Saumya Prabath Danwatta Liyanage, popularly known as Saumya Liyanage () is an actor in Sri Lankan cinema, stage drama and television. He is a senior lecturer and currently the Dean, Faculty of Graduate Studies in University of the Visual and Performing Arts by profession. Highly versatile actor mainly involved in dramatic roles, Saumya is the son of veteran dramatist Hemasiri Liyanage and brother of musician Indrachapa Liyanage.
Personal life Liyanage completed his bachelor's degree of arts (BA) from University of Kelaniya and then master's degree in Creative Arts from Flinders University, South Australia. He completed Phd. from La Trobe University, Melbourne in Drama Program under the guidance of Dr. Rob Conkie.
Career He started stage work early 1990s when he is an undergraduate at the Kelaniya University. After that, he became a continues leading actor in stage drama. His maiden television acting came through the drama Sittara Gurunnanse in 1992. He acted handful of television dramas and particularly rejecting soap operas and mega teledramas. He went Australia in 2010 for academic activities and returned in 2014. By 2010, he performed in Rajitha Dissanayake's stage play Apahu Harenna Ba, where he won the Best Actor Award at the State Drama Festival that year. Then he acted in Indika Ferdinando's stage play Colombo Colombo. The play was selected for the International Women's Drama Festival in India and held two seasons for Indian audiences in New Delhi and Mumbai.
Liyanage started his film career with Padadaya back in 1999, directed by Linton Semage. His most popular cinema acting came through films Aba, Walapatala and Nimnayaka Hudekalawa. The role in Aba as Habaraa was highly praised by the critics. In 2014, he appeared in the Asoka Handagama's play Antique Kadayaka Maranayak.
Selected theater works Clouds Nine (1994) Produced by the Department of English, University of Kelaniya N’Kruma Ni Africa Ni (1995) Kontharaththuwa (2005) Hansaintath Man Asai (1996) Daru Prashne Puthra Prashne (1997) Gabsawa (1998) Last Bus Eke Kathawa (1999) Mata Wedi Thiyan Nedda? (1999) Dawasa Thama Gewne Ne (1999) Mata Erehiwa Mama (2001) Closer (2001) (An Original Play by Patrick Maber) - Performed at the Flinders University, South Australia Horu Samaga Heluwen (2005) Weeraya Merila (2006) Apasu Herenna Be (2008) Colombo Colombo (2008) The Irresistible Rise of Mr. Signno (2016)
Selected television serials Sittara Gurunnanse (1992) Kalpanthayak (1993) Ramya Nagaraya (1995) Bambara Sakmana (1995) Manasthapaya (1996) Itipahan (1996) Imadiya Mankada (1997) Nikini Paluwa (1999) Mangalam (2001) Apparitions (2006) Diul Gase Kola Sulange Wisira Yathi (2007) The Lake (2025)
Author work Fo Ranga Wedamulu: Theatre Workshops by Dario Foe Meditations On Acting: Theory Practice and Performance Lamp in a Windless Place: Phenomenology and Performance (2025)
Filmography
Year Film Role Ref. 1987 Padadaya Home guard 1999 Theertha Yathra 2001 Aswesuma Thug 2001 Me Mage Sandai 2001 Mathu Yam Dawasa Dhammika 2002 Mage Wam Atha Kamal's boss 2002 Salelu Warama Darshan 2005 Sulanga Enu Pinisa Palitha 2006 Udugan Yamaya 2007 Aganthukaya Sampath 2007 Nisala Gira Marko 2008 Walapatala Dr. Delgoda 2008 Aba Habaraa 2008 Machan 2010 Ira Handa Yata Mahasen 2010 Vidhu Politician 2017 Nimnayaka Hudekalawa Vishwa 2017 Heena Hoyana Samanallu Aditya Wijebandara 2025 Rani
Awards and accolades He has won several awards at the state theater festivals and local film festivals.
Sarasaviya Awards
|| 2007 ||| Aganthukaya || Best Actor || |- || 2008 ||| Walapatala || Best Supporting Actor || |- || 2017 ||| Nimnayaka Hudekalawa || Best Actor ||
ADSA Awards
|| 2011 ||| ‘My body taught me how to act – towards an epistemology of actor learning and apprenticeship || Best Paper ||
22nd Bunka Awards
|| 2015 ||| Drama/Acting || Creative activities in culture and arts ||
References
External links My Body Taught Me How to Act: Towards an Epistemology of Actor Learning and Apprenticeship Annual Int’l Research Symposium - 2018 “Changing World, Challenging Boundaries” A research network for the field of Performance Philosophy Critique on critiques Critique theatre at its compelling best He remains pseudo-puritans change