Who is Magnus Scheving?
Magnus Orn Eyjofsson Scheving (Icelandic: [ˈmaknuːs ˈscɛːviŋk]; born 10 November 1964) is an Icelandic athlete, actor, television producer, writer and entrepreneur. He is the creator, director, and star of the children's television show LazyTown, in which he portrayed the character Sportacus.
Early life and childhood
Magn�s Scheving was born on the 10th of November, 1964, to ��rveig Hjartard�ttir and Eyj�lfur Magn�sson Scheving. His paternal grandfather was Danish. He grew up in the small Icelandic town of Borgarnes. At 15 years old, he had his first job as a telephone exchange messenger for Borgarnes.
Originally training to be an athletics teacher in his youth, he later decided to learn architecture. However, he later had another career change, going into carpentry instead. His knowledge in both architecture and carpentry allowed him to build his own house later on, which he described as "physically...[laying] every brick and roof tile."
In his twenties, he made a bet with a woodworking friend, Fj�lnir �orgeirsson, that either would master a sport of the other's choosing (that they knew nothing about) within three years. Magn�s chose snooker for Fj�lnir, and Fj�lnir chose aerobics for Magn�s. Eventually, Magn�s became a national champion in aerobics, and Fj�lnir became a national champion in snooker.He has an older sister and a younger brother.
Early career and inspiration
In 1992, Magn�s became the Icelandic Men's Individual Champion in aerobic gymnastics. In 1993, he became the Scandinavian champion, and was the European champion twice in 1994 and 1995. He was voted Athlete of the Year in Iceland in 1994.
In addition to his sports career, Magn�s became a well-known and sought after public and motivational speaker around the world. He also from 1991–93 hosted his own chat show in Iceland, with a format where parents could come on and ask him questions about how to raise healthy children. In 1995, he published a children's book called �fram Latib�r, the first recorded work in the LazyTown franchise. During this time, he was also running a carpentry business, which gave him the money to travel the world. He also was a fitness teacher for teenagers at a local school, having earned a degree in sports science at University of Iceland.[
I realized, thirty years ago actually, there was no role model in health for kids. There was Popeye, who eats spinach, but he smoked and hit people. And you thought, maybe that's not a good role model. Maybe we need a different role model for kids. And there was no entertainment brand dedicated to kids' health in the world.
In 1995, he published �fram Latib�r, an Icelandic children's book which told a narrative story about a sports elf giving townsfolk tips on how to eat healthily and exercise. The book was adapted into a stage play of the same name directed by Baltasar Korm�kur. The show toured Iceland from 1996-1997 and made LazyTown a household name across Iceland. It was shown to be immensely popular among children and so, a sequel was written, Glanni Gl�pur � Latab�, which was the first time Robbie Rotten was introduced, played by Stef�n Karl Stef�nsson.
LazyTown was commissioned by Nickelodeon in May 2003 and the first episode aired on Nick Jr. on August 16, 2004.
Magn�s is the creator and co-founder of LazyTown Entertainment. This company produces books, videos, games, and sporting goods to help promote fitness and a healthy lifestyle to children. He is also creator of the show LazyTown (Latib�r in Iceland), where he played Sportacus (known as ��r�tta�lfurinn in Icelandic) from 1997 to 2014.
In 2006, Magn�s received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Icelandic Edda Award ceremonies for his work as founder and creator of the LazyTown franchise. �lafur Ragnar Gr�msson, President of Iceland, presented the award to him.
After LazyTown Entertainment was bought by Turner Broadcasting in September 2011, Magn�s continued to play Sportacus. However, in 2014, he announced that he would be departing the role of Sportacus (after the end of the TV series), passing it on to D�ri Kristj�nsson, who played Sportacus in all subsequent live shows.He also announced in 2014 that he would depart from his position as CEO of LazyTown Entertainment.
Theme park
In 2021, Magn�s and entrepreneur Helga Halld�rsd�ttir announced their goal to build Lazytown theme park in Magn�s's hometown of Borgarnes, which inspired the series. They claimed the project has been ongoing since 2017. Magn�s described the plans to create an "experience garden" with indoor and outdoor facilities, both pertaining to the production history and the history of Borgarnes. Borgarnes legislation supported this due to its ability to welcome tourists; 35 thousand visitors are expected in its first year, followed by 50 thousand in the next 4 years. The park is expected to open by 2024.
April 1st hoax
On April 1, 2022, Magn�s appeared in Icelandic Crossfit athlete Bj�rgvin K. Gu�mundsson's facetious Instagram announcement, wherein a Lazytown "full length motion picture" and "brand new series" was announced. The photographs showed the pair signing contracts and shaking hands before large posters of Lazytown characters and memorabilia. Bj�rgvin announced that he was quitting crossfit in pursuit of professional acting, being specifically trained in song and dance to portray Sportacus. Due to its posting date and Bj�rgvin's continued career in crossfit, the announcement can be construed as an April Fools' Day hoax.
Other projects
In 2010, Magn�s starred in the film alongside Jackie Chan The Spy Next Door, in which he portrayed a Russian villain attempting to destroy the world's oil supplies.
On November 2 or 3, 2022, Magn�s spoke at the World Business Forum in New York City on the topic of "great ideas" and creativity. Later that week, he spoke at the WBF in Bogot�, Colombia on November 9 or 10, on the topic of high performance teams. While in Colombia, Magn�s encountered an enthusiastic Sportacus cosplayer.
ROK restaurant
Since mid-2016, along with his partner, Hrefna Bj�rk Sverrisd�ttir, he has owned and managed ROK restaurant, a "fine casual" Icelandic restaurant in Reykjav�k. The restaurant offers Icelandic staples including reindeer steak, local cheeses, and char. The menu has a "Green" section devoted to vegetarian options, and its dishes incorporates Scandinavian, Mediterranean and American elements
In 2017, food critic Ragnar Egilsson gave the food a mediocre review, claiming the restaurant's success was due to its proximity to Hallgrimskirkja, a tourist destination.
In 2018, ROK was included in Iceland Monitor's list of the best happy hours in Reykjavik. As of 2019, the menu has expanded to include vegan options.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | The Spy Next Door | Anton Poldark |
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004–2014 | LazyTown | Sportacus | Lead role English & Icelandic dub |
| 2006 | The Paul O'Grady Show | Sportacus | Surprise Guest |
| 2008 | LazyTown Extra | Sportacus | Lead role |
Personal life
Circa 1989, Magn�s married Ragnhei�ur Melste�, with whom he lived for 24 years. The couple officially divorced in 2014. Magn�s and Ragnhei�ur have a daughter and a son. Magn�s also has a daughter with his former partner Halld�ra Bl�ndall.
In January 2017 Magn�s got engaged to Hrefna Bj�rk Sverrisd�ttir in their restaurant ROK. The couple got married in 2020. In December 2022, Hrefna announced the birth of their son on her Instagram page. In February 2023, after a three-year hiatus from Instagram, Magn�s posted an image of himself and his infant son reclining on a beach in Adeje, Spain, both wearing matching sunglasses, captioned "My son in the sun."
Production work
| Year | Film | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director | Writer | Producer | Creator | ||
| 2004–2007 2013–2014 |
LazyTown | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2008, 2011 |
LazyTown Extra | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
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"Playtime" composed by Mani Svavarrson, 2005. All rights go to Warner Bros.
This page was updated on 03-Dec-23