Elf: The Musical is on Channel 5 on Christmas Day.
The show had a rather rocky run in London’s West End but the original movie has become an enduring Crimbo classic.
Will Ferrell’s turn as the hysterical Buddy steals every scene he is in, but his sidekick for some of the funniest and most memorable scenes was young Daniel Tay.
The 11-year-old played Michael Dobbs, Buddy’s long-lost brother, but where is he now?
The pair were perfectly matched on screen. Overgrown kid Buddy was endlessly enthusiastic and child-like, while the actual child was the perfect ‘straight man’ for the craziest moments.
Nobody will ever forget that snowball fight, the destruction of the Christmas tree, or the introduction to all the main food groups (candy, candy canes, candy corn and syrup) and the resulting resplendant belch.
Tay himself, however, seems content to have been forgotten…
Despite the instant cult status of Elf in 2003 and critical acclaim for his part in American Splendour the same year, the young actor soon withdrew form the limelight.
Kay is still listed online as a “professional actor and avid writer” but he last appeared on screen in 2007’s Brooklyn Rules and did occasional voice work up to 2009.
He was clearly the brains of the family on screen on Elf and in real life he has shown just how clever he really is…
Tay went to Yale University and graduated with a BA in Economics. While he was there he specialised in some of the most mind-mending subjects.
An official website biography reads: ”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.”
These days, the 26-year-old is a tutor and SAT instructor for the international consulting company Veritas Prep, which coaches students for exams and admissions.
ELF: THE MUSICAL IS ON CHANNEL 5 AT 6PM ON CHRISTMAS DAY