​Mark Consuelos, who celebrates his 54th birthday on March 30, is one half of one of Hollywood’s longest lasting, most beloved couples, having been with wife Kelly Ripa for nearly three decades.

The couple first met back in 1995 on the show All My Children and after a whirlwind romance, they eloped the year after while continuing to start on the soap.

They’ve achieved many highs together in their life and career, including welcoming three children. Meet Michael, Lola and Joaquin Consuelos in the video below…

However, they’re also not shy when it comes to talking about expanding their family even further. Here’s all Mark has said about becoming a doting grandparent with Kelly down the line…

Conversations about grandkids

In 2023, Mark spoke with Mr. Feel Good about the idea of becoming a grandfather, saying that those were discussions he and Kelly, also 54, actively had.

He spoke fondly about the couple having conversations about their future very early on in their romance. “We did that when we were 24 years old, and we still do it now. Like, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if we could do this?’ I never want to stop doing that, dreaming about what we could do.” 

The Riverdale star wasn’t shy about admitting that conversation often turned to a new Ripa-Consuelos generation. “Now there’s talk about grandchildren, and we’re designing things around that — we want to be the magnets, we want to be the favorite grandparents.” 

“So we’re building the magnets so they have to come to us,” he continued. “It’s those kinds of conversations that really tie us together. Even though I know I’m highly annoying and she is extremely patient. I would say that’s definitely a big factor in our relationship — her patience.”

© Instagram

The next chapter

Also in 2023, Mark made an appearance on Kelly’s podcast Let’s Talk Off Camera, where the pair reflected on their decades-long relationship and how quickly things moved between them.

The couple tied the knot in May 1996 and just one year later, welcomed Michael in June. “I didn’t plan it that way. It just happened,” Mark noted about their lack of planning when it came to becoming parents. Lola arrived in June 2001, and Joaquin was born in February 2003.

© Getty Images

“And we got really lucky that’s what we did when we did it,” he noted. “I thought it was too early. We should have had like a good year or two years just to ourselves. But no.”

He expressed excitement in taking that journey forward. “I think that I’m looking forward to being a grandfather. I’m really looking forward to that. That’s about as much parenting as I want.”

“Not even close”

Last year, while celebrating the birth of a LIVE with Kelly and Mark colleague’s grandchild on the show, an enthusiastic Mark turned to Kelly and said: “We have to start thinking about our grandparents names.”

© Getty Images

The Hope & Faith star quipped back: “Why, have you heard something?” with Mark cheekily confirming they’re “not even close” to that point, but still wanted to be prepared, which Kelly concurred with.

She recalled advice she’d received from friends with grandkids, saying: “They were like, ‘You have to select your grandparents names now–before the others [do]. You have to establish your grandparent names.'”