Zhang Ruoyun was born on August 24, 1988, in Beijing, China. Growing up in a household with strong ties to the film industry—his father, Zhang Jian, is a director and producer, and his grandfather was a geologist—he was exposed to the world of storytelling and creativity from an early age. Despite his parents’ divorce when he was very young, Zhang's passion for the performing arts led him to pursue acting, and he later honed his craft at the prestigious Beijing Film Academy, graduating in 2007 .

Zhang made his acting debut in 2004, playing the younger version of a male protagonist in the television series 'The Sea’s Promise'. Over the next few years, he steadily built his career, gaining early public attention through roles in series like 'Snow Leopard' (2010) and its companion series 'Black Fox' (2011). His performance in these projects earned him recognition and awards such as the Most Popular New Actor, marking his arrival onto the national scene.