’ featured seven of Anthony’s best plays which allowed scholarly fans to experience Jackson’s wide range of theatrics. Then in 2014, he made second teledrama direction Daskon which later won several awards at several local award festivals. During his acting career he has garnered more than 20 Best Actor Awards at local award ceremonies such as Sarasavi Awards, Presidential Awards and OCIC Awards.

He has also directed several blockbuster Sri Lankan films. His directorial debut, Julietge Bhumikawa won him the award for the Most Promising Director at the Critics’ Awards Ceremony. Paradeesaya was another film directed by him which was critically acclaimed. His direction Aba, allegedly an expensive movie have been made in Sri Lanka has been awarded in many film festivals. He won award for the Best Actor in Derana Film Awards 2015 for the film Address Na, which was directed by him. In 2017, he joined with a Kerala cinema production Lucknow directed by Anil Kumar along with another Sri Lankan Piumi Hansamali.