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Nanny McPhee star Raphael Coleman dies aged 25
11 February 2020, 17:59
Former child star and climate change activist Raphael Coleman has died at the age of 25.
The Nanny McPhee star died on Friday, according to mother Liz Jensen. His stepfather wrote on Facebook that he collapsed while jogging.
He was known as James Iggy Fox after joining Extinction Rebellion, for whom he worked as a video recorder and on its social media channels.
His mother wrote on Twitter: "Rest in peace my beloved son Raphael Coleman, aka Iggy Fox. He died doing what he loved, working for the noblest cause of all. His family could not be prouder.
"Let’s celebrate all he achieved in his short life and cherish his legacy."
Mr Coleman starred in Nanny McPhee aged 11 alongside Emma Thompson and Colin Firth in the 2005 family film. He also had subsequent roles in films such as The Fourth Kind and It's Alive.
He went on to study wildlife conservation before joining Extinction Rebellion.
Mr Coleman was arrested at a protest outside the Brazillian embassy last August.
He wrote: "My actions aren’t about sacrifice, or arrest for the sake of it. Knowing the science, I have no choice but to tell the truth, and stick to my morals in the face of that truth. I won’t stand by and watch the world burn.
“I’m rebelling in love for this world and the wild. In compassion for the indigenous, local and First Nations peoples who are persecuted protecting the ecosystems we all need to survive. In rage for the environmental defenders murdered every week – my siblings in the fight for life.”
Eliza Bennett, who also starred in Nanny McPhee, paid tribute to him, writing: "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."