Tam Yat-ching

Biography

Tam Yat-ching was born in 1930 in Xinhui County, Guangdong Province. After the war of resistance against Japan, he moved to Hong Kong and enrolled in the acting school of Shan Yue Film Company run by the renowned director Kwan Man-ching, graduating in 1949. After graduation, he joined Hong Kong's first commercial radio station, Rediffusion Silver Station, working in directing and broadcasting, making him one of Hong Kong's first generation of broadcasters. In the 1950s, his radio drama series "The Chinese Murderer," adapted from a novel by Yam Wu-fa, became hugely popular throughout Hong Kong. On May 29, 1957, Hong Kong's first television station, Rediffusion Television, officially began broadcasting, and Tam Yat-ching appeared in the station's first TV drama "The Stupid Robber" and played Yue Fei in the live drama "The River of Red," making him also one of Hong Kong's first generation of television workers. In 1973, after Rediffusion radio ceased broadcasting, he formally transferred to work at Rediffusion Television. In 1980, Tam Yat-ching left Rediffusion after 31 years of service, and in November of the same year moved to work at TVB, where he worked until his retirement in 2005. Tam Yat-ching was a well-known supporting actor, excelling in roles such as tycoons, gang leaders, martial arts masters, and monks, and participated in countless television dramas over nearly half a century. He also appeared in films including "Change Career to Miss," "Joy Fills the World," "Angels Go Out," and "Mr. Supernatural," as well as stage plays including "The Empress Dowester" and "Family." Tam Yat-ching passed away on May 15, 2006 at the age of 76.