Michael Sellers, the creative mind behind Tall Santa, has always had a knack for charting his own course—preferably one that involves costumes, creativity, and a little bit of magic.

A Lynn, Massachusetts native, Michael discovered his love for performance early on, spending summers in high school with local theater groups.

At Boston College, he majored in English and Theater Arts, performing in several mainstage productions over four years. After graduation, his adventurous spirit led him to the Peace Corps, where he taught English to students in Nepal—a gig that taught him patience, perspective, and how to survive without Dunkin’.

When he returned to the U.S., Michael earned a graduate degree at BC, then headed to New York City to begin a doctoral program at Columbia University’s Teachers College. But the stage came calling again. Michael studied acting at the esteemed William Esper Studio and honed his vocal chops with a Metropolitan Opera coach. He performed in Off-Off-Broadway productions and even toured the country in a musical version of Sleeping Beauty.

His professional career has been just as eclectic as his artistic one. Michael has held roles in tech and media—working for Warner Bros., NBC, and Digital Equipment Corp.—before pivoting to the nonprofit world, where he contributed to prestigious New York healthcare institutions like NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.

In 2016, he took a sharp left turn and became an artisan bread baker, eventually opening Journeyman Bakery in Peekskill, NY. (Fun fact: it opened the same week New York shut down for COVID.) He was named “Best New Break Baker” by Westchester Magazine in 2017.

In 2021, Michael returned to Boston, and in 2025, he launched Tall Santa as a tribute to his late father and a chance to don the red suit himself—because why not bring a little wonder back to the world?

Michael can be reached at santa@tallsanta.com.