A Conversation
With Stefán Karl
Part II
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LTP: (laughs) I suppose, yeh. Um, okay, wow! What is your favourite Robbie Rotten moment?
SK: You mean on-screen or off-screen?
Well, on-screen, probably - I don't know my favourite Robbie Rotten moment - But um, um... my favourite scene is probably from "The Haunted Castle" --
LTP: I didn't see that one yet.
SK: -- when Robbie is trying to convince the kids that he's not scared.
LTP: Ohhh, see, now I'm gonna have to go see that one! (laughs)
SK: Yeh, that's uh - I enjoyed that. But, y'know, my favourite episode, by far, is Robbie Rotten playing the teacher - "School Scam", I liked doing that! I really wanted to do more that kind of character, instead of playing Robbie in a vegetable suit! (laughter) And "Trash Trouble" --
LTP: Another one I didn't see...
SK: -- I like that episode alot too.
LTP: It's really hard to get ahold of the Second Season in this country (U.S.)!
SK: Yes. That's because it has not been distributed in this country.
LTP: I knoww! Also, they messed it up with those UK voices. And they're re-running them to death in many places, basically, they're not really showing the Second Season.
SK: They are - um - We're very popular down in Mexico, especially in the UK, I mean --
LTP: Yeh, they messed them up with all those UK voices for the kids, y'know?
SK: Yeh, yeh. Ziggy is now asking not for candy, but for 'sweets'.
LTP: Yeh, see? That's what I'm talking about - And the voice itself, y'know?
SK: Mm.
LTP: Have ya ever been injured while performing stunts as Robbie? 'Cause, you do alot of physical -
SK: Not injured. Well, y'know, sometimes, y'know, when you're tired, doing all the stunts, jumping from a cherry-picker, y'know, and 15 feet to camera - Yeh, sometimes, y'know - But, there were no serious injures going on while shooting LazyTown, no, not that I know of. I mean, some small injures of course - There were over 100 people working on the set, everything crazy, you have something - always something, little cuts here and there. But no, nothing serious. Getting a little bit ill from the makeup, though. I was hospitalized last time I was in Iceland, for 12 hours.
LTP: Oh wow... That's terrible!
SK: Yeh, there's skin irritation from the makeup, because I was wearing it so much. But, y'know, that happens. That's part of this business, when you are wearing, y'know, a full-cover makeup on your face for such a long time, y'know, your body starts to reject it. So, that was a normal thing.
LTP: Interesting. Were there any difficulties working with Julianna, she's a child-actress and everything, y'know?
SK: No, no.
LTP: No?
SK: No, absolutely never! Totally professional. Yeh, unbelievable! She's speakin' - And I think what helps her is that, she's smart, y'know.
LTP: Yeh.
SK: She's a very smart individual - And she was working double, because she was doing her school at the same time there. And she was never late with her school projects, so in between takes, she was in her room studying for school. Amazing kid! And her mother, Kahlua, amazing too! Great assistant to her daughter when they were working, and great mother when they were not working. So yeh, I think LazyTown was very lucky to get Julianna onboard.
LTP: Yeh, she has a little Broadway background, herself, too.
SK: Yeh, y'know... But this is really her first professional work. So you have to be from 8 o'clock in the morning till 8 o'clock in the afternoon, working - And that's very hard for uh, y'know - I sometimes questioned myself, y'know, if we were, y'know, pushing her too far. But, I could never feel that. Not with her. She enjoyed it! And because she enjoyed it, everybody enjoyed working with her.
LTP: Well, that sounds good. Do you have any kind of close working-relationship with Guðmundur Thor?
SK: Oh, Gummi is great! Gummi is the man who co-created the whole town.
LTP: Oh, really?
SK: Oh yeh, everybody knows that!
LTP: Yeh.
SK: Yeh, y'know, he wasn't credited for it. But, if it wouldn't have been for Gummi, the LazyTown characters would never have been who they were. And Gummi was the one who supervised all the puppets - building and creation of the puppets - um, 100%. I mean, he is the man behind that whole thing! And y'know, more talented puppet builder/operator, y'know, is hard to find.
LTP: That's why I get tee'd off when they talk about replacing the voice of Ziggy, y'know, in the UK like that!
SK: Yeh but, that's a 'voice', y'know, that's just a little part of it.
LTP: But that's important!
SK: Y'know, if they had done a voice-over on me in Britain, I wouldn't care.
LTP: I would! - Have you heard of the "Imagine Peace" laser light tower, located in Iceland?
SK: The laser tower?
LTP: Yeh, it's a peace tower, dedicated to John Lennon?
SK: Oh, it's not there anymore.
LTP: It's not there anymore?!
SK: I don't think so. I think they took it down. It was just supposed to be there for a certain period of time and then that was it. Yeh, I heard about it, I saw it on television, y'know - everything that it gives peace - everything that represents peace, and y'know - It's fantastic! I mean, y'know, I'm very glad that Yoko Ono is still doing that, even after John Lennon died, y'know. Because she is listened to - y'know, she has people with her.
LTP: Yeh...
SK: And I think people should listen to songs like "Imagine" - today.
LTP: Well, what's your favourite John Lennon song?
SK: "Imagine".
LTP: Oh really?
SK: Yes.
LTP: Hands-down? Not "Revolution" or anything?
SK: No, "Imagine". By far! I'm not that much Beatles fan. Y'know, uhh, I mean, I know it's all very romantic - y'know, this little group from Liverpool.
LTP: Well, y'know, to each his own.
