Stefan Karl Stefansson Update: Fans Petition Iceland Prime Minister To Erect Statue Of ‘LazyTown’ Actor
As LazyTown actor Stefan Karl Stefansson nears the end of his battle with terminal cancer, fans of the man who played Robbie Rotten are showing their love by petitioning Iceland’s prime minister to erect a statue of the actor in his hometown.
Stefansson was known for playing the bumbling and ultimately heartfelt villain in the popular children’s show, and in more recent months, he has gained a huge following on the internet for the memes of his character and Stefansson’s willingness to play along with the viral popularity. Stefansson had announced last year that he was battling a rare form of cancer, and in June, his wife provided an update that the cancer is no longer responding to treatment and that Stefan was in his final days.
Fans have responded with an outpouring of love and support, with one fan now starting a Change.org petition directly to the prime minister of Iceland asking them to erect a statute in the actor’s hometown of Hafnarfjorour.
The petition noted the impact Karl had on a generation of children who watched LazyTown and the good work he did through his role.
“Stefán Karl is such a wonderful human being, he has helped children (and even adults, too.) all over the world, and made even more children happy. (Just like young 2004 me) He has even been raising awareness for bullying. This man does not deserve what he is going through. If you support this, Please share this wherever you can!”
The petition has quickly gone viral among fans, garnering more than 14,000 signatures in a matter of hours after being introduced. The goal of 15,000 signatures was on pace to be surpassed, and many fans continued to share the petition.
The call for a statue of Stefan Karl Stefansson in his hometown is not the only way fans of the Robbie Rotten actor have tried to memorialize him. Stefansson’s Facebook page has been flooded with messages from fans honoring his work and sharing personal stories of meeting or working with Stefansson. The actor himself has made personal responses to make of his fans, even as he was re-admitted to the hospital this week with complications.
LazyTown actor Stefan Karl Stefansson in final stages of cancer https://t.co/GJzaO5Kr9g pic.twitter.com/gPrtppGt0Y
— BBC Three (@bbcthree) June 28, 2017
Stefan Karl's Year of Healing https://t.co/mWmsztvxr4
i reameber watching him when i was 6 he is a true hero— tavrosisme (@tavrosisa) June 3, 2017
It is not clear if the petition to erect a statue of Stefan Karl Stefansson will result in anything — the man who started the petition lives in the U.K. and admitted in the petition itself that he did not know if Iceland’s prime minister would ever see it — but the tributes from fans will continue to pour in as the LazyTown actor continues his battle with cancer. Many others have contributed to a GoFundMe page to support his treatment, raising close to $150,000.
[Featured Image by LazyTown/Facebook]
