Sesame Street to Say Goodbye to Maria

It looks like Big Bird and Elmo are losing a long-time friend! After nearly 45 years on the classic children’s educational show Sesame Street, Sonia Manzano, who played the beloved character Maria, is saying goodbye. Manzano first appeared on the show in 1971, just two years after the first episode, and she became a series regular in 1974, while also contributing to the show’s success as a writer.
 
The 65-year-old Puerto Rican actress has won 15 Emmys for her writing on the show and has been nominated twice for her role as Maria.
 
Though she’ll no longer be running the Fix-It Shop on Sesame Street, Manzano won’t be out of the spotlight for long. Her memoir, Becoming Maria: Love and Chaos in the South Bronx, will be out in August from Scholastic Press.