Mark Consuelos: 17 Facts About The Soap Opera Hunk And Live Co-Host

Mark Consuelos is a star that you might know in different ways and from different (usually onscreen) places. Soap opera fans will be able to tell you that from 1995 to 2010, the actor appeared as the character Mateo Santos Sr. on All My Children. Those who love watching over-the-top teen dramas will also know that in 2017, he started popping up as Veronica Lodge's father, Hiram, on Riverdale. And then there were his gigs on American Horror Story, Hope & Faith, and Queen of the South, just to name a few.

There's also a chance that you're one of his more than two million Instagram followers, or you might even recognize him as the husband of the arguably even more famous Kelly Ripa. In fact, Esquire noted in April 2019 that "Consuelos' recent rise to Instagram fame as a certified thirst trap" was, in part, due to the fact that "his wife ... often posts shirtless pictures of her husband ... which ... galvanizes a thirsty audience."

However it is that you may be familiar with Consuelos, the truth is that there are plenty of things that you probably don't know about the star. Read on to find out what those things might be!

Back on March 30, 1971, a pair named Saul and Camilla Consuelos welcomed their third child into the world and decided to call him Mark Andrew Consuelos, per Biography. While Mark's dad is Mexican and his mother is Italian, the star was born in Zaragoza, Spain. They then spent time in Italy before his relocating to the United States. There, they lived in Illinois and Florida.

While the actor doesn't speak Spanish despite being born in Spain, according to TV Guide, he does speak Italian. That said, he struggled with his identity as a kid. "I'm half Mexican, half Italian. So, I was always in this neverland of ... I wasn't really 'Mexican enough'; I wasn't really 'Italian enough,'" he told Teen Vogue in May 2018. "It wasn't till I got a little bit older that it really dug in."

In April 2020, Consuelos' wife, Kelly Ripa, shared photos of her husband and his father on Instagram, writing, "The Daddy Doesn't Fall Far from the Tree." There's definitely a resemblance between the two men, especially with their matching mustaches.

Mark Consuelos and Kelly Ripa's love story could be a Hallmark movie. The two met on the set of All My Children in 1995 when he was hired as her onscreen love interest. In 2006, Consuelos opened up about meeting the woman who would become his wife, telling E! News, "My first impression of my wife was — she was obviously extremely beautiful — but she was really funny, really intelligent, really quick." He added, "I realized that if I was ever to get into an argument with her, I would lose every single time." Beyond that, he told HuffPost that although he "thought she was adorable, hot and sexy, and all that stuff," he figured he didn't stand a chance. 

Evidently, he was wrong. The pair started dating and things moved rather quickly. While appearing on his wife's morning show (via InStyle), Consuelos explained how he popped the question, saying, "We went for a walk in the park. I convinced her to come back to my apartment. We had pizza and wine and I asked her to marry me." She added, "And I said, 'Ask me when you're serious.' And he said, 'I am serious. Let's go to Vegas tomorrow and get married.'" 

While that may have been a surprise, she said yes. Ripa and Consuelos were married in 1996, a year after they met. It seems like it was a good move; the two have been married for over 20 years.

Mark Consuelos has three children with Kelly Ripa. Their eldest, Michael Consuelos, was born in 1997, just a year after the stars eloped, while their daughter, Lola Consuelos, was born in 2001, and their younger son, Joaquin Consuelos, made his entrance into the world in 2003, according to Biography.

Riverdale fans may recognize Michael from his time playing the younger version of his dad on the show in 2018. Mark sent out a message on Instagram to address the special career-related occasion, writing, "Congrats to my son Michael on being cast as the younger (and much better and handsomer) Hiram. We are so proud. Love you MJC #riverdale #bucketlist." As for Lola, her dad admitted to People, "As overprotective as I thought I would be when she was born and I was holding her in my arms, I've mellowed a bit. Because I'm really aware of what a good head on her shoulders she has." And when it comes to the youngest, Consuelos explained, "You'll have conversations with Joaquin where you realize you've just learned something new about the way he thinks."

The fact that Consuelos knows his kids so well might be because he makes family time a priority. Ripa told ABC News, "My husband had dinner as a family every night growing up and he was like, 'We are having family dinner every night, no matter what.' And we do that." She added that "it means so much to the kids, it means so much to me."

