Nikyatu Jusu’s ‘Nanny’ contains a ‘hard lesson.’ She’s learned one about Hollywood too well.
The actor with a “Nanny” in his title and a penchant for biting humor, who also happens to be a star in his own right, is a household name in Sri Lanka. He’s most famous for roles such as an emaciated hero in the horror film Nawa Gedara (1985) and a ruthless soldier in the soap opera ‘Naya Sri Lanka’ (2005), his first-ever film appearance in which he plays an alcoholic father who is forced to make peace with his ex-wife.
So it’s easy to sympathize with all the things he’s learning to do to keep a happy wife, a loving daughter and a strong marriage. And it’s easy to understand why he’s willing to do anything to protect his wife and child from the ravages of the Hollywood lifestyle.
There was nothing much, however, to be learned when I sat down with the 26-year-old actor a few days ago and asked him to share his lessons of the entertainment industry.
“I am basically a simple person. I’d say my work for the past 10 years has been an effort to learn how to work with people at my level and to be professional,” he told me.
Nayakkamya Jusu, who’s now a father, had just received his first award for his performance in ‘Nawa Gedara’. ( Reuters)
Born on July 17, 1972 to a farmer, Jusu didn’t have a happy childhood. His parents separated when he was young. His father became an alcoholic, and took away a share of the farm to provide for his drinking habit.
He went to a boarding school for the next three years but left before completing his studies.
Jusu’s first acting job came as a child actor and appeared in over 200 films at different studios, including ‘Achara’, ‘Jeeva’, ‘Bewa Jeevitham’, ‘Nawa Gedara’, ‘Naan Pita’, ‘Chunarama’, ‘Mela Manda’, ‘Raya’ and ‘Hasta’.
As a child actor, Jusu was sent by a casting director to play the lead role in a