Andy, the young boy in the much talked about National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) World Cup advertisement, is played by an 11-year-old who has been acting since he was two.

Baptist Lim has appeared in numerous print and TV commercials, including one for BoBo Fishballs two years ago. In 2010, he was also in a video that was part of the Land Transport Authority's graciousness campaign that year.

His mother, who did not want to reveal her name, declined to let this paper speak to Baptist or his father, saying the family wanted to keep a low profile. She said that after the NCPG ad made headlines worldwide, Baptist's schoolmates started calling him "Andy" and joked about him making a lot of money. But he was not affected by all the attention.

"He is doing fine. The ad didn't really impact us much. Even when we go out, nobody recognises us," she said.

The money from his commercial appearances is set aside for his future, such as university fees, she added.

According to his profile on Actors Asia Database, a casting and audition website for actors, models and extras, Baptist is cheerful, active and "loves the limelight". His younger sister also acts.

When asked if she was proud of Baptist, his mother replied: "There are other things to be proud of, like if he was the smartest kid in Singapore. Now that the World Cup is over, we are just waiting for all this to blow over."