TV Watch

Mark Consuelos: Wife Kelly Ripa ‘Psyched’ for His Ugly Betty Role

08/06/2008 at 12:00 AM EDT

Mark Consuelos, who has joined the ranks of such stars as Lindsay Lohan, Victoria Beckham, Naomi Campbell and Jerry O’Connell in landing a guest spot on ABC’s Ugly Betty, says his wife Kelly Ripa is "psyched" for him, but that hasn't stopped her from engaging in some friendly husband-and-wife one-upmanship.

“They did an episode last week with her and Regis,” says Consuelos of Ripa, who will make her own Ugly Betty guest appearance on the show's Sept. 25 premiere. “So she was like, ‘Aw, I did it first. Gotcha!’

Consuelos begins shooting his scenes Aug. 6, and is clearly looking forward to the experience. “When you see a show that’s that funny,” Consuelos, 37, says of the Emmy-winning comedy. “It looks like they’re having fun. I can’t say I’ve heard anything other than that so I’m excited. I’m a big fan of the show.”



Although he is elated about his new gig, he’s tight-lipped about the role. “I can tell you very, very little,” he says. “One, because they don’t want to reveal too much, and two, because I don’t know much. I can say he’s a detective. Right now it’s only one episode that we know of, which I’m thrilled about.”

One reason Consuelos (who is of Mexican and Italian heritage) is a fan of the series, about Betty Suarez’s experience at work and with her close-knit New York City clan, is that it offers a positive portrayal of Latinos.

“Whenever there are more of us on television, I’m always really, really happy,” he says. “It represents America in a realistic way. We had a mainstream Latin family on All My Children. George Lopez was another on ABC with a Latin family that I thought was great. But I’m always hoping for more. And you can never have enough. I say keep it coming.”

The chance to work close to home on the Queens set of Ugly Betty was also another major selling point. “I’ve worked in Canada, Australia, Los Angeles,” he explains. “But anytime you can work in the city, it’s a real plus. You can be home by dinnertime.” --Ivory Jeff Clinton

Tana Lee Alves/WireImage