Mark Consuelos may be a well-known figure in the entertainment industry these days, but he may have ended up with a couple of very different jobs if he'd followed his other interests along the way. For instance, he could have been your local weatherman or an advertising professional.

Consuelos told People (via Cosmopolitan) in 2016 that "there was a brief time" when he was younger when he wanted to become a meteorologist. While that obviously didn't come to be, Cosmo did note that if he had, "he would have hands down become the hottest weatherman ever." Although it's hard to imagine anyone arguing that fact, the outlet continued by pointing out that "this needs no repeating but have you seen him in a suit? Imagine this in front of cloud graphics and words like 'breezy' and 'wind chill.'" Oh my!

However, Consuelos also seemed to have another path in mind that wasn't related to either acting or the weather. After graduating from Bloomingdale High School in Valrico, Florida, per Celebrity Net Worth, he enrolled at the University of Notre Dame but transferred to the University of South Florida. He left in 1994 — a year before he landed his role on All My Children — after successfully earning a degree in marketing. While he didn't end up going into the marketing field, perhaps he uses the skills he learned in school to market and sell himself in Hollywood.

Before Mark Consuelos started his acting career by nabbing his role on All My Children, he was performing a slightly different kind of act while working as a stripper. "A lot of hot guys in Hollywood have done that. He was straight out of college, and he went to Notre Dame and finished his degree at the University of South Florida," the star's wife, Kelly Ripa, told Vanity Fair in 2012. "So, there he was in South Florida, he's gorgeous, looking to break into show business, so he started off as a roadie to a group of these guys, and then they talked him into stripping."

Using the name Meaty Mark (feel free to take a minute after reading that if necessary), Consuelos worked at a Tampa nightclub called Stingers. According to The ENQUIRER, he explained, "Back then, I was young, stupid, and I really needed the money."

If you're curious (you cheeky thing!), Consuelos "kept a G-string on — so he wasn't doing anything real explicit," according to a friend of Ripa's who spoke to The ENQUIRER. The pal added, "Kelly's not at all embarrassed — Mark has an awesome body and Kelly is very proud of it." Indeed, when asked if she's seen pics of him from back then, Ripa told Vanity Fair, "Oh yeah. I even have an old calendar pinup of him." As for Consuelos, he revealed that he still performs for his wife, but joked, "She doesn't tip me for it."

From a stripper to an ordained minister! Although Mark Consuelos didn't study theology and doesn't preach in a holy place of worship (that we're aware of), he was ordained as a minister via the internet, according to his wife, Kelly Ripa, who opened up about the fact on Live with Regis and Kelly. It also turns out that the Riverdale actor takes advantage of the opportunities his role offers.

Indeed, People reported in 2008 that Consuelos acted as an officiant during  Howard Stern and Beth Ostrosky's wedding. In fact, Stern and Ostrosky asked their friend to take on such a key role during their nuptials, which lead to Consuelos being ordained online. Ripa, who was also a guest at the ceremony, talked about her husband's role during the special occasion the next day on her show, saying that he was "very nervous," and adding, "He looked, dare I say, like an official, he really did."

The ceremony at Le Cirque restaurant in New York City had plenty of other celebrity guests in attendance, including Joan Rivers, Barbara Walters, Jimmy Kimmel, and Sarah Silverman. Billy Joel was there to perform a duo of songs, according to People, while a guest revealed that "Chevy Chase delivered a raunchy roast." While we have to assume that what Consuelos said while leading the vows probably wasn't as dirty, you never know considering it was Stern's ceremony and he's not exactly known for creating a PG environment.

Mark Consuelos may be an actor, but he's also tried out another kind of onscreen gig that could have made him the next Chris Harrison. In 2007, he hosted a Bachelor-like dating show on NBC called Age of Love. Viewers watched as 30-year-old Australian tennis star Mark Philippoussis romanced 13 women who were between 21 and 48 years old. The younger women ("gals in their twenties") were called "kittens," and the older contestants (who were 38 to 48) were "cougars," according to TV Guide. Executive producer JD Roth explained (via Reality TV World) that they were "trying to answer the simple question, when it comes to love, does age matter?" Spanning eight episodes, the winner was Amanda Salinas, a cheerleader from Tennessee. Granted, News.com.au reported that the pair seemed to have split the next year. That may or may not have contributed to the fact that there hasn't been a second season of the show.

