The eldest son in his family, Zhang began acting in 1989 − his first full-time job after completing his mandatory military service.
He went through Singapore Broadcasting Corporation (SBC)'s auditions and attended their training classes while juggling a side job as a waiter for a few months before being offered a two-year contract by SBC.
[4] Zhang owns the boutique shop Nana, with its outlets located in the malls The Arcade and International Plaza.
[5] In April 1991, Zhang married his girlfriend of 4 years, Zheng Xiuzhu, at the age of 24.
[4] Preferring to keep a low profile outside of his acting career in later years, Zhang has declined to talk more about his family in interviews, citing that he is "more than happy to talk about [his] work or projects and [doesn't] think people are interested to know about [his] personal life anyway".