Simon Yam | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
任達華 | |||||||||||
 Simon Yam at the 2010 New York Asian Film Festival | |||||||||||
| Born | 19 March 1955 | ||||||||||
| Occupation(s) | Actor, producer, director | ||||||||||
| Years active | 1977–present | ||||||||||
| Spouses | Ho Sui-yi (m. 1981–1986)Sophia Kao (m. 1997) | ||||||||||
| Children | Ella Yam (daughter) | ||||||||||
| Awards | Hong Kong Film Awards – Best Actor 2010 Echoes of the Rainbow Golden Bauhinia Awards – Best Actor 2004 PTU 2006 Election | ||||||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 任達華 | ||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 任达华 | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||
Simon Yam Tat-wah (Chinese: 任達華; born 19 March 1955) is a Hong Kong actor and film producer. He received international acclaim for his performances in international film festival and box office hits such as Naked Killer, SPL: Sha Po Lang, Election, Election 2 , Exiled, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life and The Thieves.[1]
Yam started off as a model before becoming an actor in the mid 1970s. He then signed with the Hong Kong television network TVB, starring and co-starring in a number of television series prior to "apply his trades" in the film industry in 1987. His elder brother is Yam Tak-wing, a retired former Deputy Commissioner of Hong Kong Police.
In 1989, he starred in the Japanese-Hong Kong co-production of Bloodfight. This was the first of its kind in which English was spoken throughout the entire film. In 1992, Yam gained critical acclaim for his role as the maniacal Judge in the crime film Full Contact, where he faced off in a bloody battle against Chow Yun-fat's character. In 1993, he starred as "Dhalsim" in the action-comedy film Future Cops, a parody of Street Fighter directed by Wong Jing. In 1996, Yam began his role as Chiang Tin-Sung, the leader of the Hung Hing triads in the first three instalments of the Young and Dangerous film series.
In 2000, Yam starred as Cheung San, the progenitor of all vampires, in the television series My Date with a Vampire II, produced by ATV. In 2003, Yam made his Hollywood film debut in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life as Shaolin crime lord.
In 2013, Yam directed his first film, as part of the Hong Kong portmanteau horror film Tales from the Dark 1.[2]
In Feb 2021, Yam, Tony Leung and Andy Lau will team up in a new major action movie titled Goldfinger, backed by Emperor Motion Pictures and mainland Chinese partners, with a reported budget of around $30.8 million (RMB200 million).[3]
Yam was married to his first wife Ho Sui-yi from 1981-86. In 1997, he married Sophia Kao, known as Qi Qi, an international model. She was born in Shanghai but raised in Austria. They have a daughter, Ella.
On 20 July 2019, Yam was stabbed at a promotional event in China.[4] He suffered a minor injury and his manager said, "He was stabbed in the tummy area and also got a cut on his right hand." He got a small operation in Zhongshan and recovered. [5]
Yam's favorite investment is real estate in Hong Kong.[6]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Law Don | ||
| 1980 | House of the Lute | ||
| 1981 | The Informer | ||
| Twins | |||
| 1982 | He Lives by Night | ||
| Green Killer | |||
| 1986 | Goodbye Mammie | ||
| New Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre | |||
| Tong – A Chinatown Story | |||
| 1987 | The Big Brother | ||
| 1988 | Tiger Cage | Michael Wong | |
| Osmanthus Alley | Ah Hai | ||
| Burning Snow | Wah | ||
| Mistaken Identity | |||
| Women Prison | Wayne Lu | ||
| 1989 | Live Hard | Senior Inspector Hui Tat-ming | |
| Burning Ambition | |||
| Lucky Star | |||
