Tennyson Cooray

Then he made a Vesak Drama called Apaaye Thappara 1800.

The play was intended to make people afraid to sin.

He also administered the sound.

It was shown about 35 times outside the Moratuwa area.

Merengnnage Edward Tennyson Cooray (සිංහල:මෙරෙඤඤගේ එඩ්වඩ් ටෙනිසන් කුරේ) (30 April 1952 – 28 September 2020) was an actor and comedian in Sri Lankan cinema and theater.

One of the most popular comedians ever in Sinhala cinema with a career spanned more than three decades, Cooray was best known for comedy roles in several blockbuster film franchises such as Re Daniel Dawal Migel, Cheriyo, Peralikarayo, Wada Bari Tarzan as well as Somy Boys.

In addition to acting, he also worked as a director and scriptwriter, singer, and lyrics writer.

He was born on 30 April 1952 in Weligama, Matara as the second of the family to a Catholic father and Buddhist mother.

His father Merengnnage Edgar Stanley Arthur Cooray, who worked at Gamini Bus Company, learned to be a pastor for some time and also was a great reader of good English literature.

His mother, Herath Mudiyanselage Ran Menika was a housewife.

He studied at Kesebewa Junior School for primary education and then attended Willorawatta Protestant Catholic Mixed School also known as Moratuwa Methodist College.

He only graduated Ordinary Level examination.

He had one elder sister and a younger brother.

When he was about ten years old, they used to go to the temple with mother on Poya day as well as to church on Sundays.

Tennyson, who had previously attended an automotive course, later worked as a ship mechanic.

He was married to Malsiri Eranjani and the couple had one daughter, Madhumihiri, who is a teacher at Bishop’s College.

Madhumihiri is married to Chathuranga Fernando, a businessman.

They have one son, Chandru Mithushka and one daughter, Mindri.

In 1971, he made a short film called "Hada Aedi Siththam".

There he met Giwantha Arthasad and Bermin Lyle Fernando.

He began his career as a stage performer in a passion play staged at Moratumulla Church directed by Rev. Theodore H Perera.

He further developed his Drama skills at the Wesley Gulld and the Bible School of the Willorawatte Church.

He has produced Christian Dramas for the NCC Radio.

His maiden cinema acting came through Jeewanthi directed by Hemasiri Sellapperuma.

His career completely changed when he met Giwantha Arthasad's younger brother, Dinesh Priyasad.

The two did a little experiment together where they made a short film called "Action".

Cooray debuted in Sinhala cinema as a screenwriter in Dinesh Priyasad's directorial debut Nommara Ekai.

He wrote the story and screenplay, as well as acted in the film.

Producing the low-budget Nommara Ekai, it became a big hit.

Later Dinesh joined a new project of Thilak Athapaththu, after the success of Nommara Ekai.

Dinesh thought that Cooray knew what the people liked or disliked, and he turned to Cooray to write a new film script.

He started to write a script, thinking like a main actor in the film.

He asked for a chance to play the main character.

(It was directed by Dinesh Priyasad in the 1990s as a film starring Gamini Fonseka in the lead role and the dialogues and screenplay by Tennyson).

On 28 September 2020, Cooray died at the National Hospital in Colombo at the age of 68 due to a sudden heart attack.

Remains were laid at Tennyson's House, 79/1, Willorawatta, Moratuwa for two days.

The body was taken to the Rawathawatte Methodist Church at 4 pm and the final rites were performed at the cemetery on 1 October 2020.

At adolescent age, he performed at church festivals for about eight years with his friend Percy.

Then he went to several Drama interviews to take an opportunity to act in movies, but could not get a chance due to his appearance.

Totally disappointed, one day his father told him that 'if you want to act, you can do a play that suits you'.