Eddie Jayamanne

(1915 - 1981)

Eddie Jayamanne (15 February 1915 – 25 July 1981) was a pioneering Sri Lankan actor and comedian who became one of the most iconic figures in early Sinhala cinema. Born Wanniaarachchige Don David Victor Jayamanne in Negombo, he is best remembered for his impeccable comic timing, his legendary partnership with his brother, filmmaker B. A. W. Jayamanne, and his marriage to the "Nightingale of Sri Lanka," Rukmani Devi.