Veteran actor Jackson Anthony passes away

Veteran Sri Lankan actor Jackson Anthony has passed away after being treated for 14 months at the National Hospital in Colombo. He was 65.

The popular actor has been hospitalised since an accident on July 02, 2022. He had reportedly passed away while receiving treatment at the ICU of the Colombo National Hospital this morning (09).

Anthony and two other people including his younger brother Saman Anthony were injured after the vehicle they were travelling in had collided with a wild elephant at Thalawa.

They had reportedly been on their way back after finishing filming at the Haththikuchchi Viharaya in Galgamuwa when the vehicle had crashed against a wild elephant.

The vehicle was severely damaged in the crash while it is believed that the wild elephant might also have been critically wounded.

Anthony was later transferred from the Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital to the National Hospital in Colombo, he underwent a seven-hour surgery in the intensive care unit and has been hospitalised since.

An esteemed actor in Sri Lankan cinema, theater as well as television, Jackson Anthony is one of the most popular artists in Sri Lanka and had won the national award for the Best Actor for a record sixteen times.

He was also well-known for his immense talent and versatility as a director, producer, singer, screenwriter, television host, novelist, columnist, lyricist, historian and traveller.

Having entered the film industry in 1993, Anthony had acted in ’Guru Gedara’, ’Chitti’, ’Ayoma’ and ’Loku Duwa’, in his initial days, while he then went on to prove his status as an acting powerhouse in films like ’Bawa Duka’, ’Bawa Karma’, ’Gini Awi Saha Gini Keli’, ’Aswesuma’, ’Agni Dahaya’, ’Sooriya Arana’, ’Mille Soya’ and R’andiya Dahara’. 

In the meantime, he also proved himself as a popular actor in the Sri Lankan television industry as some of his most popular television roles came through the serials: Palingu Manike, Ella Langa Walawwa, Suseema, Weda Hamine, Kadulla, Pitagamgarayo and Akala Sandya. He won the award for the Best Actor at the Sumathi Awards for his performance in the serial ’Pitagamkarayo’. 

He has also directed several blockbuster Sri Lankan films. ’Julietge Bhumikawa’, his directorial debut won him the award for the Most Promising Director at the Critics’ Awards Ceremony while ‘Paradeesaya’ was another film directed by him which was critically acclaimed. He won award for the Best Actor at Derana Film Awards 2015 for the film ’Address Na’, which was directed by him.

Popular songs penned by Anthony including ‘Sithe Susum Niwena Gayana’, ‘Desa Piya Gath kala Mata Mewenne Obe Ruwa’, ‘Lade Ukula Uda’, ‘Re Tharakawo’, ‘Dewiyo Sithana Dewal’, and other teledrama theme songs are a testimony to his talents as a lyricist.

Anthony was married to his long time partner Kumari Munasinghe, who is also an actress and a singer, while they have two sons and a daughter, who are also well-known actors, singers and television presenters.