Career
Since 1965, Abeywickrama has also done dramatic roles. He is considered by many to be the finest character actor the country has produced He is also widely known as a Crowned king of Sri Lankan cinema history and he was the second to die from the three crowned cinema heroes. (the first cinema king to die was Gamini Fonseka and last of three to die was Tony Ranasinghe).
Gammana Patabendige Don John "Joe" Abeywickrama was born in Lellopitiya (near Ratnapura), Sri Lanka and grew up in a rural area.
He was the eldest of four children. His surroundings instilled in him a strong appreciation of nature and hard work.
Abeywickrama graduated from Sivali Central College in Ratnapura. In the 1940s he settled in Colombo and started working for Sirisena Wimalaweera"s studio Nawajeewana.
Initially limited to doing office chores, Abeywickrama eventually became involved in films screened in Ratnapura by the studio.
He made contacts with film industry insiders while with the studio, and on his leave obtained a role in Devasundari. actor Abeywickrama has acted in more than 100 films and began his acting career in stage plays and made his film acting debut in ‘Devasundari’ in 1955. Abeywickrama"s first notable role was in Saradama as an eccentric police officer who collected ants. After Saradama Abeywickrama was in demand as a comedic actor.
Abeywickrama began taking more dramatic roles with Shesha Palihakkara"s Saravita, an award winning film.
With Doctorate. B. Nihalsinghe"s Welikathara Abeywickrama continued in this field In the 1971 film he portrays the stern Goring Mudalali.
He also starred in Mahagama Sekera"s Tun Manitoba Handiya in 1970.