Emma Cohen Emmanuela Beltrán Rahola ( November 21 , 1946 - July 11 , 2016 ) , known as Emma Cohen , was a Spanish actress who played Caponata , a chicken in the Spanish version of " Sesame Street " from 1979 to 1980 . Cohen began working as an actress during the late 1960s , firstly in adaptation of literary works such as Alexandre Dumas Pere ' s " Count of Monte Cristo " or Wolfgang Goethe ' s " Doctor Faust , " both in 1969 . She also appeared in episodes of TV series " Estudio 1 " . She then began working in the Spanish horror cinema industry in 1970 , with " Cuadecuc , vampir " ( where she was uncredited ) and " The Nights of Dracula , " both acting as a vampire woman . She also appeared in comedies such as " Amo mi cama rica , " " Spaniards in Paris " or " Pierna creciente , falda menguante " , all of them in 1970 . In fact , she appeared in no less than 12 movies only in 1970 , always in minor roles . It was in " Pierna creciente , falda menguante " that she first worked alongside actor and director , with whom she would work again many times during her career , and with whom she would begin a long relationship . During the 1970s , she continued with Spanish comedies and low - budget horror flicks , anyhow with little international aims except for co - productions with Italy or France . She also worked again with Fernán - Gómez in cinema ( " Bruja , más que bruja " , 1976 ) , TV movies ( " Juan soldado " , 1973 ) and TV series ( " El Pícaro " , 1974 , where " Emmanuela Beltrán " was a writer and he was the star ) . Only occasionally she had a chance to return to the classics ( Luis Vélez de Guevara ' s " El Diablo Cojuelo " , 1971 ) . The end of Spanish censorship during the late 1970s , after dictator Francisco Franco ' s death , gave rise to a new kind of cinema of " destape " ( " uncovering " ) , a trend where Cohen also worked at . As a secondary actress , Cohen usually had the chance to work in many productions during one year . For instance , on 1978 , she worked in three movies , and it was a low ratio for her . However , on 1979 , Cohen began working in the Spanish version of " Sesame Street " . " Barrio Sésamo " featured as main stars two muppets , snail Perezgil and La Gallina Caponata . Cohen would portray Caponata , a presumed chicken who was more than casually similar to Big Bird . Caponata was a shy , child - like muppet showing children the advantages of learning . First period for " Barrio Sésamo " on Spanish TV was short , and in 1980 the show was over . It would return again in the 1980s , but replacing Caponata and Perezgil with Muppets Espinete and Don Pimpón . Cohen would not return to the series , but she would work again with Fernando Fernán - Gómez both in " Cuentos eróticos " ( 1980 , where she was the director ) and " Yo qué sé " ( 1980 , where she directed , wrote and produced ) . She also returned to TV series with more episodes of prestigious series " Estudio 1 " . The 1980s showed a decrease in her ratio of work per year , although she became famous enough as a hostess in " La Tarde " and " Después de . . . " . She had also chance to work hardly with Fernán - Gómez in some of his best movies such as " Mambrú se fue a la guerra " ( 1986 ) , " El Viaje a ninguna parte " ( 1986 ) or " The Sea and the Weather " ( 1989 ) . She worked as a director only for TV series " Delirios de amor " in 1989 . During the 1990s , she only worked occasionally in movies , although her choices , while few , were spectacularly good - her relationship with Fernán - Gómez had probably more than a little to do with that . Being old acquaintances and a good team , Fernán - Gómez knew how to make good use of her on - screen . She worked in " The Dumbfounded King " ( 1991 ) in a great role as the widow duchess of Maestrazgo , and she is also credited as collaborator for Oscar - winning " Belle epoque " ( 1992 , best foreign movie , and featuring a great Fernán - Gómez ) . During the late 1990s , she made her return to a childhood audience starring in animation movie " ¡ Qué vecinos tan animales ! " ( 1998 ) . Her role as " Mom Mouse " , next to voice actor Javier Franquelo ( " Dad Mouse " ) and her successor in " Barrio Sésamo " Chelo Vivares ( " Nicky Mouse " , she had acted as Espinete ) . On this same year , she also appeared in another of Fernán - Gómez ' s most prestigious movies , " The Grandfather " , playing the majoress . Nominated to the Best Foreign Movie Oscar , the movie lost to Italian " Life is Beautiful " . On 2000 , 54 - year - old Cohen married 79 - year - old Fernán - Gómez . It was Cohen ' s only marriage , but Fernán - Gómez ' s second one - he had been married from 1945 to 1959 . Her last roles were roles for movies such as " Bibliofrenia " ( 2003 ) and " Oculto " ( 2005 ) , usually only in projects where Fernán - Gómez has also been involved . She was a journalist for Spanish newspaper " El Mundo " . _ _ NOWYSIWYG _ _