Gabriel Basso awkwardly tries not to hug Kelly Ripa
This agent wasn’t going to be caught making the wrong move.
During Gabriel Basso’s Thursday appearance on “Live With Kelly and Mark,” the “Night Agent” star comically attempted to avoid hugging Kelly Ripa in front of her longtime husband, Mark Consuelos.
Basso, 30, who was on the morning show to promote Season 2 of the Netflix thriller, walked out and approached Ripa with his hand extended outward.
The “All My Children” alum initially had her arms open for a hug but then quickly reached out to shake Basso’s outstretched hand before going in for the embrace.
“Welcome, hello. We do hugs here. Is that okay? Was that weird?” Ripa, 54, said, making light of the exchange.
“No, I just… you’re married, I just wanted to give you a handshake,” Basso responded, which got a laugh out of Consuelos, 53.
“Well, Mark was going to hug you first, but I wanted to make him feel less weird about it,” Ripa replied, with Basso admitting that he “missed” Consuelos’ gesture. “It’s all good,” Basso said before the interview started.
The exchange came a day after Basso shocked Lara Spencer by calling her “ma’am” on “Good Morning America.”
His choice of words at the end of their interview promoted the anchor to playfully scold him as she advised Basso, “Oh, don’t call me ma’am!”
Season 2 of “The Night Agent” debuts Jan. 23 on Netflix, with Basso gaining popularity over the past two years for playing Peter Sutherland in the series.
But the young star is no stranger to the spotlight.
Basso previously played Martin Read in “Super 8,” Patrick Keenan in “The Kings of Summer,” and JD Vance in “Hillbilly Elegy.”
Recently, he worked alongside Clint Eastwood in Eastwood’s directorial feature “Juror #2.”
Basso got candid on their hilarious interactions while on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” on Tuesday.
Fallon presented a photo of Basso and Eastwood, 94, on the set of “Juror #2” before the late-night host asked the actor if he remembered what they were talking about.
“I think he [Eastwood] called me an idiot,” Basso admitted. “You know, what do you say to Clint Eastwood? He’s seen it. He’s done it. He’s been everywhere…You are not as cool as he is. So, you just kind of sit there, and you’re like, yeah, you know, whatever you say, boss…I’m an idiot.”
Basso also shared his “favorite” interaction with the iconic filmmaker.
“The Big C” alum recalled Eastwood leaving his trailer eating Cheez-Its. When an “attractive young woman” walked by, the star allegedly nodded at her and she waved at Basso. Eastwood then offered her his Cheez-Its. Basso quipped, “And it was like, what the h— is going on? And it worked!”