Kelly Ripa explains emotional reason why she doesn't act much anymore (exclusive)
- - Kelly Ripa explains emotional reason why she doesn't act much anymore (exclusive)
Joey NolfiDecember 12, 2025 at 10:07 PM
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LORENZO BEVILAQUA/Disney via Getty; Liebowitz/Touchstone/Abc/Kobal/Shutterstock
Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos on 'Live With Kelly and Mark'; Ripa on 'Hope & Faith'Key Points -
Kelly Ripa reveals to EW why she doesn't "act so much anymore" amid cohosting Live With Kelly and Mark.
"It's not that I don't love it," Ripa explains.
Ripa's husband, Mark Consuelos, is set to appear in the upcoming Scream 7.
Kelly Ripa, a queen of contemporary morning TV, is no stranger to getting into character — as evidenced by Live With Kelly and Mark's annual Halloween show — but as the seasoned All My Children and Hope & Faith actress tells Entertainment Weekly in an exclusive interview from the Live set, there's a reason she hasn't returned to full-time acting during her talk show reign.
"I try not to act so much anymore," Ripa, 55, explains to EW on a frigid December morning inside Live's New York City studio. She and husband Mark Consuelos, 54, have cohosted their daily daytime talk series for nearly three years, while Ripa is 24 years in on the iconic show, having started in 2001 alongside the late Regis Philbin.
As she prepares to launch the talk show's "Eat, Drink, and Be Merry" special segments next week (including Friday's annual Holiday Sweater Contest), Ripa clarifies, "It’s not that I don’t appreciate it, it’s not that I don’t love it. But I really am devoted to this show and my [Let's Talk Off Camera] podcast."
LORENZO BEVILAQUA/Disney via Getty
Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos on 'Live With Kelly and Mark'
While Consuelos, who first met his future wife on the set of All My Children before they married in 1996, regularly appears in film and TV projects amid cohosting Live (including recurring roles on 9-1-1, The Girls on the Bus, and in the upcoming Scream 7 film), Ripa has been selective about parts that might take her away from her family since permanently joining Live in February 2001.
"I feel like my plate is full. Also, we have three adult kids, and I like to be present in their endeavors," Ripa tells EW. "Our daughter [Lola] is now starting to perform in the music scene in London, so I like to be able to be present if she needs or wants me there."
Ripa has, however, taken at least one leading role during her run on Live. She fronted the ABC sitcom Hope & Faith, which costarred Faith Ford and ran from 2003 to 2006.
While she enjoyed the sitcom, part of that experience, Ripa reflects, was a "hard job" balancing daily tapings in front of a live audience with her talk show duties.
"When you’re an actor, your schedule is not your own," says Ripa.
Still, the actress has taken other smaller parts over the years, including guest spots on Ugly Betty, Hannah Montana, 30 Rock, Broad City, and opposite Consuelos in an episode of his popular Riverdale series.
While she hasn't headline a scripted TV series since Hope & Faith, she tells EW that the experience of working on the sitcom emboldened her to protect her peace on future sets, as she and Ford implemented a "no a--hole" policy on set that holds true on Live.
Ann Limongello/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty
Kelly Ripa on 'All My Children'
"We very quickly became super aligned in the fact that she had great people she always worked with, and I always had great people I always worked with. We combined that energy," Ripa recalls. "If there’s any agitators, we just didn’t tolerate it!"
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Live With Kelly and Mark airs weekdays in syndication — including seasonally themed run-ups to the show's annual Christmas episode, which is set to air on Dec. 24. Check your local listings for timing in your area.
on Entertainment Weekly
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
