| Menake Rajapakse | |
| Birth Name: | Walimuni Mudiyanselage Menake Hemaal Rajapakse |
| Birth Date: | 24 May 1983 |
| Birth Place: | Kelaniya, Sri Lanka |
| Height: | 5ft 10in |
| Yearsactive: | 2005 - present |
| Occupation: | Actor, model |
| Spouse: | Virangi Siriwardena (2010-2013) Nehara Peiris (2014-present) |
| Alma Mater: | St Peter's College, Colombo |
| Awards: | Most Popular teledrama actor 2009, 2010, 2011 Peoples Youth Actor of the Year 2012 |
Walimuni Mudiyanselage Menake Hemaal Rajapakse (මේනක රාජපක්ශ: born 24 May 1983), popularly as Menaka Rajapaksa, is a Sri Lankan teledrama and film actor as well as a model. He was first cast in 2005 as one of the main actors, but the role changed into a lead, in the teledrama Sanda Mudunata, which was telecast on Swarnavahini in 2005.
He had acted in more than 30 teledramas and 3 films as of 2015.[1]
Menake is the second child of his family. His father Ivan Rajapakse was an executive who worked in the hotel industry and died in 2004. His mother Zareena Allang, is a Malay and was a teacher at Wycherly International School. He is a past pupil of St. Peter's College, Colombo.
He was first sighted by a teledrama producer Samy Pavel during a SAAF Games in 2005. He is a competitive swimmer and broke a national level record.[2]
In 2005, Menaka was selected for a main role in the teledrama Sanda Mudunata directed by Samy Pavel.[3]
He became popular in 2008, in the teledrama Muthu Kirilli and then acted in many television serials such as Ran Dam Wal,[4] Monara Kadadasi and Adare Ahasa Tharam.[5] His first film was Sinhawalokanaya, a sport-drama film. He also acted in the crime thriller film Train to Kandy.[6]
Menaka married Virangi Siriwardena in 2010. They divorced in 2013,.[11] He is married to fellow actress Nehara Peiris in 2014. Nehara and Menaka acted in lead roles on many occasions. They first met in Muthu Kirilli, and followed in Amanda, Bharyawo, Ammawarune,[12] Situ Medura and others. The couple has two children.
| Year | Film | Role | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Sinhawalokanaya | Dhanuka Wickramasinghe | [13] | |
| 2021 | Apata Sadunu Ape Lokaya | [14] | ||
| 2024 | Pirimi Adarayak | [15] |