'LazyTown' villain Stefan Karl Stefansson dies at 43


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LONDON (AP) — Icelandic actor Stefan Karl Stefansson, who played villain Robbie Rotten in the children's TV series "LazyTown," has died of cancer. He was 43.

The actor's wife, Steinunn Olina Thorsteinsdottir, announced on Facebook that he died Tuesday.

Trained as a stage actor and puppeteer, Stefansson was best known for "LazyTown," where his junk food-munching villain was pitted against child heroine Stephanie and fitness-loving hero Sportacus. The Iceland-made show, a mix of animation, live action and CGI, ran between 2004 and 2007, and from 2013 to 2014.

Stefansson was diagnosed with bile duct cancer in 2016. He announced earlier this year that the disease had returned and was inoperable.

He is survived by his wife and four children. Thorsteinsdottir said his ashes would be scattered on the ocean, in keeping with his wishes.

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