May 3rd, 2008


Again, in the midst of those pesky airplanes, LTP somehow managed to catch up with Stefán Karl, for yet another Rottenific conversation...

---

   SK: Halló?

   LTP: Hello, this is Laila - Hi!

   SK: Yeh, Halló! How are you?

   LTP: I'm good - I'm fine - How are you?

   SK: Yes, pretty good.

   LTP: These are actually questions that I didn't get to ask you because I thought it would be too much, y'know? So --

   SK: Okay, shoot!

   LTP: Um, ok, how about - Here we go! Just curious, what music did you use for the ringtone on your cellphone, y'know, when ya had one?

   SK: Well, just the irritating Nokia tone.

   LTP: (laughs) The irritating Nokia --

   SK: Yeh, y'know, the worst ringing tone ever!

   LTP: How does that go?

   SK: "Do do do do - Do do do do - Do do do do do!"

   LTP: (laughs)

   SK: It's horrible.

   LTP: I know, I've heard that.

   SK: And every time you hear this you have to answer your phone. Otherwise you become so embarrassed or if someone is gonna kick your butt, because this ringing tone is horrible!

   LTP: (laughs) Oh boy... Do you plan on getting a new one, y'know, with a new ringtone?

   SK: Well, I have the Palm Treo phone now, so I have the Palm Treo ringing tone --

   LTP: Oh, I see.

   SK: -- which is just like a standard ringing tone - "blrrrrrrrrp!" --

   LTP: (laughs)

   SK: -- that's it. I hate this, y'know, 'cool ringing tone music', lime screens, and y'know, roaring, and -- Oh! I hate it. But I did some - I did - One of my last - Actually, my last job at LazyTown was to record, umm, nine ringing tones for Robbie -- Where Robbie Rotten, y'know, is asking people 'Pleeease!' to answer the phone.

   LTP: I wonder how that sounded?

   SK: Yeh, me too. I just recorded it and left the studio.

   LTP: Okay, um, when you first decided to become an actor and comedian, what inspired you?

   SK: Uhh, just the whole, y'know, idea of making people laugh, y'know.

   LTP: Yeh, you're very good at that.

   SK: Yeh, because, y'know, if you think about it - If you think about how awful depression you felt - what do ya wanna become? Comedian! Y'know, it's um, to me, y'know, if you think about it, why does people laugh? They laugh of need - y'know, people laugh because they 'need' to laugh.

   LTP: Yeh, I think so.

   SK: Y'know, like rich people are laughing at the poor people, and the poor people are laughing at the rich people. Because, y'know, they didn't have the money, so they make fun of the - y'know, like we do today - we make fun of royalty. We all wanna have a palace!

   (laughter)

   LTP: Ya know, I always also thought of you as sort of like a bard, like y'know, from the 'old times'. You know what a 'bard' is, right?

   SK: Bard?

   LTP: A bard - B A R D.

   SK: No, I'm not sure if I know...

   LTP: Well, basically, it's a multi-talented actor/comedian, but it's like, very 'theatre' oriented. It's an old term.

   SK: Triple threat!

   (laughter)

   LTP: Something like that.

   SK: Well, y'know, yeah, I mean it's --

   (airplanes flying over)

   LTP: There goes those planes again!

   SK: -- y'know, I decided when I was in theatre school, I decided that I wanted to be able to sing, and dance, and play instruments, and do comedy, and do drama - do it all! - y'know, with this skill. And yes, I am very theatrical-oriented. I am! I love theatre, standing on stage in front of people, y'know, where ya can't say "Cut!".

   LTP: Yeh, I know. It's too bad that the theatre is not exactly what it used to be, like the 1930's, especially in America.

   SK: Mhm.

   LTP: If ya notice.

   SK: Yeh, I mean, I come from Europe. Theatre in Europe is totally different! It's more experimental than here. Um, here it's much more commercial. But, um, what I love with American theatre is the musicals and all that - that's what I like really much.

   LTP: Hm, I see. Were your parents supportive of your choice to go into show business --

   SK: Absolutely! Absolutely!

   LTP: -- or did they see something different for your future?

   SK: I mean, when I started with, um, the local amateur theatre group in Hafnarfjörđur - where I was born and raised - um, they drove me down there every day and picked me up after rehearsals, and y'know - yeh, they were very supportive. My mom used to make me sandwhiches and put in a milk in a bottle in my bag and said "Good luck!", y'know - They came on every show, and they were proud, tears in their eyes, applauding me through the whole thing. And even still today, every little victory, they send me a gift, and y'know - So yeh, I couldn't have asked for more support from any parents I think. Absolutely!

