Ruby de Mel

Ruby Jasmine de Mel was a popular Sri Lankan actress. She often played bullying motherly characters. de Mel was born in Moratuwa to an anglicized Sinhala family and attended Princess of Wales College, Moratuwa and Newstead Balika, Negombo. She was an announcer for Radio Ceylon at its inception. de Mel broke into acting with a role in the theatrical play Handahana directed by T. B. Ilangaratne. This performance drew the attention of leading playwright and filmmaker B. A. W. Jayamanne who asked her to play a part in his film Mathabedaya to be shot in India. Under the pretense of a vacation with…