Sonia Manzano

Biography

Sonia Manzano is an American actress, writer and speaker who grew up in the South Bronx and trained at the High School of Performing Arts and Carnegie Mellon University before leaving school to star in the off-Broadway Godspell. She joined Sesame Street in 1971 and played Maria until 2015, also writing scripts for the series and winning 15 Emmy Awards for that work; she received a Lifetime Achievement Daytime Emmy in 2016. Her films include The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland (1999) and Godmothered (2020), and she has appeared on stage in The Vagina Monologues and The Exonerated and on television in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. She created the animated series Alma's Way and provides the voice of Rosa Casagrande in The Loud House and The Casagrandes. Her books include the novel The Revolution of Evelyn Serrano (2014) and the memoir Becoming Maria (2015).

76years old

Turns 77 on June 12in 242 days

Born June 12, 1950New York City
Star sign: GeminiThe sign runs May 21 to June 20

Movie Career

Films: 7
Career span: 46 years1978 to 2024

Genres

Family86%, 6 films
Comedy57%, 4 films
Fantasy29%, 2 films
Adventure14%, 1 film
Animation14%, 1 film

First and latest

Did you know?!

Behind the award
Manzano won 15 Emmy Awards as a writer for Sesame Street, separate from her two nominations as a performer in a children's series.
Behind the camera
Manzano created the PBS animated series Alma's Way and also served as executive producer, writer and voice actor on it.
Behind the camera
Manzano's children's book No Dogs Allowed came out from Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing in 2004, and the book has since been adapted as a stage play.

Sonia Manzano movies on Netflix

The Casagrandes Movie2024IMDb rating 5.6as Rosa (voice)
Godmothered2020IMDb rating 6.1as Opal
I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story2014IMDb rating 7.5as Himself
The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland1999IMDb rating 5.9as Maria
Sesame Street: Elmo Saves Christmas1996IMDb rating 6.6as Maria
Don't Eat the Pictures: Sesame Street at the Metropolitan Museum of Art1983IMDb rating 7.9as Maria
Christmas Eve on Sesame Street1978IMDb rating 8.4as Maria

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

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The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland1999 Adventure, Comedy, Familyas Maria
IMDb rating 5.94.0K votes
Godmothered2020 Comedy, Family, Fantasyas Opal
IMDb rating 6.115K votes
The Casagrandes Movie2024as Rosavoice
IMDb rating 5.6805 votes
Christmas Eve on Sesame Street1978as Maria
IMDb rating 8.41.2K votes
I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story2014as Himself
IMDb rating 7.51.8K votes
Don't Eat the Pictures: Sesame Street at the Metropolitan Museum of Art1983as Maria
IMDb rating 7.9307 votes
Sesame Street: Elmo Saves Christmas1996as Maria
IMDb rating 6.6509 votes

Most often with

Jon Stone directed two of these films. Three actors appear in five of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

