Sesame Street debuts Filipino puppet named TJ
There's a new muppet making his debut in the iconic children's television series Sesame Street, and he's a Filipino!
Meet TJ, a puppet created by Filipino-American animator Bobby Pontillas who will now join the cast of one of the longest-running shows in the world.
On his social media accounts, Pontillas gave his followers a glimpse of how TJ was conceptualized by sharing some sketches of the character. According to him, TJ was inspired by some of his nearest and dearest friends.
"A few years back I worked with the geniuses at Sesame Workshop to create a Filipino muppet for Sesame Street! Meet TJ!" he wrote in the caption.
For his appearance, TJ has brown skin with a side-swept hairstyle and sports a yellow and orange striped hoodie. He is operated by Sesame Street puppeteer Yinan Shintu.
In a video that Pontillas shared, TJ was speaking with actor Kal Penn regarding confidence, which was the show's "Word of the Day."
When asked by Penn about how he shows his confidence, the puppet answered, "I'm learning Tagalog. It's a language my Filipino family speaks. I'm confident because I can always ask my lola for help when I don't know a word."
Sesame Street first premiered in 1969 and it has since become a longtime favorite of children and adults. It centers on puppet characters who teach preschool subjects with comedy, cartoons, games, and songs.