Kelly Ripa's Son Michael Consuelos Has Grown Up To Be His Father Mark's Twin
Time has flown since actors and hosts Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos welcomed their son Michael into the world on June 2, 1997. In the years since, Michael has grown into a handsome young man who shares his parents' love of acting, and is the spitting image of his famous father it will have you seeing double! (As people on the internet like to say, he looks more like his dad than Mark Consuelos looks like himself, if that makes sense.) The resemblance is so uncanny that Michael was cast to play the younger version of Mark's character, Hiram Lodge, in "Riverdale," marking the 27-year-old's first real shot at acting.
"I was so nervous," Michael recalled on "Live With Kelly and Mark" in 2018. He noted that he had to audition to get the part and was surprised to see all these actors who looked like their doppelgängers in one studio. "I went there with a bunch of people who could've been brothers or cousins... like a bunch of Michaels. I'm like gosh, am I gonna get it?" Michael said. "I thought looking like dad would kinda be my way in, but everyone there looked like my dad. Even more [so] than me!"
It was, in fact, Mark who urged him to read for the part after Michael — who studied film at New York University — took an interest in acting. (He previously wanted to be a producer.) Clearly, he was the perfect choice, seeing as Michael is his father's mini-me both on-and-off screen.
The apple doesn't fall from the tree for Mark and Michael
Which is which?! Former soap opera darling and talk show royalty Kelly Ripa surprised her followers in 2021 when she posted an Instagram photo of her husband Mark Consuelos and their son Michael looking like literal clones. "Unreal," one user replied to the snapshot, which showed Mark next to his son as they mirrored each other from their hair down to their facial features. Even Kate Hudson was amused. "This is nuts!!!" the actor, who herself is a twin of her mother Goldie Hawn, gushed under the post. In case you need more proof, Kelly also posted this side-by-side picture of Mark taken when he was a high school senior versus a 2016 photo of Michael. Really, it's like looking at the same person! "I always knew they CLOSELY resembled each other, but WOW!!! This is another level," one fan gushed.
During an episode of "Live With Kelly and Ryan" in 2019, Kelly also addressed the uncanny resemblance between the father-and-son duo as she celebrated Michael's 22nd birthday on the show. "I don't know, I kind of see a little bit of myself," Kelly argued while looking at a photo of Michael. However, she came to the conclusion that Michael really is her husband's mini-me. "We just have the same sort of... [awkwardness in social situations]," the doting mom-of-three noted. Her co-host Ryan Seacrest echoed the sentiment, stating that Michael did take after his handsome father as far as his looks. "They look like they could be brothers," he said.
Michael likes to raid his father's closet
Not only is Michael Consuelos a carbon copy of his father, but they evidently also share the same fashion sense! Like his dad, Michael enjoys dressing up in dapper suits and smart casual clothing, sometimes even borrowing items from Mark's "cool" wardrobe — apparently without his permission." Speaking with People in 2021, as one of their "Gen Next" sexiest men of the year, Michael said, "I steal his clothes sometimes." It's one of the many perks of having celebrities as parents; another is helping him get his foot in the door. He considers himself extremely fortunate in that regard. "I'm a lucky guy, you know," Michael admitted. "I can't stress that enough. I'm very grateful for every opportunity."
Speaking of acting, Michael also discussed his experience of working with his dad on "Riverdale," stating it's his dream come true. "It's cool to hang out with them and see them in their element," he explained. Referring to Kelly and Mark, "They both work so hard and they're both pretty much masters of what they do, so it's very much a learning experience." But as much as he enjoyed sharing the screen with his dad, Michael expressed that he looks forward to expanding his resume; in 2022, he appeared on Lifetime's "Let's Get Physical" starring Jena Dewan and produced by his ever-supportive parents. "Hopefully the next step is more," Michael told ET in 2021. "I'm hungry for more."