Career
De Costa began his acting career while attending Kelaniya Gurukula School with a role in the play Godo Enakath. Subsequently he performed in plays such as Dunna Dunna Gamuwe, Hitha Hondha Ammandi, Puttu, Kawuruth Enney Nahay Kora Saha Andhaya and Nattukarayo by West. Jayasiri, Sugathapala de Silva and others His first experience with film came with a role in Dharmasena Pathiraja"s short Sathuro (1969).
His first feature was also a Pathiraja film, Ves Gaththo, released the next year.
His critically acclaimed performances in these films led to him becoming a much sought after actor for character roles by other art directors. Sunil Ariyaratne too used him as a whiskey seller in Sarungale (1979) among other roles.
Gamini Fonseka featured him in most of his directorial work such as Sagarayek Meda (1981). In the 1980s, de Costa began to take lighter roles which he had occasionally done in the 70s to a much smaller extent.
This would be the period he began to get lead roles in such films as Silva and Jivithayen Jivithayak.
From the 1990s on he has done mainly small comedic roles in B-movies.