Dutch icon Wim T. Schippers, voice of Ernie in Sesamstraat, dies at 83
Dutch icon Wim T. Schippers, the voice behind Ernie in *Sesamstraat* and a pioneering figure in Dutch television and contemporary art, has died at the age of 83. His passing was confirmed on Monday, 15 June 2026, by his foundation, which announced that he died on 10 June in his home city of Amsterdam . Schippers, born in 1942, leaves behind a legacy that spans absurdist television, avant-garde art, and voice acting, marking the end of a career defined by creative defiance and playful subversion.
Across Dutch media, Schippers was remembered as a multitalented artist whose work defied easy categorisation. He gained widespread recognition as the voice of Ernie in the beloved children’s series *Sesamstraat*, a role that endeared him to generations of Dutch viewers . Yet his influence extended far beyond puppetry. As a television maker, he co-created absurdist programmes such as *Barend is weer bezig* and *Jiskefet*, programmes that became cultural touchstones for their surreal humour and experimental style . His artistic practice, rooted in Fluxus and conceptual art, challenged conventions and embraced the absurd, earning him comparisons to figures like Marcel Duchamp .
Colleagues and critics have underscored Schippers’ singular approach to creativity. “Where truly uninteresting,” he once quipped about his own work, a phrase that encapsulated his disdain for pretension and his embrace of the deliberately unremarkable . He was also the voice of Kermit the Frog in Dutch adaptations and contributed to theatre, including writing for a play performed by dogs, further illustrating his boundary-pushing ethos . “He made what he wanted to make, always,” wrote *Trouw*, capturing the essence of an artist who operated outside institutional expectations .
Schippers’ private funeral will take place in Amsterdam, as confirmed by his foundation . Tributes have poured in from across the cultural spectrum, with Dutch public broadcaster NPO calling him “a giant of Dutch television and art” . His death comes just days after the passing of South African jazz legend Abdullah Ibrahim, underscoring a week of profound loss for global arts communities.
In an era of increasingly formulaic entertainment, Schippers’ career stands as a testament to the power of artistic freedom and the value of embracing confusion. As *De Volkskrant* noted, few artists were as inventive, contrarian, and unpredictable as he was . His legacy endures not only in the characters he voiced and the programmes he created, but in the uncompromising spirit he brought to every creative endeavour.
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Articles
Nederlandse tv-maker en kunstenaar Wim T. Schippers (83), bekend als stem achter Ernie uit Sesamstraat, overleden
de morgen · about 14 hours ago
Zuid-Afrikaanse jazzlegende Abdullah Ibrahim (91) overleden
parool · about 14 hours ago
Multikunstenaar Wim T. Schippers maakte altijd wat hij zelf wilde maken
trouw · about 14 hours ago
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theguardian · about 14 hours ago
Nederland verliest icoon Wim T. Schippers: Een kunstenaar op zoveel manieren Wim T. Schippers is op 10 juni op 83-jarige leeftijd overleden. Dat werd maandag bekend gemaakt door zijn stichting. De stemacteur werd vooral bekend door zijn TV en radio-werk en was de stem van Ernie uit Sesamstraat, maar hij was bovenal ook kunstenaar. Schippers wordt in besloten kring begraven.
rtl nieuws · about 14 hours ago
Van stem van Ernie tot abstracte kunstenaar: het leven van Wim T. Schippers Wim T. Schippers is op 83-jarige leeftijd overleden in zijn woonplaats Amsterdam. Schippers was de stem van Ernie van Bert en Ernie en was bekend van absurdistische tv-programmas.
rtl nieuws · about 14 hours ago
Kunstenaar en Bert & Ernie-stemacteur Wim T. Schippers (83) overleden Wim T. Schippers is afgelopen woensdag op 83-jarige leeftijd overleden in zijn woonplaats Amsterdam, meldt zijn stichting. Hij verwierf bekendheid met diverse televisieprogrammas, maar ook als kunstenaar en als stemacteur van bijvoorbeeld Ernie (van Bert & Ernie) en Kermit de Kikker.
nu.nl · about 14 hours ago
Wim T. Schippers (83), kunstenaar, tv-maker en stemacteur van Ernie, overleden
parool · about 14 hours ago
В Польше убит художник-акционист Семен Скрепецкий. Он рисовал карикатуры на Путина, Лукашенко и Навального Российский художник Семен Скрепецкий убит в польском городе Бяла-Подляска, сообщили местные издания Podlaski.info и wPolsce24. Одним из первых об убийстве художника сообщил белорусский оппозиционный телеграм-канал DzikMedia.
meduza · about 14 hours ago
Tor Øydvin levde et aktivt og til tider dramatisk liv Tor Øydvin (1956–2026)
aftenposten · about 14 hours ago
Wim T. Schippers gedijde bij de verwarring die hij schiep „Waarachtig oninteressant, noemde Wim T. Schippers zijn werk graag. Van Fluxus-kunstenaar tot stem van Ernie bij Sesamstraat, van tv-maker tot toneelschrijver voor honden: als Wim T. Schippers iets was, was het wel ongrijpbaar.
nrc · about 14 hours ago
Kunstenaar en stemacteur Wim T. Schippers (1942-2026) overleden
de volkskrant · about 14 hours ago
Weinig kunstenaars zo inventief, tegendraads en onvoorspelbaar als Wim T. Schippers (1942-2026)
de volkskrant · about 14 hours ago