My Take
Simon Yam is one of those actors who makes every scene feel like it costs more than it does — there's a weight to him that you just can't manufacture. Born in British Hong Kong in 1955, he built his career through sheer range: playing coldly menacing villains one film, then deeply wounded, sympathetic men the next, often within the same year. His work with director Johnnie To is where I'd point anyone who wants to understand what Hong Kong cinema at its peak looked like — PTU, Election, Sparrow — he fits into To's world like the films were built around him. And then there's SPL: Sha Po Lang, where he goes toe-to-toe with Donnie Yen and holds his own completely. He's a craftsman in the truest sense: no flash, just presence.
Overview
Simon Yam Tat-wah (Chinese: 任達華; born 19 March 1955) is a Hong Kong actor and film producer. He is best known for his collaborations with filmmaker Johnnie To in PTU (2003), Election (2005), Triangle (2007), and Sparrow (2008). His other notable films include SPL: Sha Po Lang (2005), Night & Fog (2009), and Echoes of the Rainbow (2010).
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Simon Yam
- Name (Japanese)
- サイモン・ヤム
- Reading
- さいもん・やむ
- Born
- March 19, 1955 (age 71)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Pisces / Goat
- Origin
- British Hong Kong, United Kingdom
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- actor / film director / film actor / film producer / television actor
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Private
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.