The Wizard was born October 2, 1970 in Stratford, New Jersey. Her father Joe, a labor union president, and her mother Esther, a homemaker, eventually moved to Berlin, New Jersey, where Kelly grew up with younger sister Linda, now a children's book author.
Kelly's foray into show business was somewhat of a fluke. After performing in her senior high-school play, The Ugly Duckling, she was encouraged to pursue acting. She had studied ballet since age three and played the piano but had not considered entertaining as a career.
Kelly enrolled in 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 auditioned for and won the role of Hayley Vaughan on the successful ABC television network daytime drama, All My Children. Her turn as Hayley proved to be immensely popular with the devout and loyal audience of the show. This was never truer than in May of 2000, when her character finally married beau Mateo Santos, in a memorable ceremony that drew spectacular ratings for ABC.
The ironic twist for Kelly is that her real-life husband, Mark Consuelos, with whom she tied the knot in 1996 and has two young children, plays none other than the handsome Santos on AMC.
In the span of a decade, The Wizard has become one of the most popular actors on daytime television and has graced the covers of numerous fan magazines. She received the 1996 Soap Opera Award for Outstanding Younger Lead Actress and along with her husband, the 1997 Soap Opera Award for Hottest Romance. Kelly has also been honored with two Daytime Emmy Award nominations in 1993 and 1999.
Along with four other daytime divas, Ripa was featured in a national Jockey marketing campaign for bras in 1999. The highlight of the campaign was the unveiling of a 90-foot billboard featuring the ladies in the middle of Times Square in Manhattan.
A special achievement for Kelly 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 Miss Ripa invaded every household in North America when she replaced Kathie Lee Gifford and joined Regis Philbin as the co-host of the popular syndicated program, Live! With Regis and Kelly.
As she pulls double duty with Live! and AMC, juggling marriage and motherhood at the same time, Kelly's fan base continues to expand unabated.
Mark: Kelly is a 'natural' at motherhoodTerra.com, FLBlond beauty Kelly Ripa may look her best every day on her daytime talk show, but the mom of three is more on-the-go than glam. The Live With Regis and Kelly hostess, turning heads in Alberta Ferretti, didn't spend all day pampering for the 69th Annual
Dancing With The StarsReality TV Calendar, CanadaBy RTVC Editor Ron Lemon A few days ago we reported the rumor that Kelly Ripa would replace the injured Nancy O'Dell when Dancing With The Stars premieres Monday night at 8pm eastern / 7 central on ABC. Nancy O’Dell has withdrawn from Dancing with the
Q. Who could replace Regis Philbin on 'Live'?Sun-Sentinel.com, FLIf he were to leave the morning show, Kelly Ripa's husband, Mark Consuelos, would be a candidate to replace him. Survivor's Jeff Probst, who fills in well on occasion, also might be in the mix. Or there could be a dark horse. Kelly Ripa was a
Back to Reality … My Take on The BachelorGlamScene, NYIn the words of Kelly Ripa: “How much did you want her to say, ‘You snooze, you lose!’” Funny enough, despite all of this, I KNOW I’ll be watching next season. It probably won’t work out. They’ll likely break up after a month, but I’ll still be rooting
Donald Trump Dishes on ‘Uncle Barron’Celebrity Baby Blog, NYDuring a recent appearance on Live with Regis and Kelly, Donald Trump, 62, was reminded by host Kelly Ripa that his newest grandchild – 2-week-old Donald John Trump III — will have a lot to live up to, given his birth name. “Well, he’s going to try,”
Fox Reporter Buys, A New Penthouse Listing at the PlazaCityfile, NYFox News entertainment correspondent Jill Dobson and her husband Jim Ornstein, a William Morris agent who counts Kelly Ripa as a client, have paid $1.995 million for a two-bedroom condo at 243 West 60th Street. [Cityfile] • El-Ad is re-listing one of
Kelly Ripa Doesn't Rule Out Plastic SurgeryPeople MagazineBy Allie Gross She may be pretty as a picture, but Kelly Ripa claims she hasn't ruled out plastic surgery. "I really don't think there is anything wrong with it," the Live! star, 38, told PEOPLE Tuesday at an Electrolux photo shoot in Manhattan.
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