“Nanny McPhee” Star Raphael Coleman Dead At 25

Nanny McPhee star and climate change activist Raphael Coleman has died at the age of 25.

His mum Liz Jensen confirmed his death in a statement on Twitter on Friday 7 February which read:

 “he died doing what he loved” and added she wants to “celebrate all he achieved in his short life and cherish his legacy”.

In addition, his stepdad, Carsten Jensen said on Facebook the actor had collapsed and didn’t have any health problems. Tributes have also been paid by his fellow stars from the film, including Eliza Bennett.

She wrote:

I was so heartbroken to hear about Raphael (now James Iggy). After we worked on Nanny McPhee, he dedicated his life to protecting wildlife and fighting climate change. I’m honoured to have crossed paths him & my heart is with his family in this dark time

Raphael Coleman was best known for his role as Eric Brown in the 2005 film, starring Emma Thompson and Colin Firth.

In his post on Facebook, his stepdad said he died “in the middle of a trip and could not be restored”.

He also talked about what his stepson, who originally wanted to be a scientist, was like as a child.

“Not to blow up something, as his figure in Nanny McPhee, but to save the planet.”

Jensen further talked about Raphael’s life as an activist for the climate change group Extinction Rebellion.

“Under the name Iggy Fox, he controlled the group’s social media, spoke at demonstrations.”

On Raphael’s website, he described himself as “a twenty-something Zoology graduate traveling the world on a shoestring budget, working with wildlife and exploring wildernesses”.

Raphael won an award in 2010 for his acting; he was given the best young actor award by the British Independent Film Festival for a performance in the short film Edward’s Turmoil.

He also won an award at the Brussels Short Film Festival in 2010.