   LTP: Hmm... Obviously you are a very versatile actor. What type of character would you most prefer to play in a feature film?

   SK: (sighs) I don't know, I haven't - There is no particular char - Well, I mean, ehhh - Some character like, in "Batman", y'know, Joker, or something like that. Y'know, yeh, some really strong animated character --

   LTP: A villain, uh, hopefully, right?

   SK: What?

   LTP: A villain, right?

   SK: A villain? Of course! I mean, I'm a born villain. Probably because I'm such a nice person, myself.

   LTP: Yeh, well, I can vouch for that!

   (laughter)

   LTP: Um, anyway, so, okay -- I know your dream is to do Broadway, but would you consider doing, like, 'Off-Broadway', smaller productions in the New York American theatre?

   SK: Yeh, of course! Y'know, to me, theatre is not about the street where the theatre is located. It's about the production, and, y'know, the team that I would work with - and of course the play and the character - y'know, it really doesn't matter. The whole 'Broadway' thing is more for the audience than for the actor themself. Of course, it's an honoured thing to be offered to be on Broadway, or in any big theatre. Y'know, that stuff - That wouldn't stop me from saying 'Yes' if it wasn't on Broadway.

But, y'know, I wouldn't say that being on Broadway is - y'know, it's kinda cliché to say it's 'my dream' - That's one of the things that I would appreciate doing - Yes! Absolutely!

   LTP: Yeh, well, Broadway's not what it used to be in America --

   SK: No, of course not - Of course not!

   LTP: -- it's not about the art anymore.

   SK: I mean, people read sitting in front of their computers, downloading old Broadway shows now.

   LTP: Yup.

   SK: They still have same feeling when you go to the theatre, as it was 30 years ago, for you as an audience to go there, y'know - sense the smell, the sweat, smells from the actors. All the perfume mixed in the auditorium, y'know, people eating candy, drinking red wine in the intermission, y'know, waiting outside, people selling tickets on black market - y'know all that - It's there! It's definitely there. And the risk - 'Is the dancer gonna fall?' - y'know, 'Is the drummer gonna kick through his bass drum?' - 'What's gonna happen tonight?' - 'I'm gonna witness that!'.

So, it is still the same feeling. But, y'know, the atmosphere around it is not the same, of course, because, y'know, we're new media.

   LTP: Next question is -- What sorts of TV shows did you grow up with as a kid in Iceland? Besides Wile E. Coyote and Looney Tunes?

   SK: Well (coughs) "Soap".

   LTP: What? Say that again.

   SK: The old TV series, "Soap"

   LTP: Oh, I see. "Soap"?

   SK: Yeh, that was one of them, and "M.A.S.H."

   LTP: Ohhh...

   SK: Yeh, we had "M.A.S.H." We had, uh, "Faulty Towers".

   LTP: That's a good one.

   SK: Yeh, that's probably one of the best comedy series I have seen ever! I still watch it. John Cleese is, y'know, without a doubt my favourite comedian, ever!

   LTP: Oh, really?

   SK: Yeh, he is amazing!

   LTP: Yes.

   SK: Amazing! And the whole Monty Python thing, of course, yeh, y'know, that's - But, at that time in Iceland, when I was growing up, we didn't have, y'know, any television here in the summer.

   LTP: Hm.

   SK: They turned off the television here during the summer.

   LTP: Didn't know that.

   SK: And there was no television on Thursdays.

   LTP: Oh really? So there'd be no television today, if on Thursday -- (laughs)

   SK: No, I mean, we had television, of course - but y'know, on Thursdays there was no television. The broadcasters shut it off. And during the summer, for two or three months, shut off.

   LTP: Really, why is that?

   SK: Well, probably, ehhh - Because no one was watching television at that time, y'know. During the summer, everybody were having a summer vacation, no one's watching, y'know, 'let's take a break', and actually, that worked. And when I watched television as a kid, I watched "The Muppet Show", of course, every Friday. Yes, after dinner-time I watched The Muppets, Piggy and Kermit - HIYEEEAH!

   LTP: (laughs)

   SK: My favourite, Beeker, my favourite, Animal. So yeh, y'know, and Gonzo and his rats, I loved them! (laughs)

   LTP: Okay! You first started talkin' about the old Latibćr, when we first got on this conversation --

   SK: Sorry, there's an airplane flying over my nipples. Hmm...

   LTP: (laughing) Would you stop?! I can't concentrate when you say that!

   SK: Oh, sorry. (laughs)

   LTP: No, it's okay, no, don't stop. (laughs) Anyway, I know this is asking to like think wayyy back, but can you describe sort of what was going through your mind at the time you first debuted as Glanni Glćpur in the Icelandic theatre version of Latibćr?

