Before making his acting debut in 2012 with the Sinhalese romantic comedy Super Six, Hemal Ranasinghe had already established himself as a model. Winning the The Model of the World title in 2009, Ranasinghe went on to win titles in sub-categories such as Best Glamour and Best Catwalk. The following year, in 2010, he went on to win the Mr. Sri Lanka title, following which he represented Sri Lanka at the Mister World 2010 pageant held in Korea. He then made his acting debut in 2012 with the movie Super Six, which was a remake of the 2007 Tamil film Chennai 600028. Following his debut, he was seen in the 2015 Sri Lankan action thriller Pravegaya, which also featured Udari Perera. His performance in the movie won him immense praise and accolades like Derana Critics Award for Best Actor and Most Popular Actor, Hiru Golden Film Award for Most Popular Actor, and the Special Jury Award at the Sarasaviya Awards. He went on to appear in movies like Address Na (2015), Adaraneeya Kathawak (2016), Zoom 3D (2016), and Bandhanaya (2017). His other 2017 projects include Dedunu Akase, Colombo, and Bahu Baryo 2.