Joaquin Ripa’s UNEXPECTED Transformation Shocks Viewers — Kelly Ripa’s Son Reveals A Bold New Side In A Role That Nobody Was Prepared Fo

The talented actor is a student at the University of Michigan

Joaquin Consuelos - IMDb

Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos’ children are all following in their footsteps, and their youngest son Joaquin is set for a bright future on stage.

The 21-year-old is in his final year at the University of Michigan, and this week, he will be starring in a new theatre production in Ann Arbor.

His proud parents will no doubt go to watch him perform, as he stars in “A Few Good Men,” at the Power Center.

The show kicks off on February 20, and ahead of the opening night, Joaquin opened up about rehearsals.

He told the University of Michigan Athletics: “I think it’s a really good play. I’m a big music guy and the soundtrack of the play is cinematic. Just based off of the rehearsal process so far, I think this will have the most personal impact on me.”

Kelly Ripa's son Joaquin looked so grown up in a new series of photosKelly Ripa’s son Joaquin is set to take to the stage in a starring new role

Joaquin is studying theatre at college, and is also part of the wrestling team. For a while, he wasn’t sure which path to pursue after university, but has concluded that for now, he would like to go down the acting route – similar to his mom and dad, and older brother Michael – who was a big inspiration.

He explained to the publication that he started to attend more auditions and even attended one on behalf of Michael. “I should actually look into doing this. That was the light bulb moment,” he said as he opened up about doing an audition on his brother’s behalf.

Kelly Ripa, Mark Consuelos and Joaquin Consuelos pose for a photo at a University of Michigan football game, shared on Instagram© Instagram

Kelly and Mark Consuelos are incredibly proud of their youngest son

The family are incredibly creative, and among the actors, there is also a singer. Kelly and Michael’s daughter Lola, 23, is a talented singer and songwriter, who has released several singles.

She’s pursuing her musical career both in New York City and London – where she has been spending a lot of time since graduating.

Joaquin is following in big brother Michael's footsteps, as well as his parents'© Instagram

Joaquin is following in big brother Michael’s footsteps, as well as his parents’

Kelly and Mark are incredibly proud of all of their children, and were devastated when they first became empty nesters in 2021, especially as Joaquin was the first of their children to study away from New York City.

When Joaquin first went off to college, the Hope and Faith alum said on Live: “We became empty nesters. We took our youngest son to college, we dropped him off. It was hard. It was really hard. We dropped him off at school and we gave him a hug — it was actually brutally painful. And I said, ‘I did not realize that 18 years would go so fast.’”

Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos on LIVE with Kelly and Mark, December 24, 2025© ABC/LIVE with Kelly and Mark

Kelly and Mark became empty nesters in 2021

Nonetheless, his parents are incredibly proud of him and all his achievements, and are often visiting Ann Arbor, where his college is based, to see him.

They have become part of the community there, and Kelly has even taken part in fundraisers, including the Michigan Medicine Women’s Health Luncheon in 2023.

Joaquin recently enjoyed spending some quality time with his family over the holidays, as Kelly and Mark took their children off on a tropical vacation to welcome in the new year.