List of human Sesame Street characters facts for kids
Sesame Street is a famous children's TV show that started on November 10, 1969. It's known for mixing fun monsters with friendly grown-ups. The first human cast members were chosen by producer Jon Stone. They included Matt Robinson as Gordon, Loretta Long as Susan, Will Lee as Mr. Hooper, and Bob McGrath as Bob.
Unlike other kids' shows at the time, Sesame Street didn't have just one host. Instead, it had a group of actors from different backgrounds. Most of them were African American. A researcher named Gerald S. Lesser said they had "a variety of distinctive and reliable personalities." This meant each actor was unique and dependable.
Jon Stone didn't audition actors until a few weeks before filming began in spring 1969. They filmed five special shows to see if kids liked them and understood the lessons. Stone videotaped the auditions. Researcher Ed Palmer then showed these tapes to children to see their reactions. The actors who got the "most enthusiastic thumbs up" were chosen. For example, when kids saw Loretta Long's audition, they stood up and sang "I'm a Little Teapot" with her. Stone said that casting was the only part of the show that was "just completely haphazard," meaning it happened by chance. Most of the cast and crew got their jobs through friends who already worked with Stone and the other producers.
The test shows were never meant to be shown on TV. They were watched by preschoolers in 60 homes in Philadelphia and in day care centers in New York City in July 1969. The results were "generally very positive." Researchers found that children learned from the shows. Kids also really liked the show and stayed interested for the whole hour.
However, they noticed something important. Kids paid a lot of attention during the Muppet parts. But their interest dropped when only humans were on screen. The producers had listened to child psychologists. These experts worried that kids would get confused if humans and Muppets were shown together. So, they kept them separate in the test shows. Because of this, the test episodes weren't as popular as they hoped.
The producers knew they needed to make big changes. This included going against their experts' advice and showing human and Muppet characters together. Lesser called this decision "a turning point in the history of Sesame Street." Jim Henson, who created the Muppets, and his team made new Muppets for Sesame Street. These Muppets could talk and play with the human actors. Many parts of the show were filmed again with this new idea.
Today, the human cast includes Alan, Chris, Nina, Charlie, Mia, Dave, and Frank. Some older cast members like Bob, Gordon, Susan, Luis, Maria, and Gina no longer appear regularly. But they still make special appearances in online videos, TV specials, and live shows. In 2019, retired characters like Linda, Miles, and Leela came back for Sesame Street's 50th Anniversary Celebration.
Characters of Sesame Street
| Character | Actor | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Alan (1998–present) |
Alan Muraoka | A friendly character who has owned Hooper's Store since 1998. |
| Angela (1993–1995) |
Angel Jemmott | A day care worker, part of the "Around-the-Corner" expansion in the 1990s. She was Jamal's wife and baby Kayla's mother. |
| Antonio (1971–1972) |
Panchito Gómez | Rafael's son. |
| Armando "Mando" (2013–2015) |
Ismael Cruz Córdova | An energetic writer from Puerto Rico who loves technology. |
| Billy Tuesday (2004) | Taylor Matalon | Jane Tuesday's clever and playful brother. He always seemed to be where the action was. |
| Bob Johnson (1969–2016) |
Bob McGrath | An original cast member and Sesame Street's music teacher. |
| Buddy and Jim (1969–1970) |
Brandon Maggart and Jim Catusi | Two clumsy characters who appeared in the first season of Sesame Street. |
| Buffy (1975–1981) |
Buffy Sainte-Marie | A Native Canadian folk singer. She appeared in a quiet scene about feeding a baby with Big Bird and her infant son Cody. Buffy helped teach about Native American culture. |
| Carlo (1993–1998) |
Carlo Alban | A teenager who worked at Hooper's Store. |
| Celina (1993–1998) |
Annette Calud | A dance teacher who was a regular for five years. She was part of the "Around the Corner" expansion. |
| Charlie (2020–present) |
Violet Tinnirello | An 8-year-old girl who moved to Sesame Street. Her parents retired from the military. |
