Background and career
Magnús Örn Eyjólfsson Scheving (Icelandic: [ˈmaknus ˈscɛːviŋk]; born 10 November 1964) is an Icelandic writer, television producer, entrepreneur, actor, and former athlete. He is best known as the creator of the children's television show LazyTown, on which he served as a producer and director, and portrayed the character Sportacus. A two–time European champion as well as World championship silver and bronze medalist in aerobic gymnastics, he was named the Icelandic Sportsperson of the Year in 1994.
Magnús Scheving was born on 10 November 1964, to Þórveig Hjartardóttir and Eyjólfur Magnússon Scheving. 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. 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, Fjölnir Þorgeirsson, that either would master a sport of the other's choosing (that they knew nothing about) within three years. Magnús chose snooker for Fjölnir, and Fjölnir chose aerobics for Magnús. Eventually, Magnús became a national champion in aerobics, and Fjölnir became a national champion in snooker. He has an older sister and a younger brother.
In 1992, Magnús 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 competed at the FIG Suzuki World Cup three times and won bronze in 1993, silver in 1994 and placed fifth in 1995. He was named the Icelandic Sportsperson of the Year in 1994. In addition to his sports career, Magnús became a well-known and sought after public and motivational speaker around the world. In 1995, he published a children's book called Áfram Latibær, 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.
In the 1990s, during his public speaking and aerobics career, Magnús noticed an absence in healthy lifestyle role models for children. In a 2019 talk, he recalled,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 Áfram Latibær, 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 Kormákur. 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 Glæpur Í Latabæ, which was the first time Robbie Rotten was introduced, played by Stefán Karl Stefánsson. LazyTown was commissioned by Nickelodeon in May 2003 and the first episode aired on Nick Jr. on 16 August 2004. Magnús 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 the creator of the show LazyTown (Latibær in Iceland), where he played Sportacus (known as Íþróttaálfurinn in Icelandic) from 2004 to 2014. In 2006, Magnús received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Icelandic Edda Award ceremonies for his work as founder and creator of the LazyTown franchise. Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, President of Iceland, presented the award to him. After LazyTown Entertainment was bought by Turner Broadcasting in the summer of 2011, Magnús 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 Dýri Kristjánsson, 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. On 16 May 2024, it was announced that Magnús Scheving had agreed to a deal with Warner Bros. Discovery to purchase back the company and the rights to the LazyTown brand.
In 2021, Magnús and entrepreneur Helga Halldórsdóttir announced their goal to build a LazyTown theme park in Magnús's hometown of Borgarnes, which inspired the series. They claimed the project has been ongoing since 2017. Magnús 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 was expected to open by 2024.
On 1 April 2022, Magnús appeared in Icelandic Crossfit athlete Björgvin K. Guðmundsson'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. Björgvin 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 Björgvin's continued career in crossfit, the announcement was an April Fools' Day hoax.
Sources
Net-worth figure: Celebrity Net Worth (October 2026), in USD. Biography and career facts: the person's Wikipedia article and linked reporting. Snapshot date for all StarWorth figures: 28 October 2026.
