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That’s right – meet Armando, a new neighbor on Sesame Street, who, I’m sure, will be bringing a dose of cultural diversity along with him to the Sesame neighborhood.

Armando (or “Mando” as he’ll apparently be called by the rest of the community) is a writer, and will be played by actor Ismael Cruz Cordova (above) an NYU Tisch School of the Arts graduate as well as an actor who’s appeared in TV shows like The Good Wife.

Armando will make his debut on the series, on September 16, when Sesame Street premieres its 44^th season on PBS. He joins other new additions to the series: Maria (played by Sonia Manzano), Luis (Emilio Delgado) and Rosita and Ovejita (both played by Carmen Osbahr).

Cordova is said to have won the role after a high-profile search the producers of the show, when hundreds of hopefuls came out to the show’s first-ever open casting call held in New York City last summer, in their search for a new character to bring some more diversity to the series.

“I am honestly still in shock,” Cordova said in a release from Sesame Street announcing his new role. “I am incredibly proud to be a part of a show that acknowledges and celebrates diversity so whole-heartedly and am so grateful to have been given the opportunity to represent Latino-Americans on ‘Sesame Street.’”

Congrats and good luck to both “Mando” and Cordova.

Image: http://d1oi7t5trwfj5d.cloudfront.net/06/3e/4bf263ed4385a5a3f0a8e69d8908/armando.jpg