‘Lion King’ Star Loses Apartment In 5-Alarm Fire In Manhattan

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY — Broadway actor Vincent Jamal Hooper, who currently stars as Simba in "The Lion King," was one of several tenants who lost his apartment in a five-alarm fire that tore through a Washington Heights apartment building over the weekend.

Flames reached the fifth and sixth floors of the six-story building at 106 Fort Washington Ave. after 11 p.m. Saturday, the FDNY said. Nine people, including three firefighters, were injured in the blaze, but all of their injuries were minor and not life-threatening, the FDNY said.

Hooper, who worked in the cast of Hamilton for years before joining The Lion King in September 2023, discovered the fire late Saturday night, he wrote on a GoFundMe page he launched after the fire.

"I discovered the tragic situation as I approached my building after finishing work on Saturday night," Hooper wrote.

Hooper said he’s still assessing the extent of the loss but expects it will be some time before he can return home.

"This is an unprecedented moment for me and [a] setback that requires me to effectively start over," Hooper wrote.

The fundraiser aims to help him recover and replace essential belongings. So far, he has raised more than $16,000 toward starting over.

The two top donations on the page were from Hamilton star Leslie Odom Jr. and a nonprofit organization called Broadway Cares.

"I appreciate any and all support," he wrote.

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