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First Autistic character for Thomas & Friends
Bruno the Brake Car will be seen in future episodes of ‘Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go!™ on Channel 5 Milkshake!
Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAT) today announces the introduction of Bruno, the first autistic character in the iconic Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go™ series and franchise. Voiced by nine-year-old actor Elliott Garcia from Reading, Berkshire, who is himself autistic, the new character will make his debut on Channel 5 Milkshake! from Wednesday 21st September at 7.00am.
Bruno is a joyful, pun-making brake car. He is great at his job and keeps big, heavy cargo steady with his strong brakes—a vital role in ‘Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go!’. Bruno rolls in reverse at the end of the train, which gives him a unique perspective on the world. Describing the character Bruno, Elliot Garcia, who voices the new character in the animated television series, says: “Bruno is a Brake Car, and he is a new friend for Thomas and his friends, and he’s also autistic, like me. He is funny, smart, and he’s a very relaxed character. He can get really overwhelmed, he can get worried, and he uses comedy to get past situations. Bruno loves schedules and timetables and when everything goes to plan.”
Elliot Garcia continues:
“He can flap his ladders to tell you if he’s upset or if he’s really excited, so he can use his items to show you how he’s feeling. His ear defenders, I do relate to, because if there’s a really loud noise, I can’t cope. I can get quite worried about things, I have to think of new strategies, same as Bruno. When I won the role of Bruno, I imagined that it was a dream, but it wasn’t! I felt really excited and happy. It’s great that they are representing autistic characters because I watch the Thomas & Friends series and for there to be an autistic character makes me feel very happy and excited.”
Detail-oriented Bruno enjoys schedules, routine, and knows where all the tracks lead on Sodor. Bruno has stairs and a lantern on his bright, red exterior that indicate his emotional state, moving when he is excited or cautious. Bruno’s best day is one spent with his friends, who love and respect him for who he is, just as he loves them back. Through his on-screen presence, Bruno’s rich friendships and important work introduces audiences to a positive, neurodivergent role model.. Together with key partners, Mattel has carefully curated Bruno’s character to ensure an accurate fictional representation of autism.
Experts from ASAN and Easterseals Southern California, alongside the creative and writing team at Mattel Television, leveraged years of experience dedicated to the understanding of autism to respectfully and artistically create an accurate, on-screen representation. Through their hard work, dedication and care, Bruno opens the door for global audiences in a way the Thomas & Friends brand has never done before. In the UK, the National Autistic Society, who have historically had a close relationship with Thomas & Friends brand over many years, helped cast Elliott for his role in the series, and have given their wholehearted endorsement of the character of Bruno.
Autism is a developmental disability that affects how autistic people experience the world around them. There are at least 700,000 autistic adults and children in the UK. Autism is a spectrum condition, which means it affects everyone differently including how autistic people think, communicate and interact with the world.
Although everyone is different, people on the autism spectrum may: be under or oversensitive to sounds, touch, tastes, smells, light or colours, which can make everyday life difficult; be unable to or find it harder to speak, face delays processing information or find it hard to hold conversations; experience intense anxiety around unexpected change and social situations; or become so overwhelmed that they experience debilitating physical and emotional ‘meltdowns’ or ‘shutdowns’.
While Bruno thoughtfully reflects the traits and preferences of some autistic people, one animated character could never encompass the real-life experience of every autistic person. A key character within the Thomas & Friends franchise, Bruno’s introduction will span across all content with appearances in a YouTube series, music album, the ‘Thomas & Friends Storytime’ podcast, the upcoming ‘Mystery of Lookout Mountain’ special, and consumer products set to debut later this year.
Bruno will be seen on Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go! on Channel 5 Milkshake! from 21st September at 7.00am. Brake Car Bruno™ is available now and will also be included in a range of products available later in the year.
