Gamini Fonseka MP | |
---|---|
3rd Governor of the North Eastern Province | |
In office 13 January 1995 – 20 October 1998 | |
President | Chandrika Kumaratunga |
Preceded by | Lionel Fernando |
Succeeded by | Asoka Jayawardena |
Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka | |
In office 9 March 1989 – 24 June 1994 | |
President | Ranasinghe Premadasa D. B. Wijetunga |
Prime Minister | D. B. Wijetunga Ranil Wickremesinghe |
Preceded by | Norman Waidyaratne |
Succeeded by | Anil Moonesinghe |
Member of Parliament for Matara District | |
In office 9 March 1989 – 24 June 1994 | |
Majority | 19,618 preferential votes |
Personal details | |
Born | Sembuge Gamini Shelton Fonseka 21 March 1936 Dehiwala, British Ceylon |
Died | 30 September 2004 Ja-Ela, Sri Lanka | (aged 68)
Political party | United National Party |
Spouse |
Dorothy Margaret Valancia
(m. 1962) |
Domestic partner | Angela Seneviratne |
Children | 6 |
Parent(s) | William Fonseka Daisy Fonseka |
Education | S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia |
Occupation | Actor, film director, politician |
Known for | Cinema Sakwithi |
Kala Keerthi Sembuge Gamini Shelton Fonseka (Sinhala: සෙම්බුගේ ගාමිණි ශෙල්ටන් ෆොන්සේකා; 21 March 1936 – 30 September 2004) was a Sri Lankan film actor, film director and politician.[1] Often considered as the greatest actor in Sinhala cinema,[2] Fonseka dominated the industry in 1960s and 1970s and won several Best Actor and Popular Actor awards throughout his career.[3] Apart from acting, he also served as the Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka from 1989 to 1994 and the Governor of the North Eastern Province from 1995 to 1998.
He is widely regarded as one of the Kings of Sri Lankan cinema, and was the first of the three crowned kings (the other two being Joe Abeywickrama and Tony Ranasinghe) to pass away.[4]