Jack Burns: 5 Things To Know About The Child Actor & Ballet Dancer, 14, Who Has Died

Jack Burns, a child actor and ballet dancer, has died at the age of 14. Here's everything we know about the late star's career and his devastating passing.

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UPDATE #2 (12/11/19, 5:48 p.m. ET) — Early reports identified Jack as a star of the Starz series, Outlander. However, it has been confirmed that Jack’s brother Rory actually appeared in the series as a younger Roger Wakefield between 2014 and 2016.

UPDATE #1: (12/11/19, 3:15 p.m. ET) — A Scotland police spokesperson tells HollywoodLife, “Around 3.30 pm on Sunday 1 December 2019, police were called following the death of a 14-year-old boy within an house on the Esplanade in Greenock. Enquiries are ongoing to establish the exact cause of his death which police are not treating as suspicious. A report has been submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.”


ORIGINAL STORY: Actor Jack Burns has died at the age of 14, his dance academy, which listed his funeral information, confirmed on Facebook December 9. The child star was found dead at his parent’s home in Greenock, in Inverclyde, Scotland, on December 1, according to Metro UK, which did not list a cause of death. The outlet also reports that police are not treating his death as suspicious. Below are five things to know about the late child star.

1. Jack Burns is a child actor from Scotland. — The young actor made appearances in the British drama series In Plain Sight (2016). That same year, he appeared in the Netflix miniseries One of Us (originally titled Retribution). He has also starred in several other BBC productions. Jack is survived by his mother Karen, father Robert and his brother, Rory, who is also an actor who has appeared in Outlander.

2. He was a talented dancer. — Jack was a beloved member of the Elite Academy of Dance, a classical ballet school in Greenock, in which he attended since 2012. The school paid tribute to him in a Facebook statement, released on Monday. “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 statement read in part.

3. Jack was a student. — He was a student at both the UK Theatre School Performing Arts Academy and St Columba’s School, according to multiple outlets.

4. He was slated as one of film’s next big stars. — Jack was often compared to and called “the next Billy Elliot.” Billy is the titular character in the 2000 British dance drama film about a boy aspiring to be a professional dancer while dealing with the negative stereotypes of being a male in the arts.

5. Jack’s funeral will take place on December 12. — The funeral service will be held on Thursday, December 12 at 10:00 a.m. at St Mary’s Church in Greenock, Elite wrote on Facebook, as a request from Jack’s family. The statement also said that Jack’s parents, Karen and Robert, and his younger brother Rory are inviting all Elite members to attend the services. “Karen, Robert and Rory would love if those from his Elite Family that knew and loved Jack as much as they all do wanted to attend,” the academy said. “They would also take much comfort if students wish to attend in Alba or Elite Hoodies and sit together on Thursday.”