| Chris Robinson (2007–present) |
Chris Knowings | A student who works part-time at Hooper's Store. He is the nephew of Gordon and Susan. |
| Christy Robinson (2008, 2011) | Christy Knowings | Chris' twin sister. She appeared in 3 episodes. |
| Cody (1977) |
Dakota Starblanket Wolfchild | The infant son of Buffy Saint-Marie and Sheldon Wolfchild. He helped show what it's like to have a new baby in the family. |
| David (1971–1989) |
Northern Calloway | A cool and cheerful person who liked unique hats. He worked at Hooper's Store and later managed it after Mr. Hooper passed away. |
| Duane (1991–1993) |
Donald Faison | One of Jelani's friends, along with Tyrone and Lamar. They started their own after-school company. |
| Edith Ann | Lily Tomlin | A funny, childlike character who appeared in five short segments. |
| Ernestine | Lily Tomlin | A telephone operator with a distinct voice. |
| Gabriela "Gabi" Rodriguez (1989–2013) |
Bryan Maitland (1989) Brittany and Sarah Beaudry (1989) Morgan DeSena (1989–93) Gabriela Rose Reagan (1989–93) Desiree Casado (1993–2013) |
The daughter of Luis and Maria Rodriguez, born in 1989. Her character helped teach about family and growing up. |
| Dr. Gina Jefferson (1986–2015) |
Alison Bartlett-O'Reilly | She started as a teenager working in Hooper's Store. Later, she ran a day care center, became a vet, and adopted a baby boy named Marco from Guatemala. |
| Gordon Robinson (1969–2016, 2023 - present) |
Garrett Saunders (1969) Matt Robinson (1969–1972) Hal Miller (1972–1974) Roscoe Orman (1974–2016, 2023-present) |
A science teacher who owned the "123 Sesame Street" building with his wife Susan. He was the first character introduced on the show. He was a caring husband and a respected person in the neighborhood. |
| Grace (1976–1989) |
Clarice Taylor | David's grandmother. |
| Hiroshi (1988–1991) |
Gedde Watanabe | A Japanese artist. |
| Mr. Harold Hooper (1969–1983) |
Will Lee | The first owner of Hooper's Store. Lee described Mr. Hooper as "the gruff grocer with the warm heart." Sesame Street dealt with Lee's death in 1982 in a very important TV episode that aired on Thanksgiving Day, 1983. |
| Jamal (1993–1995) |
Jou Jou Papailler | Introduced when Sesame Street expanded "Around-the-Corner." Jamal was a park ranger, married to Angela, and father to baby Kayla. |
| Jane Tuesday (2004) | Kyla Taub | A strong female role model. Jane was a 7-year-old private investigator in a series of short films. |
| Jason (1975) |
Jason Kingsley | A child with Down syndrome who appeared in 55 episodes in the 1970s. Jason was the son of writer Emily Kingsley, who wanted to include more people with disabilities on the show. |
| Jelani (1987–1991) |
Eugene Byrd | Byrd was hired to help the show teach about different cultures and race relations. |
| Jennie (1969) |
Jada Rowland | Appeared in the very first episode of Sesame Street. |
| Joey | Joey Calvan | |
| John-John | John Williams III | Best known for counting to 20 with Herry Monster. He was special because of his easy connection with the Muppets. |
| Kayla (1993–1995) |
Rachael McDaniel and Syvae McDaniel | The baby daughter of Angela and Jamal. |
| Larry and Phyllis | Alan Arkin and Barbara Dana | Played by a real-life married couple. They taught about working together in season two. |
| Leela (2008–2015) | Nitya Vidyasagar | An Indian American character who ran Sesame Street's laundromat. |
| Lillian (1989–1993) | Lillias White | Ran a day care on Sesame Street. She was played by Broadway performer White. |
| Linda (1971–2002) |
Linda Bove | The neighborhood librarian and Bob's girlfriend. Bove said that writer Emily Kingsley wrote Linda as a person first, then thought about her deafness and use of American Sign Language. |
| Luis Rodriguez (1971–2016) |
Emilio Delgado | A kind Hispanic man. Luis married Maria in 1988, and their daughter Gabi was born in 1989. For over forty years, he ran The Fix-It Shop. |
| Marco Jefferson (2006–2014) |
Matthew | Gina's adopted son from Guatemala. |
| Maria Rodriguez (1971–2015) |
Sonia Manzano | She started as a teenager and was one of the first Hispanic women on television. Maria married Luis, became co-owner of the Fix-It Shop, and had a daughter named Gabi. She was good friends with Oscar the Grouch. |
| Miguel (1970–1972) |
Jaime Sánchez | The first Latino cast member. |
| Mike (1989–1991) |