However, that doesn't mean that Consuelos was done with romance-related hosting gigs. That same year, he led a second dating show for NBC called Science of Love. This time around, the action was contained to a single one-hour special which starred former NFL player Adam Johnson. According to Reality TV World, the show "attempt[ed] to prove if a panel of relationship experts with a computer [could] create a more successful match than natural chemistry."

Since these shows weren't exactly massive successes, maybe reality TV fans will just have to stick to The Bachelor after all.

Mark Consuelos may be best known for his work onscreen, but it turns out that's not the only way that he helps to bring entertainment to eager viewers. In 2007, the star launched Milojo which is a production company that he runs with his wife, Kelly Ripa. The website explains that the company is "named after the first two letters of Mark & Kelly's three children: Michael, Lola, and Joaquin," which is pretty darn sweet.

Milojo "champions top-of-the-line documentaries," including, "the Emmy-nominated 2012 ESPN film, The Streak," according to Oprah Magazine. It was also behind Homemade Millionaire, which was a 2010 reality TV show that was hosted by Ripa, and apparently failed to hook audiences. And then there's the summer version of a show called Secret Guide to Fabulous. In the latter, "the four experts, John Gidding, Ronnie Woo, Theodore Leaf, and Rob Younkers have an arsenal of tips for fashion, food, design, and lifestyle" to offer up. That certainly has the same kind of vibe as Netflix's Queer Eye, although obviously isn't quite as popular as the multiple-Emmy Award-winning show.

Along with a range of other projects — including American Cheerleader, Dirty Soap, My Diet Is Better Than Yours, and Masters of Reception, just to name a few — Deadline reported in August 2020 that the company was set to produce Mexican Gothic, "a drama series based on Silvia Moreno-Garcia's bestselling horror thriller novel."

Clearly, Consuelos' is busy both onscreen and behind the scenes.

Mark Consuelos "has been active in diabetes-awareness programs," according to TV Guide, however, that's not the only worthy cause he supports. The star also hosted the Los Angeles LGBT Center's 49th Anniversary Gala Vanguard Awards while "honor[ing] Grammy winner, philanthropist, and writer Ricky Martin and philanthropist Ariadne Getty" alongside Kelly Ripa in 2018, per Beverly Press, and took to Instagram in July 2020 to post about #FreeTheFamilies. "Children must be released from ICE detention centers where they are being held in dismal and inhumane conditions WITH their families," he wrote while urging his followers to contact their representatives to prompt them to take action.

Although sharing social media messages is certainly a good way to get the word out these days, Consuelos does much more to put his fame and good fortune to use when it comes to charitable endeavors. For instance, in August 2020, HELLO! Canada Magazine pointed out that the star and Kelly Ripa had given "$1.5 million to a charity which helps homeless children get an education during the coronavirus pandemic."

Consuelos talked to People that same month about supporting WIN, "which provides services and safe housing to homeless women and their children in New York City." He noted, "We realize how lucky we are — for all of us to be together like this is probably never going to happen again. This time has been so horrible for so many people." Thankfully, with the help of people like Consuelos, times ahead will be a little brighter for some.

Mark Consuelos owns quite a few homes with Kelly Ripa. According to Celebrity Net Worth, "in 2005, they spent $9 million on a 6,700 square foot home in New York City and later sold it for a $3 million profit. In May 2014, Consuelos and Ripa sold a different NYC home for $24.5 million." The latter was a penthouse in Soho which they purchased in 2005 for $9.5 million, per Curbed New York. The stars renovated the home which boasts a "grand eat-in-kitchen," service kitchen, outdoor kitchen, and two dining rooms, as well as a media room, home office, and a gym that has "access to a secluded grotto offering a soothing hot tub and outdoor shower." There's also "an incredible 2,500 square foot private roof deck with an outdoor fireplace," and a master suite with two walk-in closets, "Jacuzzi soaking tub," and steam shower.

While that sounds like a dream home, Consuelos' family has made their "5-bedroom NYC townhouse that's worth at least $30 million" the place that's "their primary residence," per Celebrity Net Worth. Located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, according to Hello!, the residence is 7,796 square feet and includes five bedrooms as well as six bathrooms.

