The Belgian puppeteer and actor, known for having given life to the famous Samson dog and for having co -founded Studio 100, died after a long illness.
Danny Verbiest died at the age of 79. Known as the original voice and the “spiritual father” of Samson, the emblematic dog of children in Flanders, he was also one of the pillars of Belgian youth television culture. The public broadcaster announced his death on Monday, adding that he had suffered from health problems for some time.
Before entering the world of show, Danny Verbiest was a teacher. Passionate about puppets, he founded his own theater in the 1980s, Malpertuus. He then became known to the general public thanks to the DIY program “Kameleon”, broadcast on television, in which he teaches children to create with simple everyday objects. The show, very popular, will remain on the air for ten years, before he decides to put an end to it.
The birth of Samson
It was in the late 1980s that Danny Verbiest imagined Samson, a plush dog that has become one of the favorite characters of Flemish children. After a first appearance at Christmas 1989, Samson obtained his own program in the fall of 1990, with Gert Verhulst as co -host. For fifteen years, Danny Verbiest lent his voice and energy to the character, before passing the relay to Peter Thyssen in 2005.
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In parallel, in 1996, he co -founded with Gert Verhulst and Hans Bourlon the production company Studio 100, today one of the largest entertainment groups for children in Europe. Verbiest will yield its shares in 2005.
Danny Verbiest
