Stefán Karl Stefánsson (/ˈstɛfən ˈstɛfənsən/; Icelandic:
[ˈstÉ›Ë faun ˈkÊ°artlÌ¥ ˈstÉ›Ë faunsÉ"n]; 10 July 1975 â€" 21
August 2018) was an Icelandic actor and singer, best known for
portraying antagonist Robbie Rotten on the children's television
series LazyTown.Stefán Karl's career started in 1994 at the age of
19, when he worked as a puppeteer for television. During his years as
a puppeteer, he had also been studying at the Drama Academy of
Iceland. However, he was unsatisfied with the perspectives of
Icelandic drama standards. He recalls that his principal at his high
school said that "acting is not about making faces and changing your
face", which he disagreed with.Later, Stefán Karl was invited by
Magnús Scheving, an Icelandic gymnast, to portray one of the
characters in the second LazyTown play. Scheving created the plays due
to his concerns about Iceland's younger generation lacking sufficient
physical exercise. Stefán Karl explained that "[Scheving] wanted the
kids to get healthier, so he created this musical called LazyTown. He
played Sportacus, the fitness fanatic, and I was Robbie Rotten, the
guy who liked to stay indoors and sleep". After initial success with
the musical, Nickelodeon eventually made a deal with the creators of
LazyTown to air the first 40 episodes of LazyTown along with a special
studio built in Iceland. During the first few years of LazyTown in the
early 2000s, Stefán Karl initially knew no English, but he soon
became fluent.
[ˈstÉ›Ë faun ˈkÊ°artlÌ¥ ˈstÉ›Ë faunsÉ"n]; 10 July 1975 â€" 21
August 2018) was an Icelandic actor and singer, best known for
portraying antagonist Robbie Rotten on the children's television
series LazyTown.Stefán Karl's career started in 1994 at the age of
19, when he worked as a puppeteer for television. During his years as
a puppeteer, he had also been studying at the Drama Academy of
Iceland. However, he was unsatisfied with the perspectives of
Icelandic drama standards. He recalls that his principal at his high
school said that "acting is not about making faces and changing your
face", which he disagreed with.Later, Stefán Karl was invited by
Magnús Scheving, an Icelandic gymnast, to portray one of the
characters in the second LazyTown play. Scheving created the plays due
to his concerns about Iceland's younger generation lacking sufficient
physical exercise. Stefán Karl explained that "[Scheving] wanted the
kids to get healthier, so he created this musical called LazyTown. He
played Sportacus, the fitness fanatic, and I was Robbie Rotten, the
guy who liked to stay indoors and sleep". After initial success with
the musical, Nickelodeon eventually made a deal with the creators of
LazyTown to air the first 40 episodes of LazyTown along with a special
studio built in Iceland. During the first few years of LazyTown in the
early 2000s, Stefán Karl initially knew no English, but he soon
became fluent.
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