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Wilson Karunaratne

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DOB : 28-10-1942
Date of death: 03-05-2022
Lived For : 79 Years
Star Sign : Scorpio
Gender : Male

Skills

» Stunt Director

Written By - Team Nettv4u

Wilson Karunaratne, also known as Wilson Karu, was a renowned actor and stunt director in the Sri Lankan film industry. He was born on the 28th of October in 1942, in Colombo, British Ceylon and he was considered one of the most talented villains in Sinhala cinema. Throughout his career, which spanned from 1972 to 2019, Karunaratne appeared in over 240 films, predominantly playing the main antagonist. In his personal life, Wilson Karu was the second child to his parents, followed by two more. He attended Lumbini College in Colombo and had a passion for various sports, including football, gymnastics, cricket, wrestling, judo, and karate.

Despite being selected for a football training camp in Pakistan, he couldn't attend due to a shoulder injury sustained from a motorbike accident. Wilson Karunaratne's journey into the film industry began with his strong desire to become an actor. He frequently visited cinemas to watch both English and Sinhala films. Eventually, a relative named Punya Bulathsinhala introduced him in 1974, to the Hadawath Naththo Subayar Makeem film’s director. He made his cinematic debut as a stuntman in that film, specifically in a fight scene with Robin Fernando Bio coming soon... >> Read More... at the Rubber Estate. However, he temporarily disappeared from the film scene for about a year following his first appearance.

With the help of Karunadasa Perera, a production manager, he made a comeback and joined fight scenes in movies like Yakadaya, Sankapali, Hitha Mithura, and Saradielge Putha, directed by Neil Rupasinghe and Sarath Rupasinghe. In 1987, he was casted in the lead role in the film Kiwule Gedara Mohottala, directed by Pathiraja L.S. Dayananda. During the filming, he faced a perilous moment when during a scene he jumped from a height of approximately 80 feet, resulting in a spine injury after hitting a rock. Despite this, he continued to perform death-defying stunts, including jumps, somersaults, and scenes on moving trains and trucks, in movies such as, Sasara Chethana, Demodara Palama Anuradha, Pudumai Eth Aththai, and Yudha Gini Meda.

He received critical appreciation for his role as Nicholas in the film Sasara Chethana, earning him a merit award. During the span of his career, he appeared in more than 250 Sinhala films and 15 television serials, often portraying the villainous characters. Apart from his acting work, he also served as a stunt director in a few films. In 2018, he was seen in the music video Danuna, produced by Iraj Weeraratne Bio coming soon... >> Read More... , which drew public attention due to his resemblance to the popular singer Victor Rathnayake. He never got married and lived alone after the passing of his parents. Tragically, he passed away on May 3, 2022, at the age of 79. A public viewing of his remains was held at Jayaratne parlour, and he was cremated on May 4, 2022, at Kirulapone crematorium.