LazyTown actor Stefan Karl Stefansson has died aged 42 after battling bile duct cancer.
The Icelandic actor, who played villain Robbie Rotten in the cult kids’ TV show, died on Tuesday surrounded by friends and family, reports TMZ.
Stefansson was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2016 and after after surgery initially appeared to be on the path to recovery, yet revealed in March this year the cancer had returned and was inoperable.
RIP: LazyTown actor Stefan Karl Stefansson has died aged 42 after battling bile duct cancer. The 42-year-old star died on Tuesday surrounded by friends and family, reports TMZ
The actor, who has four children, shared his last Instagram post on June 25, an inspirational message that read: ‘At the end of every storm there is a rainbow of hope’.
He captioned the image: ‘From the bottom of my heart I thank you for the support you provide me. You give me hope and you all move me.’
Stefansson is survived by his wife Steinunn Olina Porsteinsdottir, their three daughters and one son.
As seen on screen: Stefan played villain Robbie Rotten in the cult kids’ TV show LazyTown
Battling: Stefansson was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2016 and after after surgery initially appeared to be on the path to recovery, yet revealed in March this year the cancer had returned
Family: Stefansson is survived by his wife Steinunn Olina Porsteinsdottir, their three daughters and one son
The Icelandic actor reached out to fans in March after learning of his incurable diagnosis, tweeting: ‘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.’
The father-of-four told his followers: ‘Unfortunately it’s back and this time they can’t operate on it.’
He later tweeted: ‘Some days we feel very low, some days we are happy and then we are happy about all that we have accomplished together and lived together. Nobody can take that away from us, however this goes. Not even death itself.’
Inspiring: The actor, who has four children, shared his last Instagram post on June 25, an inspirational message about hope
After his diagnosis, the actor’s wife Steinunn posted a heartfelt tribute to her husband on Facebook.
She wrote: ‘Even though I knew for a long time that this day would come, it’s a difficult turning point.
‘There is no cure for this. Now he will have to undergo chemotherapy to try to prolong his life and we hope that this will go as well is possibly can, to improve how he feels and to prolong his life.’
‘His illness has had an impact on the whole family, naturally. Some days we feel very low, some days we are happy and are happy about all that we have accomplished together and lived together.
His wife, who the actor has three daughters and son with, continued: ‘Nobody can take that away from us, however this goes. Not even death itself.’
The actor’s wife Steinunn Olina Porsteinsdottir posted a heartfelt tribute to her husband on Facebook where she said: ‘There is no cure for this but we will try to prolong his life’