Where 7 child stars of Nanny McPhee are now – from shock death while out jogging to TikTok star & dating Elon Musk’s ex
IT’S hard to believe it’s been 18 years since Nanny McPhee.
The wickedly charming film starring Emma Thompson as a hag-like nanny with magical powers has become a cult classic, loved by kids and adults alike.
Nanny McPhee’s mission is to reign in seven brattish children after their widowed dad Cedric Brown – played by Colin Firth – reached breaking point.
Here we take a look at where the child actors who played the Brown kids are now.
Raphael Coleman – Eric
Sneaky Eric was played by then 10-year-old Raphael Coleman.
Afterwards he went on to star in the horror film It’s Alive in 2009, and won best young actor at the British Independent Film Festival in 2010.
He gave up acting and studied a degree in zoology at the University of Manchester.
Tragically he died in February 2020, aged 25, after collapsing from heart failure while out jogging on a trip away.
He was reportedly “exercising as part of a training to stop animal poaching”.
Raphael was a passionate climate activist and a vocal member of Extinction Rebellion, where he went by the name Iggy Fox and controlled its social media.
On his website he described himself as “a twenty-something zoology graduate travelling the world on a shoestring budget, working with wildlife and exploring wildernesses”.
Holly Gibbs – Christianna
She played Chrissy in Nanny McPhee, but Holly is just as famous for her recurring role as creepy Milly in The Story of Tracy Beaker.
The daughter of former actress Claire Toeman, she went on to star in Teensville on the BBC, about the Jewish Bar Mitzvah celebration.
The glamorous 25-year-old studied Art at Central St Martins in London and specialised in sculpture, but later decided it wasn’t for her.
She’s now keen to pursue writing – and is also a TikTok star with 36,000 followers, where she pokes fun at her “one hit wonder” acting career.
Jennifer Rae Daykin – Liliana
Cute Lily Brown, who told Nanny McPhee her name was Knickers O’Muffin, is the family bookworm.
She was played by Jennifer Rae Daykin, now 28, who has seemingly stepped away from the limelight.
She featured in The Catherine Tate Show in 2006, as Chloe, and a short film, and studied drama at Loughborough University.
Jennifer currently works as an operations manager at a VR company, and shares snaps of herself enjoying music festivals and dog walks on Instagram.
Samuel Honywood – Sebastian
Chrissy’s cute twin brother Sebastian was played by Samuel Honywood – who these days looks unrecognisable.
He had another couple of roles in TV movies, but appears to have left acting behind.
Now 26, Samuel studied real estate management at Oxford Brookes University before taking time out to go travelling – sharing photos of his trip to Thailand on social media.
He’s also tried his hand at DJing, using his surname as his monicker.
According to his Linkedin profile, Samuel works as a surveyor for The Office Group, a company which manages workspaces across the UK and Germany.
Eliza Bennett – Tora
After playing Tora, Eliza has continued acting and has a string of film and TV credits to her name.
She landed her first role aged nine in the West End production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in 2002.
Following Nanny McPhee she’s appeared in the sitcom Plebs alongside Friday Night Dinner star Tom Rosenthal, Broadchurch, Grantchester and Dynasty, and starred in Sweet/Vicious on MTV.
Now 30, Eliza is a singer-songwriter and has moved across the pond to Los Angeles.
She released her new EP, called Late Twenties, in November 2022.
Thomas Brodie-Sangster – Simon
The most famous of his young Nanny McPhee castmates, Thomas’ acting career has gone from strength to strength.
He was already a familiar face, having played adorable Sam in Love Actually two years previously in 2003.
Thomas, 32, is actually related to his Love Actually co-star Hugh Grant – they are second cousins, as his great-grandmother and Hugh’s grandmother are sisters.
Roles in Doctor Who, Nowhere Boy, Death of a Superhero, The Last Furlong and Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens followed, and more recent credits include The Queen’s Gambit, Game of Thrones, Wolf Hall and the Maze Runner trilogy.
His youthful looks makes him a hit with the ladies; Thomas dated model Gzi Wisdom before moving on to Elon Musk’s ex-wife, his Pistols co-star Talulah Riley.
Thomas is estimated to have a personal fortune of £2.4million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Baby Aggy
Scene-stealing cutie Baby Aggy, who infamously blurts out inappropriate phrases like “poop bum”, was played by Zinnia Barnes and her sister Hebe, now 19.
Little is known about the two siblings, with the pair seemingly staying out of the spotlight since.
Both are on Instagram, with Zinnia’s feed mostly made up of cat pics and holiday snaps.
Meanwhile Hebe – who sported a range of different vibrant hair colours last year including pink and lime green – appears to enjoy trips to galleries and art, and is active on TikTok.