Hemasiri Liyanage

Hemasiri Dhanawatha Liyanage, known as හේමසිරි ලියනගේ in Sinhala, was born on December 25, 1942. He is a versatile actor active in Sri Lankan cinema, theater, and television.[1] Hemasiri is renowned for his compelling performances in dramatic roles, particularly in productions like "Thattu Gewal" and "Thaththa," as well as films such as "Sankranthi," "Sthuthi Nawatha Enna," and "Madhura Charika."

Personal Life

Hemasiri Liyanage was born in Nahalla village, Bulathsinhala, on December 25, 1942, as the third child in a family of four siblings. He has one elder brother, one elder sister, and one younger brother. His educational journey took place at Vidyarathana College in Horana. Hemasiri is married to Kusuma Liyanage, who is also a retired teacher and his cousin sister.[3]

The couple has four sons: Saumya, Saman, Aloka, and Indrachapa.[3] The eldest son, Saumya Liyanage, follows in his father's footsteps as an actor and lecturer.[4] The second son, Saman, is an artist. Aloka Liyanage, the third son, is a doctor. Aloka was previously married to Madhavee Wathsala, daughter of actor Jackson Anthony, but they divorced in 2016.[5] The youngest son, Indrachapa Liyanage, is a renowned rock musician who is married to fellow actress Samanalee Fonseka.[6]

Career

In 1964, Hemasiri was admitted to the University of Kelaniya, where he pursued an arts degree. He founded the National Drama Corporation, a drama organization within the university. After completing his education, he began teaching at Vidyarathana College in Horana. Unfortunately, in 1980, he lost his teaching job due to political disputes in the country. Despite this setback, he continued to teach economics to A/L students and offered drama as an additional subject. During his tenure at the school, he produced the stage drama "Nadagam Hewath Sudu Atha Awata Passe" in 1969, which stirred controversy but also secured second place in the Inter-school drama competition. In 1975, Liyanage produced the play "Nariya Saha Keju," and in the same year, Vijaya Nandasiri and Hemasiri received awards for Best Production and Best Music at the National Drama Festival. His final stage drama production was "Chithrage Prema Kathwa," staged in 1982.[7]

Hemasiri's journey in drama began as a playwright and producer in stage dramas like "Kanakok Suda," staged in 1967, in which he also played the lead role. He later appeared in the play "Balal Hasthaya," produced by Rohana Beddage.

His cinematic career commenced in 1983 with the film "Niliyakata Pem Kalemi," directed by Siri Kularathna.[8] Hemasiri's notable contributions to cinema include roles in "Aswesuma," "Sankranthi," "Sthuthi Nawatha Enna," "Madhura Charika," and "Sansare Dadayakkaraya."[9][10]