SK: Yeh, y'know, they were famous when my father was growing up, y'know, and we kinda - There's a song here and there that I really like. But, y'know, they're, of course, unbelieveable - They changed the history of music - But, y'know, that doesn't necessarily mean that I'm a general Beatles fan. But I like some of their songs.
LTP: Uh huh. I'll tell you, I'm not a Beatle fan either - In fact I'm not a fan of anything! (laughs)
SK: Mhm.
LTP: But, I just appreciate good stuff, and good art, and stuff like that, y'know. And I wasn't even born when The Beatles were popular. I was -- (airplanes flying over) Oh, there goes those planes again! Alright, there they go. I was born in 1985, so I really wasn't around when The Beatles were around.
SK: No.
LTP: But I have a sense of history about it, y'know?
SK: Mhm.
LTP: So, anyway... Okay, I have only like, 4 more questions - Stand-up comics are everywhere these days. Will you be 'creeping' into that field as well?
SK: Well... I'm not sure. Maybe, maybe not. Y'know, I think that kind of comedian goes on stage when he has something to say.
LTP: Mm, well, you have alot of stuff to say.
SK: Y'know... Yeh, I have alot to say, but not maybe necessarily in front of people. But yeh, I think that, y'know, probably one day I might go on stage and talk about my experience with puppets - on LazyTown (laughter) No, I mean, yeh, I think that that will be something to think about. But, I enjoy watching good stand-up comedians, as much as I hate watching terrible stand-up comedians.
LTP: Uh huh, I enjoy watching the crappy stand-up comedians, myself, some of them are so 'not funny' that they're funny. (laughs)
SK: Yeh...
LTP: I like George Carlin, though, and --
SK: Uh huh.
LTP: -- and Richard Pryor.
SK: I like stand-up comedians like Robin Williams.
LTP: Oh, you like Robin Williams?
SK: Oh yeh, I mean, who doesn't? He is fantastic, that man! He's a genius!
LTP: Mhm.
SK: Y'know? He's a genius!
LTP: Especially in his early days.
SK: Yeh, y'know, Seinfeld, there were, y'know, alot of good stand-up comedians out there.
LTP: That's true.
SK: One of my favourites, though, is Victor Borge.
LTP: Oh, really?
SK: Yeh. Silly, playing piano, y'know, different. Uh, if you look at the floor today, all the stand-up comedians are doing the saaame thing, exactly the same thing. Except for the - what do ya call 'em? - Ventriloquists! - That are becoming very popular right now. Like, um, Jeff Danham. Jeff Danham is fantastic - ventriloquist - You can go online and see, um, "Achmed, The Dead Terrorist!"
LTP: (laughs) Okay. This must be underground or something...
SK: And um, he doesn't let anyone speak - and that is fantastic! One of my favourite thing on YouTube.
LTP: I see.
SK: Jeff Danham.
LTP: Speaking of YouTube, y'know, that's exactly where you can find "Reykjavík". It's on YouTube.
SK: Oh! Really?
LTP: Yeh, just type in your full name, it should show up --
SK: Oh, okay.
LTP: -- with a slide-show.
SK: But did you know that over 3 million people have watched "Rottenbeard", the pirate song, on YouTube?
LTP: Yeh, I'm not surprised. It's popular.
SK: That's unbelieveable! That ties San Diego!
(laughter)
LTP: I don't know. Um, ya mentioned about working in the film/television production industry - What is the name of your company that would be involved?
SK: Oh, 'High Risk Productions'.
LTP: Uh huh... I see. That's gonna fill all the money-people with confidence!
(laughter)
SK: Exactly! So, and, the reason we decided to use that name is, it's pretty simple. It doesn't need an explanation.
LTP: Nope, it doesn't!
SK: The entertainment business is risky.
LTP: Oh, hell yeh! - Do you have any pets?
SK: Pets - No, I've had too many pets.
LTP: Oh, you've had 'too many' pets, ok...
SK: And they have all either left me, or I have left them. Which tells me that I should not have a pet.
LTP: (laughs) I know what ya mean, I've had alot of pets, myself.
SK: Yeh, it's too binding, y'know, you can't go anywhere. I mean, I had 2 small children, and uh, I have 4 children now, in total. So, that's enough. To have a pet, like a dog, it's like having 2 children.
LTP: Yeh - 4 children? I thought you only had 3 children?
SK: No, I have a little newborn boy.
LTP: Oh, I didn't know that! Congratulations!
SK: Thank you! Yeh, but we're not Catholic.
LTP: What's his name?
SK: His name is Thorstein.
LTP: Oh.
SK: Thor.
LTP: Uh huh, yeh, I know.
SK: Like the god, Thor.
LTP: Yeh, I know, I know. Um, now, here we go - What did you think about Magnús' recent LTP interview?
SK: Magnús'?
LTP: Yeh, Magnús' interview, that I did?
SK: I haven't read it, I think.
LTP: Oh, you haven't read it!
SK: I don't think so. But I'm sure he was great in it!
LTP: (laughs) Well, I'll tell ya what he said about you.
SK: Oh?
LTP: It's nothing exciting - I asked him what he thought about your interview, and he said that you were your "funny charming self".
SK: Uh huh.
LTP: That's it.
SK: Yeh, that's the best compliment that any person can get, y'know, because it's all about being yourself, isn't it? (laughs)
LTP: Yeh, that's true. Well, I guess I'm out of questions.
SK: Okay.
LTP: It's really a pleasure to talk with you again.
SK: You too.
Thanks Again & Forever To Stefán Karl, All The Staff At LTE, For Their Efforts and Good Messages To The World
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© 2008 L.G. Wise (X RADAR Publ.)
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No part of this interview can be used, reprinted, copied or stored in any medium without the publisher's authorization.
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