‘Nanny McPhee’ Star Raphael Coleman’s Mom Speaks out on His Unexpected Death

On Feb. 8, it was reported that former Nanny McPhee star Raphael Coleman had died at the age of 25. His stepfather, Cartsen Jensen, announced the news on Facebook and detailed that the former child actor died after he collapsed while jogging. Now, Coleman’s mother, Liz, has released a statement about the news via the Extinction Rebellion Facebook page (for years Coleman worked with Extinction Rebellion, an activist group that focuses on climate change initiatives).

“Beloved Raphael, beloved Iggy,” her statement began, referencing Coleman’s nickname, “Iggy Fox.” “You were a force of nature, and now you are a new kind of force: you are atoms of chlorophyll, you are water, you are an ants nest, you are moss on a stone, a birds feather, a wolf’s paw print, a tiger, a tree, a praying mantis, a stingray, a squirrel. You are the sky and the sea and the forests and the mountains and the marshes and the deserts and everything in between. With your scientist’s and your writer’s eye, I think that’s how you’d see it.”

“In your 25 years as a son, brother, cousin, nephew, stepson and step brother, boyfriend, friend, crazy dancer, magpie, friend, activist, cool dude, maker of kickass flapjacks – you taught us all so much. And what you taught us will take in its own life Inside us,” her message continued. “And so you will live on.”

Elsewhere in her post, Liz detailed that Coleman dedicated his life to science and, more specifically, to wildlife biology. She said that he was very passionate about the work he did, particularly with Extinction Rebellion, and that he “seemed to have so much more passionate, vivid life ahead of you.” She urged everyone to follow her son’s lead by continuing to fight for “justice for wildlife, for ecosystems, for indigenous people, for all those already suffering the devastation wrought by a fossil heated world.”

“Let’s celebrate him, with love and rage in our hearts: love for him and for this planet , rage against the injustices and damage knowingly inflicted by its elected and non elected leaders. But mostly, love,” she concluded her post. “Let’s cherish his memory and may the spirit of that amazing, charismatic and vivid young presence live on in all of us and guide us through all that’s to come. With his example in mind, let’s shape the future.”

Coleman reportedly died suddenly on Feb. 6, a report which was confirmed by both his stepfather and mother. He wasn’t just working with Extinction Rebellion, but he was also looking forward to a career in wildlife biology, as he received his degree in Zoology from the University of Manchester in 2013, as noted in his IMDB page.