Phil Tan was born in Singapore where he spent his childhood and then at the age of five moved to the UK. Phil started off his athletic career as a gymnast where he became the British Youth Tumbling champion and a member of the British squad for many years. Years later after getting into martial arts, Phil also became the Men's British Tae Kwon do Champion.

Phil's first break in film, was as an actor and fight choreographer in a film called Le complot diabolique du docteur Fu Manchu