Italian American Heritage Month: Kelly Ripa

A South Jersey native, Kelly Marie Ripa had been performing in her senior high school play, The Ugly Duckling, when she was approached by a mentor who encouraged her to pursue acting. 

Born in Stratford, Kelly attended Camden County Community College and performed in local theater productions before getting her big break. joining the cast of the daytime soup All My Children in November, 1990. She is proudly Italian American and frequently makes reference to her heritage.

Of course Kelly is best known for her decades long success with the ABC TV weekday staple Live with Kelly and . . . Her co-hosts have included Regis Philbin, Ryan Seacrest and, currently her husband, Mark Consuelos. 

Kelly has received nominations for a 1993 Daytime Emmy Award and a 1993 Soap Opera Award and Live did eventually win its own daytime Emmy. Kelly, is the first in her family to enter the acting profession. She had studied ballet since age three, plays the piano and, in her words, is "no Barbra Streisand', but can carry a tune.