'Outlander' child actor and ballet dancer Jack Burns, dubbed as the next Billy Elliot, dies at 14
Young TV actor Jack Burns, who was known for his exceptional ballet dancing skills, has suddenly passed away. Burns was 14. He was found dead at his parent's home in Greenock, in Inverclyde, Scotland, on December 1.
The circumstances of his death have not been considered suspicious by the police. Having starred in several popular TV shows, including 'Outlander', Burns had been dubbed the next Billy Elliot.
As a student of the Elite Academy of Dance — Greenock's Royal Academy Classical Ballet School in Glasgow, Burns was quite acclaimed and deemed prestigious for his short, but illustrious career.
He was also a student at the UK Theatre School Performing Arts Academy. His stint in the Starz show 'Outlander' was back in 2014, followed by an appearance in a thriller called 'Plain Sight' and several other BBC productions.
Mourning the loss of the talented young soul, Elite Academy paid tribute to Burns as "an inspiration to everyone". "Tragically as you know we lost our much-loved student Jack Burns on Sunday the 1st of December."
"Jack was an inspiration to everyone at Elite and touched the hearts of everyone who had the pleasure of working and dancing with him since 2012,” the post read.
It continued: "We and all of Jack's family and friends are naturally completely devastated and are at a loss for words and answers. Last week, we emailed all of our current students' parents and guardians with the terribly sad news about the passing of one of our exceptionally talented young students, Jack Burns."
The post added: "Jack's parents are very grateful for all your thoughts and prayers and have asked us to get in touch with you all regarding funeral details."
Burns is survived by his parents Karen and Robert, and a brother named Rory. His funeral service is to be held on December 12 from 10 am at St Mary's R.C. Church in Greenock, shared Dignity Funerals.
Taking to the Facebook post by the academy, several members of the community expressed their condolences and mourned him. "Such awful news, a handsome talented boy gone far too soon. My heart goes out to Jack's family! You’re in my thoughts at this sad sad time,” one person wrote.
Another added: "We were so devastated to hear this news about Jack. He was such a talented boy in all areas of his life and such a lovely handsome boy." A third fan shared: "What an absolute star. Such an incredible talent. My thoughts and prayers for Jack and his family."