Mark Consuelos admits he's 'just getting' marriage after 23 years with Kelly Ripa

Mark Consuelos and Kelly Ripa's enviable marriage has been 23 years in the making. 

The "Riverdale" actor explained to Esquire that he feels as though he's just getting a firm grip on things after eloping with the "Live" host in 1996.

When asked for words of wisdom to share with other couples, Consuelos was reluctant.

“I'm an incredibly slow learner, so I feel like I'm just getting it. Like, ‘Oh, this is what you're supposed to do,’ or, ‘OK, sometimes yes means no,’" he said. "After 23 years, I'm just learning that — so no, I don't think I could give anybody advice."

Despite his initial hesitation, the former "All My Children" actor did come through with some advice for couples in the spotlight.  

"I guess sometimes you see these public marriages end and you wonder, ‘Really? You're going to quit now? It's just been a couple of years. Maybe you should try to stick it out,’" he said. "It's kind of great to have a life together with someone.

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"Of course, I'm not supporting staying in a horrible marriage. I'm just saying, if you can, maybe wait until it calms down a little bit. Wait until the magic happens.”

Consuelos, 48, said he finds "magic" in "the simple moments — the really simple, not extravagant times.

"I'm just looking at this life that we created together," he said. "In a movie, it would be that moment where the husband kind of looks around and is looking at his wife and kids and you're here, you're in this beautiful place. And you think, ‘I'm just a kid from southern Illinois and Tampa. How did I get all of this?’ "

After more than two decades of marriage, the couple still keep things steamy, often flirting on Instagram, sometimes to the chagrin of their 17-year-old daughter, Lola. Ripa at times refers to her husband as "daddy," which Consuelos explained to Esquire originated with Andy Cohen. 

The Bravo host was home with Ripa when Consuelos called and asked him to lock a door, admittedly giving "dad" vibes. 

"Andy said, ‘Sure, OK, daddy,'" Consuelos recalled. "And that's where it started, and it stuck."

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