Simon Yam

Simon Yam, 2015

Simon Yam Tat-Wah ( Chinese  任達華  /  任达华 , Pinyin Rèn Dáhuá , Jyutping Jam ⁶ Daat ⁶ wa ⁴ ; born March 19, 1955 in Hong Kong ) is a Chinese actor who mainly appears in Hong Kong feature film productions. In his 40-year film career he starred in over 175 films and 40 television series.

Life

Simon Yam, 2010

Simon Yam was born in 1955, the second of three children to the former Hong Kong police chief, where he grew up. His father died at the age of eleven, so that his family had to run the house on a modest income.

First work as a male photo model ensured him and his family a financial livelihood. Yam financed various lessons through the lucrative photo shoots, later worked in the first television productions of the Hong Kong television broadcaster TVB (Television Broadcasts Limited), later also for ATV (Asia Television Limited), as an actor with until he made his film debut in the mid-1970s.

His reputation as an actor is like that of a chameleon: he designs his repertoire in a versatile and varied manner. If he played the cool daredevil in films before (e.g. Bullet in the Head , Raped by an Angel ), in the next he is again the antihero and gangster (e.g. Killers Romance , Full Contact ) or embodies him simply the charming police officer ( naked killer , fulltime killer ) who wants to destroy all evil in the world.

Yam is a charismatic performer and he is loved by countless movie fans around the world. His versatility is unique in the Chinese film landscape.

In addition to his acting, Yam devotes himself extensively to photography.

On July 20, 2019, Simon Yam was stabbed on a stage in Zhongshan City. However, he survived with injuries to his abdomen and arms.

Private

Yam was first married to Ho Sui-Yi ( 何 瑞 意 , Hé Ruìyì , Jyutping Ho ⁴ Seoi ⁶ ji ³ ) without children from 1981 to 1986 . With his second wife Sophia Kao ( 費 琦  /  费 琦 , Fèi Qí , Jyutping Bei ³ Kei ⁴ ), known as model Qui Qui ( 琦琦 , Qíqí , Jyutping Kei ⁴ kei ^{4 * 2} ), he has been married since 1997 and has since 2004 a daughter named Ella ( 任晴 佳 , Rèn Qíngjiā , Jyutping Jam ⁶ Cing ⁴ gaai ¹ ). His older brother is Peter Yam Tat-Wing ( 任達榮  /  任达荣 , Rèn Dáróng , Jyutping Jam ⁶ Dat ⁶ wing ⁴ ) who works for the Hong Kong police.

Filmography (selection)

1970s 1979: Low Don 1979: Crazy Hustlers 1980s 1980: House of the Lute 1980: The Wickedess Povertry 1981: The Informer 1982: He lives by Night 1983: The Devils Box 1986: Tongs: A Chinatown Story - Terror in Chinatown 1987: The Big Brother 1988: Tiger Cage - Ultra Force IV 1988: Mistaken Identity 1989: Bullet in the Head 1989: Bloodfight - Final Fight 1989: Mr. Coconut 1989: Burning Ambition - Angel of Return 1989: Final Run - Born to Fight 1990s 1990: Killers Romance 1990: Fatal Termination 1991: Black Cat 1991: Sea Wolves - Sea Fighter / Red Force 6 1991: Queen of Gamble 1991: Mission of Condor 1991: The Good, The Bad and The Bandit 1992: Dr Lamb 1992: Once upon a Time a Hero in China 1992: Full Contact - Cover Hard 1 1992: Hard to Kill - The Fighting Connection 1992: Naked Killer 1993: The First Shot - incorruptible to death 1993: Future Cops 1993: Drunken Master III 1993: Wuxia qi gongzhu / Holy Weapon 1993: Run and Kill 1993: Guns and Roses 1993: Raped by an Angel - Naked Killer 2 1994: Awakening 1994: Twist 1994: Tiger of Wanchai 1995: Love Guns and Glass 1995: Passion 1995: Dragon Killer - American Yakuza II 1995: Young and Dangerous 1995: Legendary Couple / Story of a Robber 1995: Police Confidental 1996: Young and Dangerous II 1996: Friday Bloody Friday - Friday Killer 1996: Young and Dangerous III 1996: The Suspect 1996: King of Robbery 1998: Hitman - Contract Killer: On behalf of death 1998: Expected the Unexpected 1998: Operation Billionaires 1999: Legend of Speed 1999: The Mission - Your business is death 2000s 2000: To where he belongs 2000: Man Wanted III 2000: Cold War 2001: Midnight Fly 2001: Fulltime Killer 2002: Partners

