Sesame street It continues to be a cult program for children and adults throughout Latin America. That’s why she decided to broaden her range of characters and take her quest for inclusion one step further.
With that in mind, he introduced his new character on Sunday called TJ, his first Filipino muppet. TJ and his friend Ji-Young, a Korean-American muppet set to debut in 2021, talk to actor Kal Penn about the word of the day: trust.
Confidence, Penn explained, is “when you believe in yourself and your own abilities, or in the abilities of others.” TJ marvels at Grover’s safety as he attempts to leap over the Sesame Street sign while he rides a unicycle and balances a large stack of books. And when Penn shares with TJ and Ji-Young that he leans on others when he doesn’t feel safe, TJ opens up about his own experiences.
“I’m learning Tagalog. It’s a language my Filipino family speaks and I’m hopeful because I can always ask my lola for help when I don’t know a word,” says TJ.
The character of TJ is voiced by puppeteer and performer Yinan Shentu and was created in part by Bobby Pontillas, a Filipino-American animator. Pontillas wrote on Instagram that he collaborated with Louis Mitchell, creative director of character design at Sesame Workshop, on the character. TJ’s look, Pontillas said, was based on two of his friends’ children.
TJ is the latest addition to the diverse cast of new ‘Sesame Street’ characters. In addition to Ji-Young, the show’s first Asian-American muppet, the series introduced two black muppets in 2021: Wes and his father Elijah.
Last year, Ameera, a Muppet character who uses a wheelchair, made her debut in “Ahlan Simsim,” the version of “Sesame Street” that airs in the Middle East and North Africa.
Source: Clarin
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