Making his acting debut as Ajay Chowdhury in the serpent which aired on Netflix, actor Amesh Ediriweera speaks to Tina Edward Gunawardhana on how he landed this plum role in a series which captivated audiences worldwide
Photographs: Netflix
Credited as one of the most gripping series to be aired on Netflix this year, the BBC production of The Serpent captivated audiences around the world. Playing one of the lead roles as Ajay Chowdhury in The Serpent is Amesh Ediriweera, a graduate of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Acting alongside Tahar Rahim and Jenna Coleman, this is his first major role since he graduated from drama school. Based on a true story that shocked the world in the 1970s, The Serpent is set around Charles Sobhraj, Marie-Andrée Leclerc and Ajay Chowdhury who befriended, poisoned, stole from, impersonated and killed at least a dozen Western tourists travelling through Thailand, Nepal and India. Ajay is described as one of the series’ most terrifying and tragic characters. With one epic series under his belt, Amesh has returned to his native Australia and is currently working on writing some scripts with a friend.
Tell me a bit about your background and connection to Sri Lanka?
I was born in Australia and grew up in Melbourne but my family is from Sri Lanka.
I remember visiting Sri Lanka as a kid and going to see my grandparents and cousins who overfed me with jakfruit curry so much that I don’t eat it anymore. My family lived in Ratmalana, so I spent a lot of time playing cricket in my cousins’ backyard and hanging around my grandparents’ house.
I also remember as a kid going to the beach nearby in Mount Lavinia and eating Chinese Dragon’s devilled fish with fried rice which I was obsessed with. There was always so much amazing food around— dhal, okra, and coconut curries; I was always drinking fresh coconuts.
I also remember going to an elephant orphanage in Pinnawala and climbing a mountain called Adam’s Peak.
How aware were you of the real story of The Serpent before you started working on the show?
I wasn’t aware of the story prior to my audition. When I got the script I read all I could find and watched a documentary on Charles, the protagonist in the story. The process was really fun, and I enjoyed piecing together the story in my head.
