He was the first person in Sri Lanka to receive an award covering all three areas - Stage Drama, Cinema and Teledrama.
[3] Daya Alwis was born on 7 November 1942 in Payagala as the fourth son of the family with seven siblings.
After finishing Bhathkande degree, he entered to Tholangamuwa Central College as the music teacher.
[5] He started acting career with stage dramas, Depano, Modara Mola, Ekadhipathi, Kaluware Jaramare, Ran Kanda,[6] such as Sarathchandra's Premathi Jayathi Soko and Kalu Walalu, Gunasena Galapththi's Muhudu Puttu, Henry Jayasena's Makarã Saha Gamanak, Dharmasiri Bandara's Kakarasaya, Dawala Beehishana, Somalatha Subasinghe's Vikurthi and Jayantha Chandrasiri's Môra.
He also starred in Ira Bata Taruwa, the first Sri Lankan teledrama filmed in London.
In 2001, he directed the serial Awasan Horawa telecast on ITN channel every Friday at 7.30 p.m. from January 5.
[29] Some of his popular cinema acting came through Kolamba Sanniya, Madol Duwa,[30] Sarungalaya, Pooja, Maya as well as Wasantha Obeysekara’s Walmathwuwo, where he was nominated for national awards.