2002: The Prisoner 2003: PTU 2003: My Jail Story 2004: Lara Croft: Tomb Raider - The Cradle of Life 2004: Wake of Death 2004: Moving Targets 2004: Breaking News 2005: Election 2005: Dragon Squad 2005: Kill Zone SPL 2005: Ah Sou - Mob Sister 2006: Election II 2006: Exiled 2007: Eye in the Sky 2008: Fatal Move 2008: Ballistic 2008: Ocean Flame 2008: Ip Man 2008: Sparrow 2008: Sasori 2008: Tactical Unit I: The Code 2009: Tactical Unit II: No Way out 2009: Tactical Unit III: Human Nature 2009: Bad Blood 2009: Tactical Unit IV: Partners 2009: Tactical Unit V: Comrades in Arms 2009: Vengeance 2009: Bodyguards and Assassins 2009: Storm Warriors 2010s 2010: All about Love 2010: Ip Man 2 2010: Midnight Beating 2010: The Blood Bond / Shadowguard 2010: Echoes of the Rainbow 2010: Black Ransomware 2010: Bruce Lee, My Brother 2011: Evil Lost - Man Behind The Courtyard House 2011: Smile for me 2011: Kill 2011: 72 Heroes 2011: Dream Road 2011: The Curse of the Tang Dynasty / Coming back 2011: Paradise Island 2012: The Thieves 2012: The Five 2012: Design of Death 2012: Nightfall 2013: The Constable 2013: Tales from the Dark 2013: Man of Tai Chi 2013: Tales from the Dark 1 2015: SPL 2: A Time for Consequences (Lethal Warrior) 2015: 12 Golden Ducks 2015: Wild City 2015: Ulterior Motive 2015: Sara 2016: Inside or Outside 2016: Phantom of the Theater 2016: Mrs K 2017: Color of the Game 2017: Smart Chase (The Shanghai Job) 2018: Operation Red Sea 2018: Iceman: The Time Traveler 2019: Chasing the Dragon II: Wild Wild Bunch 2019: Change of Gangster Director 2013: Tales from the Dark 1

Awards

Hong Kong Film Awards

• Nominated: Best Supporting Role "To Be No. 1"
• Nominated: Best Supporting Role "Juliet in Love"
• Nominated: Best Supporting Role "Midnight Fly"
• Nominated: Best Actor "PTU"
• Nominated: Best Actor "Election"
• Nominated: Best Supporting Role "Election 2"
• Nominated: Best Actor "Eye in the Sky"
• Nominated: Best Actor "Sparrow"
• Nominated: Best Actor "Night and Fog"
• Winner: Best Actor "Echoes of the Rainbow"

Golden Horse Awards

• Winner: Best Actor "PTU"

Golden Bauhinia Awards

• Winner: Best Actor "PTU"
• Winner: Best Actor "Election"

Asia Pacific Screen Awards

• Winner: Best Performance by an Actor "Sparrow"

Hong Kong Society of Cinematographers (HKSC) Awards

• Winner: The Most Charismatic Actor

Singapore International Film Festival

• Winner: Cinema Legend Award

German voice actors

Simon Yam was born in Germany a. a. dubbed by Peter Flechtner , Thomas Darchinger , Rainer Schmitt , Johannes Berentz , Dennis Schmidt-Foss and Tobias Kluckert .

Web links

• Simon Yam in the Internet Movie Database (English)
• Simon Yam Tat-Wah / Ren Dahua [1] , on dianying.com, at Chinese Movie Database (Chinese / English)
• Simon Yam Tat-Wah / Ren Dahua [2] , on hkmdb.com, at Hongkong Movie Database (Chinese / English)
• Simon Yam Tat-Wah / Ren Dahua [3] , on hkcinemagic.com, at Hong Kong Cinemagic (French / English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ cf. http://www.simonyam.com/biography/ (English), accessed February 2, 2008
2. ↑ Actor Simon Yam stabbed on stage. Evening newspaper, July 20, 2019, accessed on August 7, 2019 .