Raphael Coleman, aka Iggy Fox, who starred alongside Colin Firth and Emma Thompson in "Nanny McPhee," has died at 25, his mother Liz Jensen announced on social media.
Coleman appeared in two other feature films, "It's Alive" and "The Fourth Kind." He went on to become a climate change activist. He died suddenly, leaving family and friends in shock.
"Rest in peace my beloved son, aka 'Iggy Fox,'" Jensen wrote in a tweet. "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."
Coleman's stepfather Carsten Jensen confirmed the news on Facebook, explaining that the former child star collapsed and died without any prior health warning.
"I guess there's nothing that makes you see death as unfair and meaningless as when a young person dies. It's life itself that's sabotaged," he wrote in his post. "Death turned off raph, but it did not turn off the light that burned in him, because no one who has known him has been unaffected by it or will forget it, and that is how he lives on."
Coleman turned his attention to wildlife conservation while studying to pursue a career in science but he gave it up to join the global environmental movement Extinction Rebellion (XR).
In an article, Coleman said despite his efforts, the "seas kept rising, forests kept burning, plastic kept clogging the beaches, and our data kept showing that wildlife was being decimated."
Coleman said when he joined XR, he realized his voice was more influential as an activist.
"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," he added.
The XR group released a heartfelt statement mourning the loss of its member.
"You were a true warrior, who tirelessly worked on behalf of others, on behalf of all life," it read. "You had the fire of youth and a wisdom that belied your age. The world has lost one of its fiercest and most dedicated defenders."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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