Former child actor turned Extinction Rebellion activist Raphael Coleman has tragically passed away aged 25. Raphael died on Friday after collapsing "without prior health problems". His cause of death has not yet been confirmed. His mother announced the news on Twitter, writing: "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." She included a link to an article written by Raphael on the Extinction Rebellion website in which he explained why he had chosen to become an activist.
Raphael died aged 25
His stepfather, Carsten Jensen, made an emotional tribute to Raphael in a lengthy Facebook Post. He wrote: "I got to know Raph when he was six years old, and we were so close. Who was Raph? As a child, he was old-wise, extremely literate and loved to lecture adults with his always astonishing knowledge. He was a child actor in the popular British Comedy Nanny McPhee, where he played himself with great talent, a little redhead boy who was always mixing explosive chemical ingredients. He had several roles, was rewarded and could have chosen a career as an actor. But he wanted to be a scientist, not to blow up something, as his figure in Nanny McPhee, but to save the planet."
He continued: "When I think of Raph, I see something that will never die, a blunt of eternity, a light beam that lives forever in young people. We believe that it is us, the older generations who have something to give the young people. We believe that we are the ones who pass the baton of life to them. But I think it's the other way around. The young people remind us why we're alive. They remind us of the purpose of life that this is the gift we must not in distraction until we have unpacked it."
In memoriam: Celebrities who have sadly passed away in 2020
He appeared in the 2005 film Nanny McPhee
His Nanny McPhee co-star, Eliza Bennett, also paid tribute on Twitter, 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. I’m honoured to have crossed paths him & my heart is with his family in this dark time.’"