Stefán Karl Stefánsson

Stefán Karl Stefánsson (born 10 July 1975 in Hafnarfjörður, Iceland) is an Icelandic film and stage actor who is best known for playing the character Robbie Rotten on the television show LazyTown. After studying at the Iceland Academy of the Arts, he was invited to join the National Theatre of Iceland. At the National Theater, Stefán played roles ranging from Cyrano de Bergerac, to song-and-dance-man Cosmo Brown in Singin’ In The Rain, and Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. At the National Theater, Stefán originated the role of Robbie Rotten in the live version of LazyTown, and continued in the role when the show was adapted to TV.

Stefán has trained in a number of areas of performance, including baritone voice, Russian and English fencing, tap dancing, modern dance, stand-up comedy, commedia dell'arte, piano, accordion, and drums.

Stefán is also the founder and director of the nonprofit organization, Rainbow Children, created to bring public awareness and strategic solutions to the endemic problem of school bullying. Stefán resides in Los Angeles with his wife Steinunn Ólína Þorsteinsdóttir, a well-known actress, TV show host and writer, their three daughters and a son.

Steffen Karl

Steffen Karl (born 3 February 1970 in Hohenmölsen, Saxony-Anhalt) is a retired German footballer who played as a defensive midfielder.

Football career

Karl started his professional career in East Germany, representing Hallescher FC and modest BSG Stahl Hettstedt. In January 1990, he moved to the Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund, making his competition debut on 30 March, playing eight minutes in a 2–0 home win against SV Waldhof Mannheim.

Almost always a backup at Borussia during his four half-year spell (his best output consisted in 28 games in the 1991–92 season), Karl left the club in the 1994 summer, prior to the club's back-to-back league conquests; following a run-in with coach Ottmar Hitzfeld, prior to this definitive release, he also played five months with Manchester City, on loan.

Karl played one year in Switzerland with FC Sion, before returning to his country and represent Hertha BSC and FC St. Pauli in the second division. In his second season at the former, he played 30 matches en route to promotion, but never played again in the top division of his country. In the following three years, he moved abroad again, playing for Vålerenga Fotball (one year) and PFC Lokomotiv Sofia (two). He became the first German to appear in the A PFG.