The cast of "All My Children" is reuniting every day this week!
Pine Valley's most memorable residents are getting together for "EW Cast Reunions: All My Children," a weeklong virtual reunion that's part of Entertainment Weekly's #UnitedAtHome series.
Kelly Ripa (Hayley Vaughan), Mark Consuelos (Mateo Santos), Eva LaRue (Dr. Maria Santos Grey), and Sydney Penny (Julia Santos) kicked things off Tuesday morning. The former co-stars shared laughter-filled memories of working together on the legendary daytime soap opera, which aired for 41 years on ABC.
For Ripa, 49, landing the role of Hayley Vaughan at age 20 was life changing. Not only did the show launch her television career, it also helped her meet future husband Consuelos.
"I wasn't like everybody else on this panel. Everybody else had jobs and careers and they were professional actors," recalled Ripa. "I truly moved to New York and I was working at the Toy Fair and I auditioned sort of on a whim. I was originally dropping off other people's headshots, because (that was) my side hustle."
But luck was on Ripa's side at the audition.
"I got, like, six callbacks and two screen tests, because they were really sure they wanted me," she joked. "Two screen tests later and I wound up getting the job. But it was really — I mean, talk about happy accidents. It really was a happy accident. It changed my life. It changed my entire life — not just my acting life, but changed the whole trajectory of my life."
Consuelos, 49, also won the role of Mateo Santos shortly after arriving in New York City.
"What drew me to the role was that I had never worked as an actor before, so that was very exciting, to get a job," joked the actor. "It was one of my first auditions. Similarly, I had to re-screen test a few times as well."
"We were that good," quipped Ripa, who notes she fell for Consuelos right away. The couple tied the knot in 1996, and went on to welcome sons Michael, 22, and Joaquin, 17, and daughter Lola, 18.
The weeklong "AMC" reunion, which is helping to raise funds for Feeding America, will also include appearances by Susan Lucci, Josh Duhamel, Jennifer Bassey, Tamara Braun, Justin Bruening, Rebecca Budig, Bobbie Eakes, Melissa Claire Egan, Ricky Paull Goldin, Alexa Havins, Michael E. Knight, Jill Larson, Cameron Mathison, Cady McClain, Billy Miller, Alicia Minshew, Leven Rambin, Eden Riegel, Chrishell Stause, Walt Willey, Darnell Williams and Jacob Young.
The reunion's episodes air live Tuesday through Friday, at 10 a.m. ET with two episodes airing on Friday. Stream each episode on EW.com and PeopleTV.com.