The death of Stefán Karl Stefánsson, probably best known for his role as Robbie Rotten from LazyTown, has sent shockwaves around the world as fans grieve his passing.
Now, a petition is circulating calling upon the Icelandic Prime Minister to erect a statue of him in his home town of Hafnarfjörður “to forever immortalise and honor his amazing legacy”.
The petition was actually started a year ago, while he was still battling bile duct cancer. His passing last Tuesday brought on a surge of signatures, numbering over 180,000 at the time of this writing, or “more supporters than half of Iceland’s population”, as the petition-starter notes.
“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,” the petition reads in part, written while he was still alive. “He has even been raising awareness for bullying. This man does not deserve what he is going through. … Please help get this man something as simple as a statue in his hometown to honour him.”
Icelanders are also grieving over Stefán’s passing. He may have been Robbie Rotten to the rest of the world, but his comedic and dramatic work in Iceland stretches back decades, making him one of Iceland’s most beloved actors.
One of his last parting words of wisdom, posted on Twitter after receiving news last March that his cancer was terminal, was the following:
“It’s not until they tell you you’re going to die soon that you realise how short life is. Time is the most valuable thing in life because it never comes back. And whether you spend it in the arms of a loved one or alone in a prison cell, life is what you make of it. Dream big.”
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