Kelly Ripa’s youngest son Joaquin breaks social media cover to ask followers for support
The LIVE with Kelly and Mark host shares her kids Michael, Lola and Joaquin with husband and co-anchor Mark Consuelos
Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos’ son Joaquin is truly stepping into his own as an entertainer outside of his famous parents’ identity.
The 21-year-old is currently a senior at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and is a theatre studies major who is also a member of the college wrestling team, the Wolverines.
While he does have a public social media account, he rarely ever posts so as to maintain more privacy while at college. However, over the weekend, he shared a rare post to his Instagram calling for support from his over 70,000 followers.
Joaquin took to his Instagram Stories to share that he and his wrestling team would be joining the school’s 26th annual Mock Rock, a student-athlete talent show fundraiser for C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital.
“Great cause,” he wrote alongside his story, sharing a link to further details of all the teams performing and for donations to the Charles Woodson Clinical Research Fund at the hospital.
A student at the School of Music, Theatre and Dance, Joaquin recently spoke with campus athletics publication mgoblue.com about balancing his theatre studies with his wrestling.
© Instagram“I actually understand the rules of the game a little bit better,” he commented on how his progress as a wrestler has changed over his four years with the team. “I think my preparation has gotten better, that’s one of the bigger differences.”
However, he explained that his initial intent was to pursue wrestling more seriously than acting. “As far as studying theater, I think it started with wrestling, and then the theater side was second.”
“My wrestling coach in middle school, Jeff Marsh, also went to Michigan. So, I was automatically pushed in that direction a little bit,” Joaquin added. He would train with a wrestling club in Hoboken, New Jersey as a middle schooler after school and on weekends, until his high school introduced a wrestling team.
© Instagram“When I started wrestling New York-level competition, it was so funny, because I thought that these guys were so much worse,” he quipped. “New York City is not on the same level wrestling-wise as New Jersey in any way.”
He did eventually find the right ways to channel his training on the mat to the stage. “I think the psychological side of theatre has helped my wrestling as far as knowing how your energy when you walk into a room affects the people around you,” he mentioned.
© Instagram“One thing that I love about the locker room is that it’s never not a good vibe. It’s pretty much always people cracking jokes and trash-talking to each other.”
Joaquin also revealed that going on auditions with his older brother Michael, who is an actor, writer and currently a producer with Bravo, inspired his love for the craft even more. “With my brother, we would make short movies and stuff on our phones. That’s when I started any remote type of acting.”
© InstagramHe will next be seen in a production of A Few Good Men at the Power Center in Ann Arbor on February 20, just days before his 22nd birthday.