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Frank Oz

Roscoe Orman

Caroll Spinney

Jerry Nelson

Bob McGrath

Jim Henson

Jon StoneDirector, 2 films

Films together

Frank Oz5 films together, 1978 to 2014
Frank Oz's page
- I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story2014IMDb rating 7.5Manzano as HimselfOz as Himself
- The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland1999IMDb rating 5.9Manzano as MariaOz as Bert / Grover / Cookie Monstervoice
- Sesame Street: Elmo Saves Christmas1996IMDb rating 6.6Manzano as MariaOz as Cookie Monstervoice
- Don't Eat the Pictures: Sesame Street at the Metropolitan Museum of Art1983IMDb rating 7.9Manzano as MariaOz as Bert / Cookie Monster / Grovervoice
- Christmas Eve on Sesame Street1978IMDb rating 8.4Manzano as MariaOz as Bert / Cookie Monster / Grovervoice
Roscoe Orman5 films together, 1978 to 2014
Roscoe Orman's page
- I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story2014IMDb rating 7.5Manzano as HimselfOrman as Himself
- The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland1999IMDb rating 5.9Manzano as MariaOrman as Gordon
- Sesame Street: Elmo Saves Christmas1996IMDb rating 6.6Manzano as MariaOrman as Gordon
- Don't Eat the Pictures: Sesame Street at the Metropolitan Museum of Art1983IMDb rating 7.9Manzano as MariaOrman as Gordon
- Christmas Eve on Sesame Street1978IMDb rating 8.4Manzano as MariaOrman as Gordon
Caroll Spinney5 films together, 1978 to 2014
Caroll Spinney's page
- I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story2014IMDb rating 7.5Manzano as HimselfSpinney as Big Bird / Oscar the Grouch / Self
- The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland1999IMDb rating 5.9Manzano as MariaSpinney as Big Bird / Oscar the Grouchvoice
- Sesame Street: Elmo Saves Christmas1996IMDb rating 6.6Manzano as MariaSpinney as Big Birdvoice
- Don't Eat the Pictures: Sesame Street at the Metropolitan Museum of Art1983IMDb rating 7.9Manzano as MariaSpinney as Big Bird / Oscar the Grouchvoice
- Christmas Eve on Sesame Street1978IMDb rating 8.4Manzano as MariaSpinney as Big Bird / Oscar the Grouchvoice
Jerry Nelson4 films together, 1978 to 1999
Jerry Nelson's page
- The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland1999IMDb rating 5.9Manzano as MariaNelson as Count / Pestie / Grouch Mayor / Grouch Copvoice
- Sesame Street: Elmo Saves Christmas1996IMDb rating 6.6Manzano as MariaNelson as Count von Count / Mr. Johnson / News Flash Announcervoice
- Don't Eat the Pictures: Sesame Street at the Metropolitan Museum of Art1983IMDb rating 7.9Manzano as MariaNelson as The Countvoice
- Christmas Eve on Sesame Street1978IMDb rating 8.4Manzano as MariaNelson as Snuffy / The Countvoice
Bob McGrath4 films together, 1978 to 2014
Bob McGrath's page
- I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story2014IMDb rating 7.5Manzano as HimselfMcGrath as Himself
- Sesame Street: Elmo Saves Christmas1996IMDb rating 6.6Manzano as MariaMcGrath as Bob
- Don't Eat the Pictures: Sesame Street at the Metropolitan Museum of Art1983IMDb rating 7.9Manzano as MariaMcGrath as Bob
- Christmas Eve on Sesame Street1978IMDb rating 8.4Manzano as MariaMcGrath as Bob
Jim Henson3 films together, 1978 to 2014
Jim Henson's page
- I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story2014IMDb rating 7.5Manzano as HimselfHenson as Himself
- Don't Eat the Pictures: Sesame Street at the Metropolitan Museum of Art1983IMDb rating 7.9Manzano as MariaHenson as Ernievoice
- Christmas Eve on Sesame Street1978IMDb rating 8.4Manzano as MariaHenson as Kermit the Frog / Ernievoice
Jon StoneDirector, 2 films, 1978 to 1983
All films by Jon Stone
- Don't Eat the Pictures: Sesame Street at the Metropolitan Museum of Art1983IMDb rating 7.9Manzano as Maria
- Christmas Eve on Sesame Street1978IMDb rating 8.4Manzano as Maria
Also three films together4 more actors
- Fran BrillI Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story (2014), The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland (1999) and Sesame Street: Elmo Saves Christmas (1996)
- Emilio DelgadoI Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story (2014), The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland (1999) and Sesame Street: Elmo Saves Christmas (1996)
- Martin P. RobinsonThe Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland (1999), Sesame Street: Elmo Saves Christmas (1996) and Don't Eat the Pictures: Sesame Street at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (1983)
- Loretta LongThe Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland (1999), Don't Eat the Pictures: Sesame Street at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (1983) and Christmas Eve on Sesame Street (1978)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.

Awards

One award and honor.

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Sonia Manzano's awards and nominations, grouped by award
Year	Award	Film	Result
Other honors
2013	Américas Award		Won

Online

Official profiles and reference pages.

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