Kelly Ripa biography 2022
Kelly Ripa biography
Kelly Ripa was born in Stratford, New Jersey, on October 2, 1970.
Her father, Joe, a union president, and her mother, Esther, a homemaker, moved to Berlin, New Jersey, where Kelly grew up with her younger sister Linda, now a children's author.
After appearing in her high school play, The Ugly Duckling, she was encouraged to pursue acting.
She had studied ballet since she was three and played the piano but had not considered it entertaining. Kelly enrolled at Camden Community College in New Jersey and landed parts in local theater productions, including H.M.S. Pinafore, The Wizard of Oz, and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court.
In 1990, Kelly Ripa auditioned for and won the role of Hayley Vaughan on the hit A.B.C. daytime television network, All My Children. Her turn as Hayley proved immensely popular with the show's devoted and loyal audience. This was never more true than in May 2000, when her character finally married beau Mateo Santos, in a memorable ceremony that drew spectacular ratings for A.B.C. The ironic twist for Kelly is that her husband, Mark Consuelos, with whom she tied the knot in 1996 and has two young children, plays none other than the handsome Santos on A.M.C.
Over a decade, Kelly Ripa has become one of the most famous actors and graced numerous fan magazines' covers. Ripa received the 1996 Soap Opera Award for Outstanding Younger Lead Actress and, with her husband, the 1997 Soap Opera Award for Hottest Romance.
Along with four other daytime divas, Kelly Ripa was featured in a national Jockey bra marketing campaign in 1999. The campaign's highlight was unveiling a 90-foot billboard featuring the ladies in the middle of Times Square in Manhattan.
A remarkable achievement for Kelly Ripa was being named Best Actress in 1999 by the New York City Independent Film Festival for her work in the feature film The Stand-In.
In February 2001, the irresistible Ripa invaded every household when she replaced Kathie Lee Gifford and joined Regis Philbin as co-host of the syndicated program, Live! With Regis and Kelly.
As Kelly pulls double duty with Live! and A.M.C. juggling marriage and motherhood at the same time.
last updated October 2022
