Tribute paid to tiger assault sufferer William Chapman as college ‘liked watching him develop’
WARNING, DISTRESSING CONTENT: Former child actor William Chapman has been named as the tragic victim of a horror tiger attack after he entered an enclosures at Yorkshire Wildlife Park, as his former stage school have now paid tribute
William Chapman’s former school have now paid tribute (Image: Not known)
An emotional tribute has been paid to the victim of fatal tiger attack at Yorkshire Wildlife park. The former stage school of William Chapman, who was identified earlier as the young man who was killed by the tiger, said “he will always hold a special place in our hearts”.
Yorkshire Wildlife Park has remained closed ever since Chapman was fatally attacked when he entered the animal’s enclosure on Saturday (October 10). Emergency services were contacted shortly after 1.30pm regarding the incident but Chapman, believed to be in his 20s, was pronounced dead at the scene.
It has since emerged that Chapman was a child actor who starred in shows for both BBC and ITV. He also attended Jackie Palmer Stage School & Agency, who have now paid tribute to their former student.
Chapman starred in shows on the BBC and ITV(Image: BBC)
In a heartbreaking post on Facebook, the stage school said: “We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of our former student, William Chapman.
“Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with William’s family and friends during this incredibly difficult time.
“We loved watching William grow, both as a person and as a performer, during his time with us. It was a privilege to be part of his journey, and he will be remembered with great fondness by everyone who had the pleasure of knowing him.
“William will be truly missed, and he will always hold a special place in our hearts. Rest in peace, William.”
An old blog post reportedly from Chapman’s mum had highlighted his passion for acting. As reported by the BBC and backed up from IMDB, Chapman appeared in the ITV production May Contain Nuts alongside Shirley Henderson, best known for her roles in Harry Potter, and he portrayed Edward Jenner as a young boy in the BBC series True Stories.
His mum’s blog post later revealed that Chapman also got the chance to be on set of a major Hollywood production starring Hugh Jackman. The young actor was an extra in Pan, which saw Jackman star as Blackbeard.
The post also revealed that as well as getting to work with other young actors, including Levi Miller, Chapman also shared a moment with Greatest Showman star Jackman that saw him receive a high five. His mum called it a “a wonderful experience for him”.
