Ricardo Carlos Castro Yan was born at The Medical City in Mandaluyong City, Philippines. Yan grew up in a family of soldiers and business men. He was the son of Roberto Yan Sr. (1947–2017) and Teresita Castro-Yan.[12] He was the grandson of Manuel Yan (1920–2008), former Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Ambassador to Thailand, Indonesia, and United Kingdom, and Colonel Isabelo Ruiz Castro. He has 3 siblings: Geraldine, Tina, and Bobby, a television host. His parents are business owners, owning a security agency for having military background in the family. Yan was an alumnus of Xavier School for his primary education in 1988 and high school from De La Salle Santiago Zobel School in 1992.Rico Yan graduated from De La Salle University in 1997 with a degree in Marketing Management. He was the first official youth spokesman for the Department of Education, Culture and Sports in 1998, touring the Philippines for free to promote education among youths. As well as establishing Pinoy Yan Movement, a non-profit organization that aims to make young people stay in school and value education, Yan assisted the Are You a Forest King? Foundation, visiting many schools to promote the importance of tree growth and was associated in various foundations and initiatives that furthered the interests of the youth and leadership formation and studies, among them are the One Dream Foundation, the Blue Eagle Foundation for Sports Development, the Blue Eagle/KIDS/ODF Leadership, Athletic and Spiritual Summer Training, the Youth Study 2001 and the Leadership Research Center. Yan was also the first Philippine National Red Cross Pledge 25 spokesperson in 1999.
Rico Yan was an alumnus of Star Circle Batch 1 now ABS-CBN's Star Magic on November 1995. He started as commercial model under Cosmopolitan Modeling Agency and then became an actor.He was discovered while falling in line in one of the fast foods on his school De La Salle University when a talent scout asked him if he wanted to be a commercial model. Though surprised, Yan auditioned and got the part of his first television commercial debut in 1995.His preppy rich persona was used to effect in subsequent films such as Radio Romance, Ama, Ina, Anak and Madrasta. After several television and movie parts, Yan[2] became a household name when he played Ricky Salveron in Gimik (1996) and Gabriel Maglayon in Mula Sa Puso (1997). He had then spawned highly rated television shows amongst these are Mara Clara (1996), 'Sang Linggo nAPO Sila (1996), Saan Ka Man Naroroon (1999), Magandang Tanghali Bayan (2001) and Whattamen (2001). Yan's remarkable films on Star Cinema add Paano Ang Puso Ko? (1997), Kay Tagal Kang Hinintay (1998), Dahil Mahal na Mahal Kita (1998), Gimik: The Reunion (1999), Mula sa Puso: The Movie (1999) and Got 2 Believe (2002). In 2014, Star Cinema ranked him the No. 5 in the List of "The Kings of Star Cinema", twelve years after his death. Yan starred in commercially successful television and films with pairings opposite Judy Ann Santos and Claudine Barretto.Yan was also a successful strategist entrepreneur and owned several businesses, including Orbitz Pearl Shakes, Java Hut, Buddy Burger, Timbuktu Cafe and Tequila Joe Grill and Restaurants.