| Chinese Cop Out | |||
| Framed | |||
| The Wild Ones | |||
| Mr. Coconut | Timothy Hui | ||
| Final Run | |||
| Four Loves | |||
| Miracles | Chief Inspector Ho's man | ||
| Big Man Little Affair | |||
| Bloodfight | |||
| 1990 | Bullet in the Head | Luke | |
| Killer's Romance | Jeffrey | ||
| Hong Kong Gigolo | |||
| The Cyprus Tigers | |||
| Fatal Termination | |||
| Return Engagement | Lee Pang | ||
| Doctor's Heart | |||
| 1991 | The Plot | ||
| Bullet for Hire | Hon | ||
| Great Pretenders | Yam Sai-sung | ||
| Gigolo and Whore | |||
| Black Cat | Brian | ||
| Deadly Deal | |||
| Sea Wolves | |||
| Queen's High | |||
| The Good, the Bad, and the Bandit | |||
| Mission of Condor | |||
| The Banquet | Wai's friend | ||
| 1992 | Gun n' Rose | Simon Lung | |
| Gigolo and Whore II | Jack Cheung | ||
| Cash on Delivery | |||
| Once Upon A Time A Hero in China | |||
| Dr. Lamb | Lam Gor-yue | ||
| Friday Gigolo | |||
| The Night Rider | |||
| Naked Killer | Tinam | ||
| Powerful Four | |||
| 1993 | Full Contact | Judge | |
| Holy Weapon | Super Sword | ||
| Killer's Love | |||
| The Incorruptible | |||
| Killer's Love | |||
| A Day Without Policeman | |||
| Insanity | |||
| Can't Stop My Crazy Love For You | |||
| Love Among the Triad | |||
| First Shot | Sam Mok | ||
| The Black Panther Warriors | Black Jack Love | ||
| Future Cops | Sing (Dhalsim) | ||
| Prince of Portland Street | |||
| Final Judgment | |||
| Run and Kill | Ching Fung | ||
| Raped by an Angel | Tso Tat Wah | ||
| Rose Rose I Love You | Micky | ||
| 1994 | The True Hero | ||
| Awakening | |||
| The Tragic Fantasy - Tiger of Wanchai | Chan Yiu-hing | ||
| Drunken Master III | Gay bus passenger | ||
| Crystal Fortune Run | |||
| Crossings | |||
| The Devil's Box | |||
| 1995 | Passion 1995 | Dick Wong | |
| Twist | |||
| Police Confidential | |||
| Dragon Killer | |||
| Because of Lies | |||
| Love, Guns, and Glass | |||
| Story of a Robber | Kon Tin-lap | ||
| Farewell to My Dearest | |||
| Ghostly Bus | |||
| Man Wanted | Lok Man-wah | ||
| 1996 | King of Robbery | Chan Sing | |
| Bloody Friday | |||
| To Be No. 1 | |||
| All of a Sudden | Tsui Chin-tun | ||
| Street Angels | Walkie Pi | ||
| Scared Memory | |||
| Young and Dangerous | Chiang Tin-sung | ||
| Young and Dangerous 2 | |||
| Young and Dangerous 3 | |||
| 1998 | The Suspect | Dante Aquino | |
| Operation Billionaire | |||
| Expect the Unexpected | Ken | ||
| Casino | Giant Wan | ||
| Hitman | Officer Chan Kwan | ||
| 1999 | The Mission | Frank | |
| The Legend of Speed | |||
| Night Club | |||
| Trust Me U Die | |||
| 2000 | Juliet in Love | ||
| Model from Hell | |||
| Horoscope II: The Woman from Hell | |||
| To Where He Belongs | |||
| Deathnet.com | |||
| Cold War | Ka Hui | ||
| Man Wanted 3 | |||
| 2001 | Midnight Fly | Dr. Tong | |
| Fulltime Killer | Albert Lee | ||
| Final Romance | |||
| 2002 | My Left Eye Sees Ghosts | Ben | |
| Partners | |||
| 2003 | Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life | Chen Lo | |
| Looking for Mr. Perfect | |||
| PTU | Sergeant Mike Ho | ||
| Eternal Flame of Fatal Attraction | |||
| 2004 | Explosive City | Superintendent Charles Cheung | |
| Breaking News | Asst. Commissioner Wong | Unbilled cameo | |
| Wake of Death | Sun Quan | ||
| 2005 | Mob Sister | Tsan Gor (Chance) | |
| Election | Lam Lok | ||
| The Unusual Youth | Police Superintendent | Unbilled cameo | |
| Outback | |||
| SPL (a.k.a. Kill Zone (US)) | Inspector Chan Kwok-chung | ||
| Dragon Squad | Commander Hon Sun | ||
| 2006 | Election 2 (a.k.a. Triad Election (US)) | Lam Lok | |
| Exiled | Boss Fay | Cameo | |
| 2007 | Eye in the Sky | Sergeant Wong Man-chin (‛Dog Head’) | |
| Triangle | Lee Bo-Sam | ||
| Exodus | Sergeant Tsim Kin-yip | ||
