major role on national television. hello there. reporter: a gentle grown-up for generations of kids. just hold your knee up and i ll kiss it. ah! reporter: through tough times big bird don t you remember we told you? mr. hooper died. reporter: and good times. when she married her beloved louis on the show elmo was ring bearer. don t drop the rings, bob. reporter: as famous as big bird and the count. grover, you forgot something. reporter: without her, sunny days won t quite be the same. david wright, abc news, new york. oh, man. i had the biggest crush on her when i was a kid. she is amazing. and have you ever been down there at their set, sesame street ? no have you? yes. really? and let me tell you, it is an incredible operation. oh, wait! no. we have found her replacement. oh! it s reena ninan. no one can replace maria.
sure does. hopefully, he recovers. we re glad they re all okay. coming up in our next half hour a super apology from one of america s top health food supermarkets. the ceo of whole foods admitting they did overcharge but is it a a little too late? but first, after four decades of hanging with the gang on sesame street, maria you remember maria she s retiring. how she helped generations of children learn about more than just their abcs. you re watching abc world news now.. announcer: world news now
sunny day sweeping the clouds away well, if you were able to hang out with big bird elmo it just makes me smile hearing that. just imagine, you re able to hang out with big bird elmo grover and the cookie monster at work. i would have to think it will be tough to retire. you re totally right. yeah. after decades of doing just that sesame street s maria s moving out and leaving quite a legacy behind. here s abc s david wright. reporter: this story is brought you by the letter g, for gracias. once upon a time reporter: for all the stories and the songs la dee, da reporter: and all those vocabulary words, too. the spanish word for happy, f feliz. reporter: maria, in real life actress sonia month zahno, is moving on now, after 40 years on sesame street. she joined the cast in 1971 age 22, the first latina with a
shot three times. hopefully, he recovers. we re glad they re all okay. coming up in our next half hour, a super apology from one of america s top health food supermarkets. the ceo of whole foods admitting they did overcharge but is it a little too late? but first, after four decades of hanging with the gang on sesame street, maria you remember maria she s retiring. how she helped generations of children learn about more than just their abcs. you re watching abc world news now. announcer: world news now continues after this from our abc stations.
sunny day sweeping the clouds away well, if you were able to hang out with big bird, elmo, it just makes me smile hearing that. just imagine, you re able to hang out with big bird, elmo, grover and the cookie monster at work. i would have to think it will be tough to retire. you re totally right. yeah. after decades of doing just that, sesame street s maria s moving out and leaving quite a legacy behind. here s abc s david wright. reporter: this story is brought you by the letter g, for gracias. once upon a time reporter: for all the stories and the songs la, dee, da reporter: and all those vocabulary words, too. the spanish word for happy, feliz. reporter: maria, in real life, actress sonia manzano, is moving on now, retiring after 44 years on sesame street. she joined the cast in 1971, age 22, the first latina with a major role on national