Mark Consuelos Joins the Cast of 9-1-1

Mark Consuelos is stepping into the spotlight with an exciting debut on 9-1-1.

On Thursday’s episode of live with kelly and mark, he and Kelly Ripa reminded viewers about his role in the Season 9 premiere of the ABC show. Ripa called it a “big deal,” mentioning that Consuelos’ guest appearance spans a “few episodes.”

Jokingly, she added, “You’re playing a fantasy role in my life. I finally married a tech billionaire.”

In this new role, Consuelos portrays Tripp Hauser, who he amusingly describes as a “good guy” and “a millionaire with a heart of gold.” He recalled his initial reaction to the script, saying, “I couldn’t believe it. I was like, ‘What?'” But as he read on, the story kept him engaged.

Consuelos elaborates on tonight’s episode, sharing that Tripp is “casually kayaking in the harbor” while trying to run a board meeting from the water when things take an unexpected turn. In a preview, Tripp tells a colleague during a video call, “Tell the board I won’t be intimidated. My IQ is 150 and my resting heart rate is 41. I’ve got the telomeres of a 22-year-old gymnast. I’ll eat that for lunch.”

However, it seems Tripp finds himself in quite a predicament as, in a funny twist, a whale swallows him whole.

Following applause from the audience, Consuelos humorously remarked, “He made me a whale.”

During the live show, he also shared a light moment with 9-1-1 showrunner Tim Minear, who assured him that they didn’t want to create anything nonsensical. “I know, I love you,” Consuelos recalled, expressing how much fun it is to portray this character who often finds himself in troublesome situations. He mentioned, “The show has some really big changes. They’re doing fantastic things.”

Ripa confirmed that this wild storyline actually has some basis in reality, recounting how Minear sent Consuelos a clip of incidents where people were indeed swallowed by whales while kayaking. She humorously mused about the concept of her tech billionaire husband being engulfed by a whale, throwing in some classic deadpan humor.

As Consuelos encouraged viewers to “stay tuned tonight,” Ripa chimed in with excitement, stating, “I’ll be front and center!”

live with kelly and mark airs on weekdays, and you can check their website for local listings. The ninth season of 9-1-1 premieres tonight at 8/7 on ABC, with episodes available to stream on Hulu the next day.