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. Yan had a column on Manila Bulletin titled "C'est la Vie". Family and early life 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. 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. Career Early work: 1995 Yan was a twenty-year-old senior student from De La Salle University when he got his first shot of popularity. He was one of the promising commercial models of Cosmopolitan Modeling Agency, picked to be the main man on his first television commercial for Master Facial Cleanser. It so happened that in screening committee was Johnny Manahan the Talent Center head. Manahan asked Yan if he wanted to be in the movies. Yan was reluctant in joining showbiz and was managed by Biboy Arboleda. He was then launched as one of the members of Star Circle Batch 1, composed of eight talents. While Yan was finishing his marketing thesis and trimesters in college, he was also enthralling public attention through his commercials and most magazine covers. Breakthrough: 1996–2000 1996 marked as a compelling period on Yan's career; he became notable. As a matinee idol, he was most charming. In June 1996, Yan played the boy next door character in youth-oriented show Gimik, named Ricky Salveron directed by Laurenti Dyogi shown on The Filipino Channel (TFC). The show was about the lives of a solid bunch of juvenile living in an imaginary village that tackles the experiences and fun of being young, alongside Judy Ann Santos, Jolina Magdangal, Giselle Toengi, Mylene Dizon, Patrick Garcia, Diether Ocampo and Marvin Agustin. The show