Lam Suet, a Chinese actor, was born on July 8, 1964, in Tianjin. He relocated to Hong Kong in 1979 to receive an inheritance left by his grandfather. However, he soon squandered the money and was forced to work various odd jobs to make a living.
In the mid-1980s, Lam gained employment on movie sets through the help of friends. He initially worked in different roles, such as lighting, props, stage manager, and set and script supervisor. Gradually, he developed an interest in acting and began pestering directors until they gave him tiny roles.
Two pivotal individuals played significant roles in Lam's acting career. The first is Stephen Chow, who befriended him during his early days as a crew member and cast him in films like The God of Cookery (1996) and Kung Fu Hustle. The second is director Johnnie To, with whom Lam has collaborated on over 80 films since 1996.
Lam is known for his weight and size, often portraying bumbling secondary characters providing comic relief in To's intense films. He is perhaps most famous for his supporting roles in To's films, including the award-winning Breaking News (2004),where he played the bumbling taxi driver Yip.
Some of the most notable To-Lam collaborations include The Mission, which earned Lam Best Supporting Actor nominations at the Hong Kong Film Awards and the Golden Horse Award, and PTU, for which he won the Golden Bauhinia Award for Best Supporting Actor. Lam has also appeared in films like Wu yen (2001),where he played the effeminate Prime Minister, and Diva - Ah Hey (2003),in which he portrayed Charlene Choi's loving and supportive father.
In his personal life, Lam has been married for nearly a decade. His wife, 10 years his junior, is from the same hometown as him.
