After a 44-year run, the beloved Maria, played by Sonia Manzano, said goodbye to Sesame Street . She opens up about her new memoir and her favorite memories of the show.

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) - It's the end of an era for Sesame Street. Actress Sonia Manzano, who has played Maria on the beloved children's show for 45 years, announced she will be leaving the show.

Sonia Manzano never got to be a household name. But her face, and character, Maria, on “Sesame Street” occupied a special place in American homes for almost half a century. Manzano, who is 65 ...

Regretfully, the time has come to find Maria a place in the ever-expanding library of ‘Sesame Street’ characters past. Look at 5 more extinct personalities from the long-running series.

Maria Leaves Sesame Street After 44 Years On The Block : The Two-Way Sonia Manzano's acting career began when she was in the original cast of Godspell — a musical which began as a student ...

Manzano joined the cast of "Sesame Street" in 1971, playing a then-teenaged Maria By Chris Harnick and Lauren Piester • Published July 1, 2015 • Updated on July 2, 2015 at 11:50 am ...

Another iconic "Sesame Street" cast member, Sonia Manzano, left the show last year after playing Maria for 45 years. More from CBS News NYC teen says he couldn't talk, move after being struck by ...

Sonia Manzano was a young actress from the South Bronx in 1971 when she was cast on a relatively new television show — "Sesame Street." She went on to play Maria for 44 years. A longtime fan ...

One of the characters “Sesame Street” handled with care was Mr. Hooper, played by actor Will Lee from 1969 to 1982. Lee’s sudden death of a heart attack left the writers in a bind.

McGrath said Loretta Long, who has played Gordon’s wife Susan for Sesame Street‘s entire run, will continue on the series. Sonia Manzano , who had played Maria on the show since 1971, retired ...

Sesame Street celebrates its 40th anniversary Tuesday, and there at nearly the beginning was Sonia Manzano, who was cast as "Maria" in 1971, becoming one of the first Hispanic characters on ...