| 2008 | Sasori | ||
| Ballistic | |||
| Fatal Move | Lin Ho-tung | ||
| Sparrow | Ken / The Sparrow | ||
| Ocean Flame | Detective Zhang | Also producer | |
| Tactical Unit – Human Nature | Sam | ||
| Tactical Unit – No Way Out | |||
| Tactical Unit – The Code | Lee Wing Sam | TV movie | |
| Ip Man | Chow Ching-chuen | ||
| 2009 | Tactical Unit – Partners | ||
| Tactical Unit - Comrades in Arms | Sam | TV movie | |
| Night & Fog | Lee Sam | ||
| Vengeance | George Fung | ||
| The Storm Warriors | Lord Godless | ||
| Bodyguards and Assassins | Fang Tian | ||
| 2010 | Black Ransom | Inspector Mann Cheung | |
| Bad Blood | Funky | ||
| Echoes of the Rainbow | Mr. Law | ||
| Ip Man 2 | Chow Ching-chuen | ||
| The Blood Bond | Lompoc | ||
| Midnight Beating | Gu Zhensheng | ||
| 2011 | The Man Behind the Courtyard House | ||
| Coming Back | Li Zhenmu | ||
| 2012 | Nightfall | George Lam | |
| Design of Death | Yi Sheng | ||
| Passion Island | Simon | ||
| The Thieves | Chen | ||
| Cross | Lee Leung | ||
| Ripples of Desire | |||
| 2013 | 7 Assassins | Wu | |
| Cold Eyes | Suspect | Cameo | |
| Man of Tai Chi | Superintendent Wong | ||
| Tales from the Dark 1 | Kwan Fu-keung | Also director | |
| A Chilling Cosplay | Fang Youwei | ||
| Control | Tiger | ||
| The Constable | Lam Kwok-kuen | ||
| Les Jeux des nuages et de la pluie | French film | ||
| 2014 | As the Light Goes Out | Lee Pui-to | |
| The Midnight After | Fat | ||
| Iceman | Cheung | ||
| 2015 | 12 Golden Ducks | King Sum | |
| Sara | Kam Ho-yin | ||
| Two Thumbs Up | Chow Tai-po | ||
| Lovers & Movies | Qiu Guitang | ||
| SPL II: A Time for Consequences | Chan Kwok-wah | ||
| Wild City | Wong | ||
| Detective Gui | |||
| Ulterior Motive | Ye Cheng | ||
| Magic Card | |||
| 2016 | Inside or Outside | Fei Xin | |
| Phantom of the Theatre | Gu Ming Shan | ||
| The Tenants Downstairs | Chang Chia-chun | ||
| Mrs K | Scarface | ||
| 2017 | Father and Son | OK Gen | |
| Legend of the Naga Pearls | Xue Lie | ||
| Colour of the Game | Wah | ||
| S.M.A.R.T. Chase | Mach Ren | ||
| 2018 | A Beautiful Moment | ||
| Air Strike | Air Defense Commander | Cameo | |
| Iceman II | |||
| Operation Red Sea | Albert | ||
| Justice in Northwest | |||
| A or B | |||
| House of the Rising Sons | Kin's father | ||
| 2019 | Change of Gangster | ||
| The Human Comedy | Ba Ye | ||
| Chasing the Dragon II: Wild Wild Bunch | Lee Keung | ||
| Thaiflavor | |||
| Little Q | Li Baoting | ||
| My People, My Country | Wah | ||
| 2021 | Raging Fire | Lok Chi-fai | |
| Fireflies in the Sun | Zhang Zhengyi | ||
| 2022 | Death Notice | Officer Tsang | |
| Cyber Heist | Ben Suen Ban | ||
| A Light Never Goes Out | Biu | ||
| 2023 | I Did It My Way | Chung Kam-mibg | |
| The Goldfinger | K.K. Tsang | ||
| TBD | Under Current |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | A House Is Not a Home | Lok Wah | |
| 1979 | The Good, the Bad and the Ugly | ||
| 1980 | The Shell Game | ||
| 1983 | The Return of the Condor Heroes | ||
| 1984 | The New Adventures of Chor Lau-heung | ||
| 1985 | Reincarnated Princess | ||
| 1986 | New Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre | ||
| 1987 | The Legend of the Book and the Sword | ||
| 1989 | War of the Dragon | ||
| 1994 | Heaven's Retribution | ||
| 1996 | ICAC Investigators 1996 | To Wing-fat | Episode: "The Eagle in the web" |
| 1999 | My Date with a Vampire II | Cheung San | |
| 2006 | Tokyo Juliet | Chu Xing | |
| 2018 | The Great Adventurer Wesley | ||
| 2019 | The Thunder | Undercover Officer Li Jianzhong (alias Zhao Jialiang) | |
| One Dream One Home | Liang Dingwen | ||
| 2021 | The Dance of the Storm | Mu Chuan |
(6 Best Actor Nominations, four Best Supporting Actor Nominations)
