Chan was born on 7 September 1958 at Queen Mary Hospital in Pok Fu Lam. His father was Chan Pengfei (1923 – April 5, 2019), a businessman in the watch industry.

. He won third prize at the "HK Pop Song Composition Competition" in 1977. In that same year, he made his acting debut with Hong Kong Television Broadcasts (TVB) through a TV drama called Sweet Babe.