Alexa PenaVega Teases ‘Spy Kids’ 25th Reunion News: ‘People Are Going to Be Very Excited’ (Exclusive)
The former child actress—now 37—blends holiday giving, 'Spy Kids' magic and a rom-com love story IRL
Alexa PenaVega had her breakout moment as the spunky star of Spy Kids and its sequels and went on to become a regular in Hallmark rom-coms. Now 37 and a mom of three, the former child star has recently moved to Great American Family, where she’s starred opposite her husband, actor and singer Carlos PenaVega, in Mr. Manhattan and Get Him Back for Christmas.
When she’s not busy acting, PenaVega is dedicated to giving back, and she’s partnered with the faith-based humanitarian organization World Vision to promote the importance of helping those in need throughout the holiday season and beyond. “I’ve been interested in outreach ever since I was little. It goes back to my mom, because she instilled those values in me,” she says, noting that she’s been donating to World Vision for years and has recently taken on a more active role. “It’s been really cool to see how they work and how they meet the needs of the communities they serve in every single way,” she says with a smile.
Alexa PenaVega sat down with Woman’s World to discuss holiday giving, working with her husband and the magic of Spy Kids.
Alexa PenaVega on the legacy of ‘Spy Kids’ 25 years later
In just a few months, Spy Kids will celebrate its 25th anniversary, and Alexa PenaVega still has plenty of fond memories from the set of the family blockbuster. “It’s so special, and I still feel really close to everybody who was a part of that project. I’m still friends with Daryl Sabara, who played my brother in the movie, and we talk often. And the director, Robert Rodriguez—I can’t say too much, but what I will say is people are going to be very excited over the next year or so with some things that are happening,” she says.
“The sets of the movie were magical,” she continues. “We didn’t have social media back then and our brains weren’t occupied in that way, so we were really present when we were on set. We were kids playing the most extreme version of dress-up that you could play. All those sets for the first two movies were practical and built from the ground up, and it was insane to be able to come in every day and play with all the gadgets. I come from a very large family with six siblings, and we’d all go run around that set, so it was very much a part of their childhood as well as mine, and we grew up there. When you watch the movie, you could tell everyone was having a blast.”
Growing up in Hollywood: Why Alexa’s mom almost pulled her out of acting
Even with all the fun PenaVega had during the making of Spy Kids, being in the spotlight at a young age could still be challenging, and looking back, she says, “I had a very strict mom in the best way. Our faith laid a strong foundation in my life. I was not perfect at all. In fact, I was a little turd sometimes! There was one point, and this was even before Spy Kids, where I was getting a little bratty, and my mom was like, ‘You know what? I’m going to pull you out of the industry.’ I remember being like, ‘What?’ and my agents were like, ‘You can’t do that.’ But she said, ‘I’m not going to lose my child,’ so she took me out for a short time.”
“There were certain projects that didn’t happen,” she shares, “But looking back, I appreciate that she emphasized the value of who I was becoming as a person, as opposed to just saying, ‘This is a big opportunity, and if she misses it, she misses out forever.’ She knew that if I took an opportunity that blew up before I was ready for it, she might lose me, and she was always good at emphasizing what was actually important”—and today, the actress aims to instill the same groundedness in her own children.
“My teenage years were definitely hard,” PenaVega admits. “In my youth, I felt like I had such a good foundation, and through my teen years, that foundation became a little rocky. I didn’t fully understand what my faith meant to me until my 20s. That’s something that comes with growing up, and I think that as a teen, I was trying to be something I wasn’t. I wanted to be so cool. There are moments that I can be cool, but in other moments, I’m just really dorky, and I’ve learned to accept that and love that about myself, because that’s how God made me. I love being silly and wacky, and that’s the part of me that’s most authentic.”
Working with husband Carlos Penavega: ‘It’s really fun getting to fall in love with him over and over again’
Alexa PenaVega has been loving her rom-com era, and she’s taken an active role as a producer for some of her films with Hallmark and Great American Family. “It’s been really fun to be on that side of the filmmaking process and learn how things work,” she says, explaining that given the tight schedules and carefully managed budgets of TV movies, “You have to be super prepared before you walk on set, because you always hit the ground running.”
After years of working with Hallmark, PenaVega wanted to make a change, saying, “We loved that these projects were wholesome and family-friendly, but we wanted to elevate them.” “Last year, Great American Family allowed us to create a story and produce it under our company, Good for You. We produced Get Him Back for Christmas, and I really do feel like it stands out. It’s so different from the normal formula that’s used, and they gave us a lot of freedom. Obviously, it’s still feel-good and fun for the whole family, but it feels like a more elevated movie that you would normally see on another network. We’re really proud of it.”
PenaVega has delighted in working with her husband. “It’s awesome!” she says. “I really do enjoy acting in general, but my husband knows me so well that if we go off-script a little bit or we decide to add stuff, he volleys with me. We can go back and forth and play, and having banter makes it exciting.” “Sometimes I’ll work with other actors and give them a little extra, and they’re like, ‘That’s not on the page. What are you doing?’ And I’m like, ‘No, just play with me! Keep going!’ So there’s a level of comfort that I have with my husband,” she explains. “It’s really fun getting to fall in love with him over and over again on the screen. He’s a hunk, so I can’t complain!” Nearly 30 years into her career, it’s clear that Alexa PenaVega is having as much fun as ever.
Giving back: Alexa’s holiday mission with World Vision
“Every Christmas is a little different because our work takes us all over the world. My husband is currently on tour. He’s in Europe right now, and he doesn’t get home until Christmas Eve, but I’ve been decorating the house with the kids,” PenaVega says. “I know it sounds a little cheesy, but this really is the season of giving for our family. Of course, we all love receiving gifts, but we really want to focus on helping others around the holidays. The more you give, the more fulfilled you feel.”
To that end, PenaVega has been sharing World Vision’s gift catalog with her children. The catalog features everything from handcrafted goods from the communities they serve to information on sponsorships to provide families with animals that give food, as well as moneymaking opportunities. “The highlight for me was when my kids told their friends about it,” she says. “I overheard my oldest, Ocean, and he was like, ‘Bro, if you give a goat, it helps families, and they get milk from it, and they can sell it,’ and I was cracking up, because it felt like such a good sign that my parenting is working. They’re actually telling their friends that they should buy goats for other people!”
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