As a practitioner of martial arts Lam starred in a number of notable films that found recognition outside Hong Kong including Encounters of the Spooky Kind, The Prodigal Son and his best-known role in Mr. Vampire.

He was born Lam Gun-bo (林根寶) on 27 December 1952 in the year of the Dragon, in Hong Kong.

Lam attended Shun Yi Association Elementary School in Hong Kong, but eventually dropped out after 2 years.

His father sent him to Chun Chau Drama Society to learn the Peking Opera style under the guidance of Madame Fan Fok-fa.

Due to his slender and fragile body structure, Lam specialized in female roles and often performed stunt-doubling for actresses.

Lam's first show was called "White Beach", but his Beijing Opera career only lasted for 5 years.

At age 17, Lam became a stuntman and martial arts coach at the Shaw Brothers Studio.

During the filming of The Big Boss, Lam was arrested for fighting, and Lee had to bail him out of jail.

Lam worked behind the camera as assistant director and became Sammo Hung's right-hand man of the stunt team.

The movie starred him as the usual One Eyebrow Priest, Chin Siu Ho and Liu Fong as his naughty disciples.

The movie showed light of his moving-making style which was prone to realistic fights and dark humor.

In 1995, although the film market was in depression, ATV offered Lam the starring role in a television series called Vampire Expert (殭屍道長).

The story followed Mo Siu Fong (Lam Ching Ying) who destroyed ghosts and saved the day.

In the series, Yuen played a female priest who fell in love with Mo Siu Fong (Lam Ching Ying).

During the filming of Vampire Expert in 1995, Lam and his co-star Kingdom Yuen developed a relationship.

It is unknown when Lam was diagnosed with cancer for the first time since he forbid his close family to reveal his illness.

Lam died on November 8, 1997, at 12:30 am at St. Theresa's Hospital in Hong Kong, the cause of death being cancer of the liver.

Ricky Hui who was Lam's partner in "Mr. Vampire", died on November 8, 2011, the same date, 14 years later.

Lam's pallbearers were Yuen Shiu Hung, Chin Yuet Sun, Ng Ming Hoi, Lam King Chu, Chan Wui Ngai, Chung Fat, Sammo Hung, Chan Wing Hong, Chin Kar Lok and Wu Ma.