After twelve years of playing Hayley, Ripa left the show in 2002. But it was not because audiences, or critics for that matter, grew uninterested. Her character had a large following, and Kelly won three Soap Opera Digest Awards and was nominated for three Daytime Emmy Awards for her efforts.

In 2001, Kelly replaced Kathie Lee Gifford as Regis Philbin’s co-host on the show that changed its title to Live with Regis and Kelly. Her perky personality and witty banter with her much-older co-host not only increased the show’s ratings, but also earned Ms. Ripa five Daytime Emmy Award nominations. After five years on the air, there is no talk of another co-star for Regis. Perhaps hoping to cash in on her success as daytime hostess, she took on a co-starring role in the 2003 sitcom Hope & Faith, also starring Faith Ford.

By the third season, however, fans lost interest and the show was cancelled. Kelly’s side projects include or have included appearing on the sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, being a spokesperson for hair coloring, and doing voice work as herself on the often-offensive animated series The Family Guy. One of the star’s most endearing qualities is the ability to laugh at herself. On both SNL and The Family Guy, she participated in skits and an episode that poked fun at, among other things, her seemingly constant perkiness.

When Hayley Vaughan and Mateo Santos became an item on All My Children in 1995, the people behind the characters quickly followed suit. Kelly married her fictional and real life love interest, Mark Consuelos, in 1996. The couple has three children, named Michael Joseph, born in 1997; Lola Grace, born in 2001; and Joaquin Antonio, born in 2003. Admittedly, their last child was named after Joaquin Phoenix, the star of the Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line. Ripa is a huge fan of the actor and his work.

Let us know of updates to the Kelly Ripa biography at editor@yuddy.com