William Chapman, the 24-year-old man mauled to death by a tiger at Yorkshire Wildlife Park, was a "very talented" actor in his childhood, his former drama teacher has said.
Childhood acting career
As a child, Mr Chapman starred in the ITV production May Contain Nuts alongside Shirley Henderson, known for playing Moaning Myrtle in the Harry Potter films. He also played Edward Jenner as a young boy in the BBC series True Stories.
He attended Jackie Palmer Stage School in Buckinghamshire, where his drama teacher at the time, Marylyn Phillips, now 76, told the Daily Mail she had been struck by how lovely his family were.
Teacher's tribute
Ms Phillips said: "It was very difficult when I heard the news. It is just so sad when someone is young, talented, and has everything going for them."
She added: "It's heartbreaking enough when they leave [the school] let alone this. They are a lovely family, and they are devastated."
"They were always very, very nice and never pushy at all. Anything their children needed, they had it. If he needed to be taken somewhere, he would be taken somewhere. They were just really lovely people and honourable people. That's what is so sad. It is so hard."
Auditions and later life
Ms Phillips said Mr Chapman was "very talented and very good" and always seemed to "come out on top" in auditions.
She said: "He cared about what he did. If I gave him a script, it would be learned by the next time I saw him."
"We always stayed in touch and our agency represented him for a time, but then he went on to college."
