Simon Yam: I’ll do anything for my daughter

When it comes to being able to meld seamlessly into almost every role, none can do it better than Hong Kong actor Simon Yam. Starting off his career in dramas, he has since moved on to films and has taken on more than 200 different characters in his career. The best part is, he won’t be stopping anytime soon.

In Singapore for the Singapore International Film Festival, he was crowned as a Cinema Legend and spoke to the media and public in both closed-door interviews and a conversation session. On both occasions, he was more than happy to oblige with any requests - including autographs and photos (and selfies!) - from a crowd that spanned a diverse range of ages, creeds and walks of life.

Despite his superstar status, the 61-year-old has remained down-to-earth and insists that he is nothing more - or less - than an actor. “Perhaps the only difference is that I have a burning passion that just grows stronger,” he chuckled. “Some people like to try other things, like open a business, but for me, it’s acting and only acting.”

Despite his love for acting, there is one thing that would possibly trump that - his love for his family. “I think I’m going to be taking on more light-hearted, comedic roles for the next five years,” Simon mused. “It’s such a disappointment that my 12-year-old daughter can’t watch most of my current movies - just look at my latest one, The Tenants Downstairs - there’s no way she can watch that.”