Mattel, Inc. has announced the introduction of the first autistic character in the Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go™ series and franchise. Voiced by nine-year-old actor Elliott Garcia from Reading, Berkshire, who is autistic, Bruno the Brake Car will make his debut on ‘Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go!’ on Channel 5 Milkshake! from Wednesday 21st September at 7.00am.

We have worked with the Thomas & Friends brand over many years and were delighted to work with Mattel to help cast Elliott for his role in the series. 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.

Elliot Garcia, who voices the new character in the animated television series, said: “Bruno is a Brake Car, and he is a new friend for Thomas and his friends, and he is also autistic, like me. He is funny, smart, and he is 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.

"He can flap his ladders to tell you if he is upset or if he is 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 is a really loud noise, I can not 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 was not! I felt really excited and happy. It is 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.

Tom Purser, Head of Guidance, Volunteering & Campaigns at the National Autistic Society, said: “It is important that everyone sees autistic characters on our screens because there are 160,000 school-age autistic children in the UK and they want to see their stories told, but it is also important that non-autistic children get insight and understanding into what it can be like to be autistic.  What Elliot brings to this role is his joy and enthusiasm, his autistic experiences and he just brings the character to life.

"This is a real moment for autism because the history of autistic children and their relationship with the Thomas & Friends brand has been massive and I think to really recognise the importance of reflecting neurodiversity and autism in Thomas & Friends series is an amazing moment for Mattel, for the Thomas & Friends brand, and for autistic people.”

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.

Christopher Keenan, Senior Vice President & Executive Producer, Global Content Development and Production at Mattel, said: “Bruno’s introduction organically embraces a global audience that is underrepresented and deserves to be celebrated in children’s programming. So much care and thought went into the development of his character, and we can not wait for audiences to meet and love Bruno as much as we do.”

Further information

Read about our sensory clothing range with Thomas & Friends.