Nethalie Nanayakkara

Kalabushana Nethalie Violet Nanayakkara, born on 26 December 1934 (known as නෙතලි නානායක්කාර in Sinhala), is a renowned actress in Sri Lankan cinema, theater, and television. With a career spanning over six decades, she is considered one of the earliest pioneers in the Sri Lankan television drama industry, having been a part of more than 140 serials.

Born in Kiribathgoda, Colombo, on 26 December 1936, Nethalie is the fourth child in her family, with one elder brother and two elder sisters, one of whom passed away at a young age. She also has two younger brothers. Her father was employed in a private company. Nethalie attended the Roman Catholic School, Pamunuvila, where she excelled in English and even passed the O/L examination at the age of 13. Later, she studied in English medium at Gurukula Vidyalaya, Kelaniya.

After completing her final exams at school, she worked in a private company under her uncle's guidance for two years before joining Fordsroad Accounting Institute in Colombo as an auditor, where she worked for an impressive 30 years. In 1985, she resigned from her job to focus on her career in cinema.

At the age of 27, Nethalie married fellow actor Wally Nanayakkara. They first met at Dalugama Catholic Church in Kelaniya in 1958. Wally, during his tenure at Lake House, was also the secretary of the Arts Circle. Sadly, Wally Nanayakkara passed away on 11 October 2003 at the age of 64.

Nethalie and Wally Nanayakkara had five children, one son named Ravi and four daughters named Renuka, Shamika, and twins Chandika and Indika. Her son Ravi is a surgeon at General Hospital, Colombo, and his wife Sagarika is the director of the Maharagama Cancer Hospital.

Throughout her career, Nethalie worked in Radio Ceylon from 1955, participating in many radio plays. Her first radio production was H. D. Wijedasa's "Vihilu Thahalu," and her maiden radio play was "Samudra Devi." It was during this period that she met her future husband, Wally, who joined the radio dramas in the 1960s. The couple acted together in the 1962 radio play "Muwan Palessa" as "Ukku Banda" and "Binari."

In addition to her radio work and acting in a private company, Nethalie ventured into television and acted in a serial directed by Ananda Sirisena. Her talent and dedication were recognized in 2000 when she received the SIGNIS Award for her performance in the teledrama "Asani Wasi."

Apart from her acting career, Nethalie Nanayakkara has also lent her voice as a dubbing artist for numerous international television serials. Her contributions to the entertainment industry have left a lasting impact on Sri Lankan cinema, theater, and television.