Yves Brunier, the puppeteer, illustrator, and actor who created and portrayed Casimir , the iconic character from the children's television program "L'Île aux enfants" (Children's Island ), has died at the age of 83. His family announced his death on Tuesday, September 8, 2026. With him disappears the man who literally gave his body, his voice, and his gestures to the famous orange dinosaur for nearly a decade.
For 8 years, he lived in Casimir's skin.
Born in Lyon in 1943, Yves Brunier trained in applied arts and then theatre before turning to the world of puppetry. His encounter with Philippe Genty notably led him to travel the world to study the different traditions of puppetry, from Japan to the United States.
But his life changed dramatically in 1974 when Christophe Izard asked him to create a character for a new children's show. Several ideas were considered before the birth of an imaginary animal: Casimir. The character became orange, stocky, round, instantly recognizable, and above all, deeply endearing.
Children's Island premiered on September 16, 1974. Yves Brunier not only designed Casimir, but he also donned the costume himself, which weighed approximately 8 kilos, and gave it its gestures and voice. He portrayed the character for the show's eight-year run, until 1982.
In 2024, as Casimir celebrated his 50th birthday, Yves Brunier still fondly recounted the story of this character, whom he defined by the famous "3 Gs": "kind, greedy, clumsy ." But he refused to reduce Casimir to this single image and also described him as "a somewhat unconventional character ," even as a "rebellious dinosaur . "
Casimir, a television phenomenon who became a symbol of a generation
With its now-iconic theme song, its colourful characters and its famous gloubi-boulga, L'Île aux enfants quickly established itself as one of the most iconic children's programs on French television.
Over 1,000 episodes were produced over eight seasons. Casimir appeared alongside François, Julie, Leonard the fox, Hippolyte, the postman Émile, and Monsieur Du Snob. Yves Brunier remained at the heart of this adventure, inside a costume that completely concealed his face but transformed his character into a true television star.
The success extends well beyond the 1970s. L'Île aux enfants was subsequently rebroadcast, notably on Canal J in the 1990s, allowing Casimir to reach a new generation.
The passing of Yves Brunier is reminiscent of that of Christophe Izard in July 2022, the other father of the character and creator of the show. Together, the two men conceived one of the most recognizable heroes in the history of French television.
A career that didn't end with "L'Île aux enfants"
Yves Brunier was not just the man behind Casimir. After L'Île aux enfants , he continued his collaboration with Christophe Izard and notably participated in Le Village dans les nuages , broadcast from 1982 to 1985. He created several characters for the show, including the Zabars.
He had also worked on other characters and productions for young people and continued his artistic activities in parallel. A passionate painter, he had worked as an art critic and in exhibition organization. In January 2010, he was made a Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters.
Yves Brunier had also taken care to organize the passing of the Casimir role. He explained that he had trained another actor capable of taking over the voice, gestures, and spirit of the character when he himself could no longer wear the costume. "He has the voice, the gestures, the spirit of the original Casimir ," he explained.
Another major figure in children's television disappears
The death of Yves Brunier comes just weeks after that of Michel Dejeneffe, creator of the famous puppet Tatayet , who passed away at the age of 77. French children's television also lost Christine Laydu, co-creator of Bonne nuit les petits, in 2025.
With Yves Brunier's passing, the true man behind Casimir disappears, the one who designed the orange monster before slipping into the costume and embodying him for hundreds of hours on television. Casimir, however, will remain. More than 50 years after his first appearance, the orange dinosaur, his gloubiboulga, and his eternal good humor are now part of France's popular heritage.
