“ONLY ONE CONSUELOS CAN BRAG AFTER TONIGHT”: Mark Consuelos Reveals The Playful Rivalry With Son Joaquin Consuelos Before Their Tony Awards Face-Off, Turning A Proud Father-Son Moment Into A Family Showdown Fans Never Expected — Behind The Laughs And Trash Talk Is A Bigger Story About A Son Finally Stepping Out Of His Father’s Shadow

Mark Consuelos and son Joaquin Consuelos are competing for more than just Tony Awards at Broadway’s biggest night.

When the 79th annual ceremony kicks off on Sunday, June 7, the father-son duo will see the respective productions they’re starring in go head-to-head in the Best Revival of a Play category — with a healthy dose of family bragging rights on the line.

“There is a lot of smack talk,” Mark, 55, tells PEOPLE, of the competition between the two camps.

His wife Kelly Ripa, with whom Mark executive produces the new Hulu docuseries Squatters: Get the F*** Out of My House, echoed his statement. “There’s a lot of smack talk,” she says.

“Though it’s all good natured,” Mark insists, explaining the two don’t have any official bets going.

Ripa, 55, is certainly enjoying watching from the sidelines. She says she “couldn’t be prouder” of Mark and their son, and is thrilled to be attending the awards show no matter what happens.

“Are you kidding? This is my one and only chance to go to the Tonys. I’m going!” Ripa jokes. “Who knows if they’ll ever both be on Broadway again at the same time like this. It’s probably the only time that my husband’s play and my son’s play are nominated against each other for Best Revival.”

“Yeah, that’s pretty wild,” says Mark.

The family showdown comes after both Consueloses made their Broadway debuts this season. Mark stars as Maurice Duclos in the Roundabout Theatre Company’s revival of Noël Coward’s Fallen Angels, while Joaquin, 23, appears as a young Biff Loman in the star-studded revival of Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman.

Both productions are up for multiple awards. Death of a Salesman is in the running for nine honors, including acting trophies for stars Nathan Lane, Laurie Metcalf and Chris Abbott. Fallen Angels — which actually plays its last performance on Sunday, June 7 — received five nods, including ones for Rose Byrne and Kelli O’Hara.

Earlier this month, Mark and Joaquin opened up about navigating Broadway together while performing just blocks apart. “It’s definitely a father-son experience,” Joaquin told The New York Times. “It’s something we both wanted to do, and we’re super lucky to be doing it at the same time.”

Mark agreed, revealing that he even leaned on his son early in the process because Joaquin began rehearsals before him.

“It took a couple weeks for us to actually realize we were going to be onstage at the same time, and that it was interesting, and odd, and cool,” Mark said. “He started rehearsals before me, so I leaned on him a little bit.”

The pair said they’ve spent the season swapping stories after performances, comparing notes about rehearsals. They’ve even run into one another at the gym between shows.

“It’s cool — we have so much to talk about,” Joaquin said.

While both men admitted they were initially intimidated to share the stage with Broadway heavyweights, each admitted working with such talents has made them stronger actors.

“I’m learning a lot,” said Joaquin, while Mark explained how he navigated being a novice to the world of Broadway. “My strategy was just not to say anything and keep my head down, and just try to know all my lines and stay out of the way. I sat in the rehearsal hall and watched how they worked, and what their process was. I also learned a tremendous amount.”

They’ve learned a lot, too, by watching one another. “I’m blown away by his confidence, his stage presence,” said Mark.

“I watch his extremities. They’re always relaxed and chill,” Joaquin noted. “You can tell if there’s tenseness, and I started to notice that in myself. You can control your body temperature from your hands.”

“I absolutely love doing this,” Mark said of Broadway. “And as long as I’m here in New York, I would definitely do it again.”

Joaquin echoed the sentiment. “I’m already mourning it — I’m already sad that it’s going to be over,’ he said, his production set to wrap on Aug. 9. “And now I want to do everything. I don’t want to limit myself.”

Tickets for Fallen Angels and Death of a Salesman are now on sale.

Hosted by Pink, the 2026 Tony Awards are airing from Radio City Music Hall on both coasts beginning at 8 p.m. ET on CBS and Paramount+. Before the broadcast, Laura Benanti and Tituss Burgess host the pre-show, The Tony Awards: Act One, streaming live on Pluto TV starting at 6:35 p.m. ET.