Celebrity Net Worth notes that they also have "a ski home in Telluride, Colorado and a beach home in the Hamptons" — they bought the latter in 2004 for $2.35 million, but it could now be worth $10-15 million. It's estimated their properties are worth "at least $45 million."

Thanks to Mark Consuelos' soap opera work, his gig on Riverdale, and his appearances on various other shows, not to mention his other money-making endeavors like his production company, Celebrity Net Worth puts the star's fortune at $40 million. While that seems pretty darn impressive, the outlet did add that "it should be noted that the majority of Mark's net worth is attributable to his wife, TV star Kelly Ripa." Take a look at Ripa's net worth and you'll indeed see that she has a whopping $120 million with a salary that sits at $22 million, so it makes sense that her funds help to boost her husband's financial status.

You might now be thinking that since Consuelos and Ripa are so rich, they can afford to be frivolous, which is definitely true. However, having that much money apparently hasn't made them willing to throw it away on unnecessary expenses — at least not when it's one of their kids doing the spending. Case in point: When their daughter, Lola Consuelos, went off to college, she didn't like the food that was available on her food plan so was ordering from restaurants via Postmates. In January 2020, Ripa explained to Us Weekly, "Here's what would happen. She would order the $7 salad, but it would cost $25 to have it delivered three blocks in New York City." What did they do, you ask? "Oh, we shut down that debit card account she had." Yep, they shut it down!

Visitors to Kelly Ripa's social media platforms may have noticed that she often refers to hubby Mark Consuelos by a pet name, daddy. While some may cringe, Ripa has been defiant — such as the time she posted a photo of her husband's new haircut, writing in the caption, "#daddy got a haircut. That's right, i said it. #DADDY."

As Ripa explained in a 2020 interview with Good Housekeeping, she'd actually been using that nickname for 15 years, and revealed its unusual origin story. "Andy Cohen gave my husband the nickname 'daddy' about 15 years ago," Ripa said, referring to the "Watch What Happens Live" host. According to Ripa, Consuelos was out of town shooting a film while Cohen was visiting Ripa at the couple's home. "Mark said, 'Andy, I need you to lock up the house and make sure you set the alarm because Kelly always forgets.' And he's like, 'Okay, daddy,'" Ripa recalled. "From that moment on, Mark became daddy, and everybody calls him daddy."

Ripa has also proven adept at handling criticism from followers who find the nickname to be just a bit on the creepy side. "I love mark and jelly [sic] but it creeps me out when she calls him, 'Daddy,'" one fan wrote in a comment to a 2019 Instagram post, via Good Housekeeping. Ripa responded hilariously by highlighting the post's typo. "It creeps me out when you call me jelly," she replied.

Back in 2019, Kelly Ripa shared a series of posts on Instagram Story, explaining that she was seeking out a certain photo and just couldn't seem to locate it. Her helpful husband Mark Consuelos suggested she look within the family's bible, which over the years had become a sort of all-purpose repository for family photos and any mementos small (and flat) enough to fit within its pages. According to The Inquisitr, as Ripa dug through the bible she discovered a variety of long-forgotten photos, including one of her and Consuelos during their "All My Children" days, pics from their first child's infancy, and even one of Consuelos' old acting headshots. 

In the post, Ripa displays a bunch of photo negatives she found in the bible — revealing they were photos of Consuelos and an ex-girlfriend. "The good news is, I have infinite amounts of photos of Mark's ex-girlfriend, right here in my possession," Ripa wrote. "So if you're Mark's ex-girlfriend and you're looking for photos of yourself — and you're adorable, by the way, so pretty — I have those. And the negatives!"

That wasn't the first time that Ripa joked about Consuelos' former girlfriends. During a 2015 episode of "Live! With Kelly and Michael" (in which Consuelos was sitting in for Ripa's then-co-host Michael Strahan), Ripa read passages of a love letter that one of Consuelos' high school girlfriends wrote in his yearbook. "All right, move on, move on!" the mortified Consuelos said, as reported by E! News.

Another regular feature of Kelly Ripa's social media are the "thirst trap" photos of husband Mark Consuelos that she'll often post, which typically feature him in varying stages of undress. In fact, back in 2020 she shared a since-deleted post featuring a photo of her shirtless spouse posing with two of his co-stars (also sans-shirts) in the drama "Kingdom." In the caption, reported Men's Health, she plugged the fact that the boxing drama was making its debut on Netflix. "This show is brilliantly written, beautifully acted and jam packed with male nudity," Ripa wrote. "You've been warned."