   SK: Well...uh... I was really stressed at that time. I didn't really 'connect' with Robbie Rotten at first. Y'know, I thought the character was cliché, and y'know, I didn't know exactly what direction I was gonna take this character. And the stage version of Robbie is totally different from the TV version of him. And uh, so, yes - I had a fantastic director, Siggi Sigurjónsson - Umm, he was great, and one of our best comedians in Iceland.

Umm yeh, I mean, y'know, I was fairly new graduated from a theatre school, so I was kinda stressed - This is my first role at the National Theatre, and my respect for the National Theatre stage probably was overwhelming when we were rehearsing (laughing) - So, y'know, it was strange.

But, then, LazyTown became very popular, and I got more confident in my role, and y'know, Robbie started to develop into what you have seen on TV now. And he became very popular, and when your character becomes more popular, you get more confident. So, what was going through my mind? Just surviving! (laughing) y'know, hoping that I was doing the right thing.

Because, y'know, it's not like jumping into a character that is very well-known from theatre history, like Cyrano de Bergerac, or someone that has been played by other actors before - It was creating this new character. So, that was very exciting! And I loved doing it.

   LTP: Yeh, well I thought you were like, more scarier as Glanni than Robbie - It's like, you're not laughing very much with Glanni.

   SK: Yeh, yeh, he was much scarier, yes he was --

   LTP: Yeh, especially when you're growling and stuff!

   SK: -- and we decided to soften him up a little bit, and make him more like Wile E. Coyote, make him more like vulnerable man who wanted to be a criminal but just couldn't! He's stupid! I mean, all criminals are stupid, but, anyway...

   LTP: (laughs) That was pretty interesting. Ok - It is well-known that you do not enjoy sports per se --

   SK: Uh huh.

   LTP: -- but do you do any exercise workouts to keep in shape?

   SK: Sorry, uh, the airplane is here. Yeh, I don't like sports, no. Not anymore.

   LTP: No, I mean, do you like, do any workouts to keep in shape, y'know, besides going from airport to airport?

   SK: Well, yeh, I did. I used to do that alot. Um, and uh, y'know, when you work in a theatre and working, y'know, it's something - you have to, y'know. You have to do it. Otherwise, you would drop dead - from 16 hours shooting. So yeh, I did, I did. But not like a maniac.

   LTP: No, not like um - nevermind. (laughs)

   SK: Oh, no, not like the Blue Jumping Kangaroo! Never!

   LTP: (laughs) Oh, that's priceless.

   SK: No, I mean, you can do too much of everything. You have to be - you have to be - y'know --

   LTP: Balanced?

   (laughter)

   SK: Balanced - Exactly, exactly. But, y'know, I was football referee for few years. I saw alot of disgusting things going on in sports, and uhh, I would never encourage any individual to join any sports team! --

   LTP: It's kind of like warfare.

   SK: -- I mean, I wouldn't say 'no' to it either. I mean, it has to be, y'know, I think sports have absolutely no educational value whatsoever.

   LTP: I agree.

   SK: Yeh. No, I mean whatsoever! I think if you want to join sports group and be in sports, fine!

   LTP: Mhm. It's a decision.

   (SK gets distracted by a neighbor's dog)

   SK: (laughs) He's curious! - Sorry.

   LTP: That's okay! Who does the LazyTown 'Genie' in the Second Season?

   SK: Örn Árnason. He is one of our best comedians - It's uh, basically 'Ö R N', it means 'eagle' - And he is part of um, kind of the Icelandic Monty Python group.

   LTP: I see. That's interesting!

   SK: He's a great guy. He's a very good guy. He's a typical, y'know, triple threat, himself. He can sing, and dance, and act and comedy, drama, everything, y'know - He's been around for over 20 years in Iceland. He's very good.

   LTP: Have ya ever worked with him before, or...?

   SK: Yeh yeh yeh yeh - He was in the first LazyTown theatre play where he played the cop called Lolli Lögga, for, y'know, uh - he was a silly cop.

   LTP: Oh my! Gee, I didn't recognize him. (laughs)

   SK: He was a silly policeman, which we were not allowed to use in America, because you can't make fun of people in uniforms for some reason. Probably because they take care of that themselves.

   LTP: (laughs) I suppose, yeh. Um, okay, wow! What is your favourite Robbie Rotten moment?

INTERVIEW CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 - CLICK HERE

---

© 2008 L.G. Wise (X RADAR Publ.)
All Rights Reserved

No part of this interview can be used, reprinted, copied or stored in any medium without the publisher's authorization.





back to top