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. In February 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). ==Personal life==