During a 2022 episode of "Live! With Kelly and Ryan," Ripa returned to the topic of her husband's ripped physique. Speaking to viewers (via Page Six), she complained that none of Consuelos' clothes fit him — because he'd built up his muscles so much. "He can't fit in any of his clothes," Ripa shared. "He's like, 'I can't button these shirts. Did you do something to them?' Like, 'Yeah, I secretly, behind your back, sewed them all a little bit tighter!'" 

Ripa's co-host Ryan Seacrest also revealed a conversation he'd had with Consuelos, who was well aware of how much he'd bulked up. "Bro, I got too big," Seacrest recalled Consuelos telling him. "What's funny about that is, right now he's cleaning out his closet and he's getting rid of all of the shirts that are too small," Ripa added. "Which is all of the shirts."

Like many actors, Mark Consuelos will sometimes alter his hairstyle or grow/remove facial hair for a film or television role. One role in particular, circa 2012, led him to grow a moustache — something his wife Kelly Ripa absolutely loathed. "There was one role in particular where I call it 'The Year of the Porn 'Stache,'" Ripa recalled to co-host Ryan Seacrest during an episode of "Live! With Kelly and Ryan," as reported by People. "And the pictures are still [around]."

Making matters worse, Ripa continued, that was during a time when the couple attended a lot of media events, at which they were invariably photographed. In fact, she told Seacrest at one point she'd become so exasperated with her husband's facial fuzz that she remembered telling him, "Do we need to bring the porn 'stache? The way your hair grows, you can have it grown back by tomorrow!" Despite the alleged speed at which he can grow a moustache, he declined his wife's invitation to shave. "You know, he didn't want to do that for continuity," she pointed out.

In 2019, Ripa also took a playful shot at her hirsute hubby when she shared a throwback photo of the couple on Instagram, taken during that same year. "2012 the year of the mustache," she wrote in the caption, hilariously adding, "(his. Mine not pictured)." 

Just before Halloween 2021, Kelly Ripa shared a photo on Instagram of herself and spouse Mark Consuelos wearing some vintage outfits to promote the annual "Live! With Kelly and Ryan" Halloween episode. "Mom and Dad just returned from the #1940s," she wrote in the caption. According to People, more than one fan commented on the snug fit of Consuelos' trousers. "Not sure the 40's pants fit quite like that, but who's complaining?" wrote one follower. Ripa replied by joking that "it's a Halloween tradition" for her husband to squeeze into tight pants for his Halloween costume. 

That tradition apparently started the previous year, thanks to a pre-Halloween Instagram post that featured various members of the Consuelos-Ripa family modelling their Halloween costumes. In one photo, Consuelos is pictured with a pal, with both wearing California Highway Patrol uniforms to emulate Erik Estrada and Larry Wilcox from 1970s cop show "CHiPs." As it turned out, many of the comments pointed out the tightness of Consuelos' pants, and noted what many people identified as a "bulge." As one cheeky commenter wrote, "Is that a pair of folded socks or are you just happy to see me?" 

So prevalent were the comments that Consuelos felt compelled to respond. "Full disclosure, I believe that's definitely a shadow that's causing that bulging effect,' he wrote (via the Daily Mail), adding, "Pretty sure." Ripa, however, was not buying it. "Ummmmm baby are you seeing shadows?" she responded.

In May 2022, Mark Consuelos and Kelly Ripa celebrated their 26th wedding anniversary — an eternity in celebrity years. According to Ripa, one reason behind the longevity of the couple's marriage is Consuelos' knack for making his wife feel like the most special woman on the planet. "We've been together a long time, but all Mark has to do is look at me [and I] feel so special, so pretty and so young," Ripa gushed in a 2020 interview with ET Canada. "It's probably his superpower. He knows how to treat his spouse like the only person in the world. He's got the best smile I've ever seen, so when he smiles it's like the sun's shining on you."

Consuelos, of course, has his own perspective on why the believes their marriage has enduring for so long. Speaking with Us Weekly in 2019, Consuelos gave Ripa all the credit for the success of their relationship. "I'm crazy about her," he said. "She's an extremely patient and a tolerant woman, and I think that's the true secret to our marriage."