Long before “Sesame Street” premiered, Sonia Manzano lived there — minus the Muppets. Manzano spent 44 years on the beloved children’s show as Maria, joining two years after its 1969 debut that showed ...

It’s no exaggeration to say that Sonia Manzano has been a source of inspiration to millions of children. The actress began ...

Apart from the giant yellow bird, the red furry monster and the blue Muppet with an insatiable appetite for cookies, “Sesame Street” appears as real as the New York City streets that inspired it.

In a new documentary, Manzano recalls how producers told her before filming, "Sonia, be yourself. We just want you to be yourself" Sonia Manzano remembers laboring over how best to play the role Maria ...