Goodbye Maria! 'Sesame Street' Star Sonia Manzano Retiring After 44 Years

Sonia Manzano is leaving "Sesame Street." The actress, who has played the character of shop owner Maria in the well-loved and globally popular kids TV series, has announced that she is retiring after 44 years, according to CNN.

Manzano, 65, made her announcement at the American Library Association Annual Conference. Following this, the library sent out a tweet, telling netizens of her retirement.

After 45 years on Sesame Street, @SoniaMManzano will no longer appear on the next season. #alaac15 pic.twitter.com/Jiz7tn9dAI

— American Libraries (@amlibraries) June 29, 2015

Several fans, who grew up watching the actress, could not help but be emotional about her departure. Sonia's Twitter account was overwhelmed with well-wishes and thanks from fans around the world.

@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. — May (@Mtorbat) July 2, 2015

I grew up watching @SoniaMManzano as Maria on @sesamestreet. You probably did, too. Give the woman her props. #SesameStreet

— Eric Haywood (@EricHaywood) July 1, 2015

In her long career as a childhood icon, Manzano was nominated for an Emmy Award acting honor twice. However, it was her Emmy Awards as a scriptwriter for the show that raked in the trophies. In fact, she had 15 of these in total, according to The AV Club.

Of Puerto Rican descent, Sonia lived in the Bronx and attended Carnegie Mellon University as a drama student scholar. She had always wanted to be an actress and was about 22 years old when she first auditioned for "Sesame Street." Her addition to the show slightly opened doors for Hispanic actors at that time. She became one of the first few Hispanic faces on television.

On her audition to the kids series back in the 1970s, Sonia was asked to play the game "One of these things is not like the others," according to Washington Post. It would become one of the most familiar segments on the show.

On "Sesame Street," she and TV husband, Luis, ran a fix-it shop that would become one of the central facets of the neighborhood. 

Despite her retirement, the actress said that she could still be back for "Sesame Street's" 50th anniversary in 2019, according to the CNN report.

Along with the real-life actors, "Sesame Street's" other main stars were the furry puppets and characters, but the show also featured notable celebrity guests from Robin Williams to Johnny Cash and Beyoncé, according to Ranker.

The series has been groundbreaking as it was the first program to combine early childhood education with entertainment.