In his biography, Jackie Chan stated that Yuen Wah's martial arts ability was well respected among his fellow students.

He also made his acting debut in Fist of Fury, as a Japanese man who asks Bruce Lee's character to crawl like a dog and is soundly beaten for it.

During the 1980s, he worked on several films with former classmates Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao, both in an action director / stunt co-ordinator capacity, and in acting roles as villainous characters.

He appeared in another English language production, the 2008 Baz Luhrmann period film Australia, alongside Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman.

In the early 1970s, Yuen worked as a stuntman and extra, later progressing to stunt coordinator / action director roles, as well as full-fledged acting parts.

During the 1980s he made a number of appearances, primarily as villainous characters in the films of his former-China Drama Academy friends, Sammo Hung, Jackie Chan and Yuen Biao.