Simon Yam entered the entertainment industry as a model. After graduating from the TVB Artist Training Program, he signed a contract as an actor at Binbin Film Company in 1979 and began filming films and TV dramas in 1987. In 2004, Ren Dahua won the Best Actor award at the 9th Golden Bauhinia Awards for his performance in "PTU". In 2006, he won the Best Actor award at the 11th Golden Bauhinia Awards for his performance in "Election". In 2010, he won the Best Actor award at the 29th Hong Kong Film Awards for his performance in "Echoes of the Rainbow".