‘LazyTown’s’ Stefansson, 43, dies
Actor Stefan Karl Stefansson, who donned a pink jumpsuit to play the villain on the popular children’s series “LazyTown,” has reportedly died after a long battle with cancer. He was 43.
TMZ reports the Icelandic actor died Tuesday after spending two years fighting bile-duct cancer.
Stefansson was popular among the elementary school set for his portrayal of Robbie Rotten on “LazyTown,” an Icelandic series that aired on Nickelodeon from 2004 to 2014.
The show focused on a grade-schooler (played by Julianna Mauriello) who moved to the fictional LazyTown and tried to get its residents to lead active lifestyles.
Rotten frequently tried to thwart her plans, as he preferred a lazier way of life. Stefansson appeared as the character in more than 60 episodes.
The actor was diagnosed with cancer in 2016 and had surgery that appeared to help his recovery. By this March, however, he’d been diagnosed with inoperable cancer.
“It’s not until they tell you you’re going to die soon that you realize how short life is. Time is the most valuable thing in life because it never comes back,” he said in March.