Sonia Manzano

5th January 2024

Sonia Manzano is a legend of kids TV. She played Maria on Sesame Street for four decades and changed what children’s media looked like. In 2021, she premiered a children’s cartoon of her own called Alma’s Way. On Bullseye, we’re looking back at our conversation with Sonia: she talked with us about the show’s first season and her childhood in the Bronx. Plus, what it’s like when she meets fans in real life. Turns out: lots of tears!

Episode notes

Sonia Manzano, who plays Maria Rodriquez on the children’s television show “Sesame Street,” and the Muppet Grover at Stage Deli in New York City. (Photo by George De Sota/Getty Images)

Sonia Manzano is a legend of kids TV. 

She got her big break in 1971, as a junior at Carnegie Mellon. Sonia had gone back home to New York for her first gig in an off-Broadway play. 

While she was there, she auditioned for another part. It was a children’s show set in New York. Sesame Street, of course. 

Sonia landed the role and for four decades, she played Maria—a human friend to Big Bird, Grover, The Count and many more of your favorite childhood characters. 

On the show, Manzano changed what the media could be. She was the first Latina on the show. And Maria, well, she was kind and tough and everything in between. It was a big step forward for Latinas on TV. 

In 2021, Sonia took an even bigger step and created a kids cartoon of her own. It’s called Alma’s Way. 

It follows the show’s title character, Alma Rivera. She’s a 6-year-old Puerto Rican girl living in the Bronx. The show is sweet and refreshing, informative and insightful. Everything a children’s show should be. 

On Bullseye, we’re looking back at our conversation with Sonia Manzano in 2021. She talked with us about the show’s first season and her childhood in the Bronx. Plus, what it’s like when she meets fans in real life. Turns out: lots of tears! 

The second season of “Alma’s Way” is out now. You can stream the show online here

In this episode...

Senior Producer
Producer
Maximum Fun Producer
Maximum Fun Production Fellow
Video Editor

Guests

  • Sonia Manzano

About the show

Bullseye is a celebration of the best of arts and culture in public radio form. Host Jesse Thorn sifts the wheat from the chaff to bring you in-depth interviews with the most revered and revolutionary minds in our culture.

Bullseye has been featured in Time, The New York Times, GQ and McSweeney’s, which called it “the kind of show people listen to in a more perfect world.” Since April 2013, the show has been distributed by NPR.

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People

Senior Producer

Producer

Maximum Fun Producer

Maximum Fun Production Fellow

Video Editor

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