Kelly Ripa Tells ‘Live’ That Mark Consuelos Slept On A Sofa “Next To A Turtle” Early On In His Soap Career: “He’s A Very Mature Guy. And Yet He Lives On A Sofa Next To A Turtle”
Live with Kelly and Mark‘s own Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos know the grind of breaking into the entertainment industry.
On the subject of Gen Z seeking out jobs in accounting on Friday’s episode, Ripa recalled her own experience acting, explaining that a “steady gig” was always more appealing to her than the unknown.
“When we were actors — I mean, you’re still an actor — but I liked the weekly guarantee of the soap,” she told Consuelos, referring to their time co-starring on All My Children. “Most people, they get on a soap and their goal is to get right off a soap. And I just settled right in there.”
While Ripa praised the “steadiness” of the gig and “the layout of [her] life” that it granted her, Consuelos pointed out that it takes some time to feel secure.
“And once you feel comfortable on a soap, I mean, anything can happen. But when you’re new on a soap, they have these three-month cycles,” he explained.
Ripa chimed in, “They can fire you every 13 weeks.”
Consuelos attributed these cycles to determining if certain storylines work or not, but he admitted that he “was pretty freaked out” during his first year of work.
“I slept on the couch the first year, because I didn’t want to commit to getting an apartment,” he shared.
Ripa said that her husband and co-host “slept next to a turtle,” and remembered him inviting over to “rehearse and run lines” once.
“And I was like, ‘I’m really interested in this guy. And he seems really together, like he’s put together. He’s a very mature guy. And yet he lives on a sofa next to a turtle,’” she teased. “So that kept playing in my head.”
Consuelos quipped, “If that sofa could talk.”
Ripa added, “I’m sure if that sofa could cry for help.”
Nonetheless, Ripa said she “understand[s] the safety” of a secure job, as did Consuelos, who said that he “would always think about the next job” as an actor, despite being “knee-deep in the current job.”
