Kelly Ripa Facts: Celebrities Who Started On Soaps

Kelly Ripa is the co-host of Live! With Kelly and Ryan, a show she has been on for almost two decades, but she is also a successful actress. In fact, prior to being a daytime talk show host, Ripa got her start on All My Children as Hayley Vaughan.

Along with her talk show career and acting pursuits, Ripa has a beautiful family and a loving husband. From where she was born and raised to the important causes she supports, here are five fast facts about the star.

Who Is Kelly Ripa?

Ripa was born on October 2 in Berlin, New Jersey. She graduated from Eastern Regional High School in Voorhees Township, New Jersey. A cheerleader in high school, she was also encouraged to pursue theater. She starred in local theater productions and ended up moving to New York City after leaving college.

Dancing Queen
Though she knew she wanted to be an actor, her first job on television was on the show Dancin’ On Air — as a dancer. She then appeared on the show Dance Party USA. In fact, her career goal at the time was to be a newscaster, which she ended up achieving.

Soap Beginnings
After appearing on Dance Party USA, Kelly Ripa was cast as Hayley Vaughan on All My Children. She was on the show for 12 years and even continued being on the show after she landed her spot on Live! With Kelly and Regis. She left the show in 2002, but she returned in 2010 to celebrate the show’s 40th anniversary.

Important Causes

There are many causes that are important to Ripa, including Mothers Against Drunk Driving. She is very involved with this organization because her sister, Linda, was almost killed by a drunk driver in the ‘90s. She also raises money to support ovarian cancer research, as she lost a friend to the disease.

Getting Personal With Kelly Ripa
Ripa met her husband Mark Consuelos while working on All My Children. The couple eloped in 1996 and have been together ever since. They have three children together — Michael, Lola, and Joaquin.