Elf child actor has very different career now after quitting Hollywood
There have been many stories over the years featuring child stars who can't handle the pressure of fame and fortune at a young age.
Some, like Macaulay Culkin, stay in the acting business and go on to become even more successful.
Others, like one young actor who appeared in Elf, decide enough is enough and choose to leave Hollywood behind.
More than 20 years after the film came out, Will Ferrell is still very much a part of Tinseltown - even having a cameo in the Jonas Brothers' 2025 Christmas movie.
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However, the boy who played his younger half-brother in the festive favourite decided to follow a very different path.
Daniel Tay was cast as Michael in the 2003 classic, the son of Walter (James Caan) and Emily Hobbs (Mary Steenburgen).
He also starred in a film called American Splendor, as Young Harvey Pekar, which was also released the same year.
Despite having a taste of the good life after the film's success, he seemingly decided that acting wasn't the career for him.
Tay went on to study at Yale University and received a degree in economics.
Now 34 years old, his role couldn't be any further away from his big screen days.
After his breakthrough role as Michael, he did a few more onscreen jobs, such as in Brooklyn Rules alongside Freddie Prinze Jr, as well as a voiceover gig for Grand Theft Auto.
According to his IMDb, Tay quit acting for good after that and instead became a SAT instructor at Veritas Prep.
The company helps graduate schools with their SAT test preparation.
A website for the firm says of Tay: “While at Yale, Daniel served as a Teaching Assistant and Peer Tutor in the Department of Computer Science.
“He was also a recipient of the Richard U. Light Fellowship for his studies in Mandarin Chinese language.
“He believes that teaching and learning are expressions of the basic human need for mutual understanding.
“With this in mind, he works with students to cultivate relationships based in clarity, humour, structure and respect.
“When away from SAT/ACT instruction, Daniel is a professional actor and avid writer.”
Even though he might have given up acting, his role in Elf is still part of a huge legacy.
The Christmas movie is one of the most popular festive flicks to this day.
When it first came out, it raked in a whopping $220 million (£164 million) worldwide, and many fans still watch every Christmas (sometimes every day!).
Some are still hoping for a sequel, but unfortunately it doesn't look like there's much chance of that.
Topics: Christmas, Elf, Film, TV and Film
Jen Thomas