| “ | I am so tired of having to explain everything to you. You're supposed to be so very smart, and yet you always seem to forget about this! This is my knife. It is very sharp and very eager to hurt you, almost as eager as I am. If you don't do what I say, you will suffer bodily harm. Is that clear enough for you? Now, get in the damn jeep. | ” |
— Stephano, The Reptile Room
|
Stephano was one of Count Olaf's disguises, which he used in an attempt to steal the Baudelaire orphans from the care of Dr. Montgomery Montgomery in The Reptile Room.[2][3][4]
Biography
Stephano was to become Dr. Montgomery's herpetological assistant after the loss (murder) of his previous assistant Gustav Sebald.[2] Stephano claims to be a member of the Herpetological Society.
He claimed to be an Italian man.
When operating as Stephano, Count Olaf had powder applied to his ankle tattoo, shaved off his unibrow, and used a fake beard.
While having dinner, under the table, he gently rubs the blade of his knife against Violet's knee for their entire meal.
Using the venom of the Mamba du Mal, Count Olaf as Stephano killed Montgomery Montgomery. With the help of the Hook-Handed Man in the alias of Dr. O. Lucafont, Stephano pinned the blame on the Incredibly Deadly Viper. After the Baudelaires exposed the truth, Arthur Poe used a cloth to remove the powder from Count Olaf's ankle while Sunny removed the Hook-Handed Man's fake hands. Both of them managed to get away.
Film
Instead of being exposed as Count Olaf, he managed to get away leaving a trail of his disguise leading to the open door.
Appearance
Stephano was depicted with hair and a thin moustache.
TV series
His role is similar in the TV series to his role in the books.
According to this guise, "Stephano" was a member of the SSSSSS (Scientific Society Seeking to Soothe Stress and Suffering).
He appears and uses his knife to get in, threatening the Baudelaires that if they don’t call him Stephano, he will coat off one of Sunny’s toes. He then chases them with a knife but they lock themselves in the Reptile Room. When Uncle Monty gets back from shopping, he introduces himself, having a fold out sheet about the SSSSSS with a Count Olaf poster on the back. They go and see Zombies in the Snow, and afterwards, Monty confronted him, but about the wrong reason.
He then uses a dual syringe to poison Uncle Monty to make it look like a snake bite. He takes the children in his car to board the ship because they were meant to go to Peru, but crashes into Mr. Poe's car and they discuss everything. Violet finds evidence and he runs away into the maze with his accomplices.
Physical Appearance
He has a mask over his head to cover his hair, he wears glasses and has a large, bushy beard. He wears a brown jacket and always has a knife with him. He uses talcum powder to cover his tattoo. He speaks in an Italian accent.
Trivia
- His name is incorrectly listed as "Stefano" in some printings of The Austere Academy, depending on the version.
- However, Stefano is an anagram of “not safe”, so there is a possibility that Stefano was intended to be correct.
- In the TV series, Monty asks Stephano where he studied herpetology, and Stephano replies that he does not know anything about mouth sores. This is a joke about herpes.
About Stephano
"Stephano was supposed to be the assistant of Dr. Montgomery, so I wanted him to be in the world of Peter Lorre, somone who was clearly the sidekick but could bounce back and forth between being dark Olaf to silly sidekick comedy" - Neil Patrick Harris on Stephano.
Gallery
Books
The Catastrophic Card Game
2004 film
TV series
