Sonia Manzano Announces Retirement From ‘Sesame Street’ – Gave 44 Years To The Show And Won 15 Emmys
Sonia Manzano, better known as Maria from Sesame Street, has decided to call it quits. After giving 44 years of her life to the show, Manzano has decided not to return for its next season.
Sesame Street is sure to miss Sonia Manzano, who played Maria, a human resident on the show. Manzano and Sesame Street have grown together, watching the ups and downs of the world. The show has always managed to find a middle ground for children and help them understand the adult world. As an adult on the show, Manzano has always been instrumental in helping bridge the many cultural and educational gaps that confused, frustrated, but nonetheless fascinated children.
The long-running PBS show has always been hugely popular not just with children, but adults as well. The topics the show handled were quite complex, but the concepts were exceptionally simplified by characters like Maria played by Sonia Manzano, who first appeared on Sesame Street way back in 1971, when the television industry was still experimenting with content but was euphoric about Technicolor.
Manzano, with TV-husband Luis, ran a quirky but innovative toaster repair shop. Needless to say, the shop and its counter has served as a place to have meaningful conversations. Though the Fix-It Shop claimed to repair anything, considering it was always a choc-a-bloc with toasters, everyone just assumed it was their specialty or as one might call it, their bread-and-butter. Not many are aware that the Fix-It Shop was initially run by Luis and Rafael, but the later left. Sonia Manzano then joined Sesame Street as Maria, who got a job at the Fix-It Shop and later became a full partner.
@SoniaMManzano Whether I was 4 or 24, your role on Sesame Street did everything to make me feel less alone. I will miss Maria so very much.
— M (@Mtorbat) July 2, 2015
Along with starring on the show, Manzano also lent her writing skills that earned her 15 Emmy awards as well as two nominations for acting. Though the show has yet to officially announce Manzano’s retirement, social media is already abuzz about her departure from Sesame Street. Manzano has assured her fans that Big Bird and the gang won’t suffer without her.
.@SoniaMManzano : Becoming Maria, #alaac15: http://t.co/HwBkkdKpM6 pic.twitter.com/4PXIG3mnpv
— American Libraries (@amlibraries) June 30, 2015
Incidentally, the TV celebrity, who has been on air longer than most shows last, announced her retirement at the American Library Association’s annual conference. Apart from her skills as a writer and an actor, Sonia Manzano has one other achievement to her name. She was one of the first Hispanic actresses to appear on national television.
[Image Credit | Sesame Street/Facebook]
