EvanTube turns 19: When a child’s life becomes the family business

Evan Lee, better known as EvanTube, in his childhood bedroom in El Dorado Hills, California, on April 19. PHOTO: MAGGIE SHANNON/NYTIMES

Lisa Miller

UPDATED May 18, 2025, 02:15 PM

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NEW YORK – Evan Lee was in elementary school when he became the linchpin of his family’s business. With his neatly combed hair and dimpled smile, he was a charm bomb, conveying on camera both the cheerful sincerity of a boy scout and the precocious charisma of a whizz-kid .

Evan, eventually known to seven million YouTube subscribers as EvanTube, was one of the earliest kid influencers, internet famous for playing with toys.

EvanTube blew up by accident in October 2011, when freelance videographer Jared Lee sculpted the entire cast of the Angry Birds video game out of modelling clay for his five-year-old son.

Evan and Jared decided to make a home video, like a show and tell. Situated at the family’s dining table, Evan earnestly explained each character’s special powers , according to the video game .

“Yellow Bird goes super fast,” he said , in a halting voice , glancing occasionally towards his father, who was filming. He picked up a lumpy pale bird. “This is White Bird. It flies and drops white bombs and looks like a lemon when he dies.” A tiny smile revealed baby teeth.