A British child star of hit film Nanny McPhee has died at the age of 25.
Raphaël Coleman’s stepfather confirmed in a Facebook post that he died on Friday after collapsing during a jog and could not be revived.
He starred in the 2005 version of Nanny McPhee, with Emma Thompson, and played the little boy called Eric.
Mum Liz tweeted: “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.”
Raphaël Coleman starred as Eric in the 2005 version of Nanny McPhee (Image: UIP Press Office)
His death has been dubbed “unfair” and “pointless” by his Danish stepfather Carsten Jensen.
He had been suffering no “prior health problems” when he died, his step-dad wrote in a lengthy tribute on his Facebook.
Taking to his Facebook account, Carsten began by writing: “I guess there’s nothing that makes you see death as unfair and meaningless as when a young person dies.
In the film, it starred Emma Thompson, Colin Firth and Angela Lansbury (Image: Unknown)
“It’s life itself that’s sabotaged. It just happened to my wife, Liz, whose youngest son, Raph of only 25, died last Friday.
“He collapsed without prior health problems in the middle of a trip and could not be restored. I got to know Raph when he was six years old, and we were so close.”
Carsten wrote how at the age of 18 Raphaël traveled around the world “all alone”.
He then went on to become a biologist, suited to a Buddhist monastery in Thailand, he then spent a year in Costa Rica’s jungle and six months in Indonesia, where he qualified for a certificate as a diver.
Carsten then pays tribute to Raphaël by commending him for his part in the exhibition rebellion that “came to the life of the British climate activist group that brought London’s traffic to stop and within a few months of explosive hurry spread to 60 countries”.
He wrote: “Raph was one of the first and most active members.
Raphael Coleman during “Nanny McPhee” London Premiere (Image: WireImage)
“Under the name Iggy Fox, he controlled the group’s use of social media, spoke at demonstrations, and was arrested again and again.
“By April, he should have been in court accused of painting the Brazilian Embassy with red when the amazon jungle was standing in flames.
“He didn’t want a lawyer, but he wrote himself on his defence court when he died.”
The child star actors from Nanny McPhee, Jennifer Rae Daykin, Eliza Bennet, Raphael Coleman, Sam Honywood and Holly Gibbs (Image: WireImage)
His stepdad details how there is a video of the arrest which according to Carsten, shows “two giant cops are taking Raph away with serious faces”.
He finished off his heart-wrenching tribute by writing: “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.
“His short life reminds us of the duty to live.”
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
