William Chapman, 23, died after entering a tiger enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park near Doncaster on Saturday afternoon. He was pronounced dead at the scene following the attack.
Chapman's family released a statement describing him as "bright, warm and engaging". They noted that he had suffered from "significant mental illness" over several years and had been prescribed "strong medication". The family said it would be for the coroner to determine what role this played in his death.
An eyewitness reported seeing Chapman wearing headphones and "pacing around" near the enclosure before he entered it. Mobile phone footage, believed to be from Chapman, shows him approaching the tiger across grass inside the pen. The incident occurred shortly after 13:30 BST and led to evacuation and ongoing closure of the park.
City of Doncaster Council has launched a health and safety investigation. South Yorkshire Police confirmed Chapman's family are being supported by specialist officers.
The family requested privacy, stating that "deeply offensive media content" was causing them severe distress. They said they are "utterly devastated" and "struggling to come to terms with what has happened", adding they hope authorities will establish why Chapman entered the enclosure.
Chapman was a former pupil of the Jackie Palmer Stage School in High Wycombe. As a child, he appeared in the ITV production May Contain Nuts and portrayed Edward Jenner in the BBC series True Stories.
The school released a tribute, saying "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."
Yorkshire Wildlife Park confirmed that the Amur tiger involved, named Altai, would not be euthanised and remains in the enclosure. Park staff extended sympathies to Chapman's family and those present at the incident.