If you grew up watching Sesame Street in the 90s or early 2000s, you definitely remember Gabi. She was the daughter of Luis and Maria, basically the "royal family" of the neighborhood. But while we all saw her grow from a toddler into a college student, the actress behind the role, Desiree Casado, eventually vanished from the screen.
Honestly, it’s one of those things that hits you when you’re scrolling through old clips. You realize she was a staple of your childhood, then... nothing. No big Hollywood scandal, no messy exit. She just moved on.
But where exactly did she go? And how did she get the part in the first place? It’s a cooler story than you might think, involving a real-life kid who just wasn't that into the whole "fame" thing.
The unexpected way Desiree Casado became Gabi
Most people assume Gabi was played by the same person from birth. Not true. The character was born on the show in 1989 (Episode 2575, for the trivia buffs). For the first few years, the role was actually played by Gabriela Rose Reagan.
Who is she? She’s the real-life daughter of Sonia Manzano, the actress who played Maria.
It seemed like a perfect setup. But here's the thing: little Gabriela didn't actually like being on TV. Imagine being a toddler and having to do retakes while a giant yellow bird looms over you. Kinda stressful, right? She told her mom she wasn't having fun, and Sonia, being a great parent, listened.
That opened the door for Desiree Casado.
In 1993, Desiree took over the role. She wasn't just a replacement; she became the definitive Gabi for an entire generation. She stayed with the show for nearly two decades, officially credited from Season 25 all the way through Season 43.
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Beyond the Stoop: Life outside Sesame Street
While we mostly knew her for hanging out at the Fix-It Shop, Desiree was actually building a pretty solid resume in the 90s. It wasn't just puppets and ABCs.
She landed roles in some surprisingly gritty projects for a "Sesame kid." Have you ever seen the 1994 film I Like It Like That? She was in that. She also appeared in the cult favorite Joe's Apartment (yes, the one with the singing cockroaches) and the Sidney Lumet film Gloria.
It’s weird to think about Gabi from Sesame Street in a crime drama, but she had range. She even popped up on the soap opera One Life to Live.
A quick look at her filmography:
- I Like It Like That (1994)
- Bed of Roses (1996)
- Joe's Apartment (1996)
- Gloria (1999)
- Juicy (2004) - her first starring role in an indie flick.
- Anamorph (2007)
She was working. A lot. But as she got older, her priorities started to shift away from the red carpet and toward the classroom.
The teaching chapter and "disappearing"
By the time 2012 rolled around, Desiree's appearances on Sesame Street were getting rarer. The show was changing. The focus was shifting more toward Elmo and newer segments, and the "human" cast members weren't getting as much screen time.
Desiree didn't fight for the spotlight. She took a path that honestly makes a lot of sense for someone who grew up on an educational show.
She became a teacher.
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As of the early 2010s, reports confirmed she was working as a sixth-grade teacher. Think about that for a second. Can you imagine walking into your first day of middle school and realizing your teacher is Gabi? That’s gotta be a trip.
She also got married in 2012 to Michael Miller. She basically chose a "normal" life, which is a total rarity for child stars who spent twenty years on a hit show.
Why Desiree Casado still matters for representation
We talk a lot about representation now, but in the 90s, seeing a Latino family like the Rodriguez-Delgados on TV was a huge deal.
Desiree, who is of Puerto Rican descent, was part of a very small group of Latina actresses on major kids' programming at the time. She wasn't playing a stereotype. She was just a girl growing up, going to school, and eventually helping out at Hooper's Store.
For a lot of kids, Gabi was the first person they saw on TV who looked like them or spoke like their family. That’s a legacy that lasts way longer than a typical acting credit.
What is she doing now in 2026?
Desiree has stayed almost entirely out of the public eye for the last decade. She doesn't have a verified, public Instagram where she's posting "throwback Thursday" photos every week. She isn't doing the reality TV circuit.
She’s lived her life on her own terms.
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There’s some recent chatter about her potentially being involved in producing or uplifting underrepresented voices in the industry, but for the most part, she seems content with her career in education and her private life.
It’s actually kinda refreshing. In an era where everyone is trying to be an influencer, one of the most famous kids in TV history decided that being a teacher and a spouse was enough.
Takeaways for the nostalgic fan
If you're looking for a lesson in Desiree’s career, it’s basically this: Success doesn't have to be loud. - Childhood fame doesn't have to end in a crash. She transitioned into a meaningful second career without the drama.
- Legacy is about impact. She helped normalize the presence of Latino families in American media during a pivotal era.
- It's okay to walk away. Even if you're on a show for 19 years, you're allowed to want something else for your thirties and forties.
If you want to revisit her work, your best bet is hunting down old Sesame Street DVD collections like Best of Friends or searching for her 90s film roles on streaming. Most of her "street stories" aren't on the current HBO Max (Max) rotation, but the 50th-anniversary clips often feature her during the montage sequences.
The best way to honor her contribution is to remember that for nearly twenty years, she was a friendly face for millions of kids who just wanted to know how to get to Sesame Street.
Next Steps for the Superfan:
If you're feeling nostalgic, check out the Muppet Wiki—it's the gold standard for tracking which specific episodes Desiree appeared in. You can also look for her early film work like I Like It Like That to see a totally different side of her acting talent.