Yuan's first role as a professional actor is in The Perfect Weapon (1991), Yuan's first credited acting debut is in Red Corner (1997), alongside Richard Gere. He also appeared in Lethal Weapon 4, which is Jet Li's American film debut, as the role of Chu, a Chinese Triad gangster. In 2000, he plays the main antagonist in the action-comedy Shanghai Noon alongside Jackie Chan, as the corrupt Imperial Guard Lo Fong, the role helps him becomes popular with the audiences. In 2003, he appears in the beginning of Bulletproof Monk, playing Chow Yun-fat's master. In Batman Begins, he appeared as the Hazmat Technician alongside Gary Oldman and as the Chinese Engineer in Syriana. In Skyfall, he also trained Daniel Craig and has a role as the Severine's bodyguard, Yuan also appeared in many TV Shows, he appeared in Walker Texas Ranger, playing different characters, and his most famous role is that of Lazarus in the episodes 'The Winds of Change' and 'Lazarus'.