Ward Saxton | One of Gordon's students who was always looking for food. It was suggested that he and Gina had a romantic relationship. |
| Mia (2021-present) |
Olivia Perez | Nina's niece and the daughter of Dave and Frank, the first married same-sex couple on Sesame Street. |
| Miles Robinson (1985–2008) |
Miles Orman (1985–1995) Kevin Clash (1987) Imani Patterson (1995–2002), Olamide Faison (2003–2008) |
The adopted son of Gordon and Susan Robinson (adopted in 1985). |
| Molly (1971–1975) |
Charlotte Rae | A female mail carrier who first appeared in season 3. She and Bob were very close friends. |
| Mr. Handford (1989–1998) |
Leonard Jackson (1989–1990) David Smyrl (1990–1998) |
A retired firefighter who took over Hooper's Store from David. Jackson played a grumpier version, while Smyrl played a smiling, singing Mr. Handford. |
| Mr. MacIntosh (1971) |
Chester O'Brien | A fruit vendor played by Sesame Street's floor manager. |
| Mr. Noodle | Bill Irwin (1998–2009, 2017–present) | A mime featured in Elmo's World. His silly mistakes help viewers feel smart by telling him what to do. |
| Mr. Noodle's Brother, Mr. Noodle (2000–2003) | Michael Jeter | Mr. Noodle's brother who appeared in the Elmo's World segments, often with his brother. |
| Mr. Noodle's Sister, Ms. Noodle | Kristin Chenoweth | Mr. Noodle's sister who appeared in Elmo's World. |
| Mr. Noodle's Other Sister, Miss Noodle | Sarah Jones | Mr. Noodle's other sister. Like Irwin, Jeter, and Chenoweth, Jones is an award-winning performer. |
| Mr. Noodle's Brothers 2017 |
Daveed Diggs; Daniel Koren | Appeared in the updated Elmo's World with Irwin's Noodle and their three pet dogs. |
| Nina (2016–present) | Suki Lopez | A young woman from a Cuban family who speaks two languages. She works at both the bike shop and the Sesame Street's laundromat. Her brother and his husband were introduced in 2021. |
| The Number Painter (1972) |
Paul Benedict | A man with a bowler hat in several short films. He would pop up and paint big red numbers on things around him. |
| Olivia Robinson (1976–1988) |
Alaina Reed | Gordon's sister and a professional photographer. Olivia was known for her many musical performances on the show. |
| Pirate Captain (2007) | Tina Fey | An adventurous captain of the Bookaneers, a group of pirates who love to read. |
| Piri (1984–1986) |
Eddie Castrodad | A teenager who worked at Hooper's Store. |
| Rafael (1971–1972) |
Raul Julia | A Puerto Rican man who worked with Luis in the L & R Fix-It Shop. |
| Ruthie (1993–2001) |
Ruth Buzzi | The enthusiastic owner of Sesame Street's thrift shop, Finders Keepers. She was part of the "Around the Corner" expansion. |
| Sally (1969) |
A young girl who appeared in the first episode of Sesame Street. | |
| Savion (1989–1995) |
Savion Glover | He was brought on Sesame Street to be a positive teen role model. Savion was a dancer whose character was based on himself. He and Gina showed that love is for everyone, no matter their background. |
| Sheldon | Sheldon Wolfchild | Buffy's husband and Cody's father. Their family's appearance on the show was called "the first time Sesame Street has had a nuclear family." |
| Susan Robinson (1969–2016) |
Loretta Long | Gordon's wife and Miles' mother. She was one of four main characters in the show's first episode. Over the years, she changed from a housewife to a nurse and then a working mother. |
| Tarah (1993–2001) |
Tarah Schaeffer | The first regular character on Sesame Street who used a wheelchair. She was a positive role model for children with disabilities. |
| Tom (1970–1972) |
Larry Block | Worked at Hooper's Store. |
| Trash Gordon (2004–2007) |
Roscoe Orman | A funny version of the 1930s superhero Flash Gordon. |
| Mrs. Mae Trump | Loretta Tupper | Played by a radio performer from the 1930s and 1940s. She played the piano on Sesame Street. |
| Uncle Wally (1984–1992) |
Bill McCutcheon | Bob's quirky uncle. He was a traveling salesman. The Los Angeles Times called Wally "a fun-loving, down-to-earth, endearing older gentleman." |
| Wanda Falbo (Word Fairy) (1989–2000) |
Andrea Martin | Played by an actress from SCTV who won an Emmy for her work on Sesame Street. |
| Wally and Ralph (1971–1974) |
Paul Price and Joe Ponazecki | A comedy team like Laurel and Hardy who appeared during season 3. |
| Willy |
Kermit Love | A hot dog vendor. He was played by the Muppet designer who helped create Big Bird and Mr. Snuffleupagus. |
See also
