Alexa PenaVega Reveals Where Spy Kids’ Carmen and Juni Would Be Today

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Hold on to your joysticks because Juni and Carmen Cortez are all grown up.

Almost thirty years since the Cortez siblings, led by Alexa PenaVega, vanquished the Toymaker (Sylvester Stallone) and repaired his fractured bond with Grandpa Valentin (Ricardo Montalbán) in “Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over”, they have shared their thoughts on what the brother-sister duo might be doing now.

In the interview with TopMob News, the actress who portrayed Juni’s older sister shared her personal viewpoint: “I believe that Juni might have already established a family before Carmen, given her rebellious and self-reliant nature.

However, Alexa teased that the spy’s mindset would “have bit her in the butt a little bit.”

Juni appears well-suited for family life, yet he maintains a playful, investigative spirit. Carmen might express something like, “Oh no, I’ve made a mistake. If only I had followed Juni’s example and built a family!

In my expert opinion, just because Carmen is exploring the path of settling down doesn’t imply she’s accepting any shiitake mushrooms from anyone, figuratively speaking. As she herself expressed, she’s navigating the balance between maintaining her sassy, independent spirit, being a wonderful mother, and cherishing her role as a family woman.

Despite it being 22 years since the last movie in the trilogy was released, Alexa continues to think about the Cortez family. In truth, she even managed to share with her and husband Carlos PenaVega’s children – Ocean (6), Kingston (4), and Rio (2) – some of the franchise’s most cherished memorabilia from the series.

Alexa, who was in Austin for Big Time Rush’s Can’t Get Enough Tour with her husband, mentioned that she contacted Robert Rodriguez, the director and creator, to inform him about our upcoming visit. He replied enthusiastically, saying he wanted our children to witness everything we had experienced. Consequently, they went above and beyond to make sure our experience was exceptional.

In various settings, including a submarine reminiscent of Super Guppy and a battle-ready wardrobe, Alexa demonstrated her spymaster qualities impressively. This was particularly satisfying for the 36-year-old, as she got to catch up with her old colleagues who were filming “Spy Kids: Armageddon” at that moment.

In a reminiscence, Alexa (who was 11 at the time of filming in 2001) shared, “Everyone is crying because I’m working on set alongside my childhood friends, as we all grew up together during the making of this movie.

Regardless of her maturity, Alexa maintains a certain resemblance to Carmen, particularly when portraying the character Sophia in the upcoming Lifetime movie “Before Your Father Finds Us,” set to air on July 26th.

In my role, I find myself embarking on a critical journey to safeguard myself and my precious daughter, Jaeda Lily Miller, following the escape of my vengeful ex-husband, Tahmoh Penikett. This situation presents an intriguing opportunity for me to delve deeper into the more somber aspects of acting.

As a seasoned lifestyle enthusiast, I’ve been incredibly fortunate to grace the screen with lighter, romantic comedy roles. Yet, the craving for something fresh and challenging has been brewing within me. It’s been quite some time since I’ve had the opportunity to delve into more dramatic territories or take on action-packed characters that truly push my boundaries.

In her own words, it felt incredibly invigorating to have the opportunity to delve deeper into something.

Taking a brief look back at how the Spy Kids cast has evolved over time, it’s possible that some chapters may have slipped by unnoticed. Continue reading to explore their transformations through the years.

In this scenario, Alexa’s character is driven by the need to safeguard herself and daughter Jaeda Lily Miller, following the escape of her abusive ex-husband Tahmoh Penikett, who intends to seek retribution. This situation presented an opportunity for Alexa to delve deeper into portraying a more somber facet of her acting abilities.

She mused that she’s felt incredibly fortunate to play those lighthearted roles in romantic comedies. However, it had been some time since she had the chance to tackle something varied, perhaps a bit more intense or filled with action.

In her own words, she found it incredibly invigorating to have the opportunity to delve deeper into something.

Catching up with the grown-up stars from the “Spy Kids” movies, perhaps you missed a beat. Delve into this article to discover how they look today compared to their past appearances.

Following her impressive debut as Carmen Cortez in the Spy Kids movie franchise, PenaVega continued her acting career with roles in Sleepover, Ruby & the Rockits (a short-lived series on ABC Family), and numerous action films such as Machete Kills, The Hunters, and Sin City: A Dame to Kill For. In 2015, she competed on Dancing With the Stars, and since 2016, she has starred in several TV movies for the Hallmark Channel. Currently, she lends her voice to a character in the popular animated series The Casagrandes.

In the year 2014, she tied the knot with Carlos Pena Jr., a member of Big Time Rush. They opted to share the surname PenaVega as husband and wife. The family consists of two sons named Ocean and Kingston, along with their daughter, Rio.

At the tender age of nine, I stepped into the role of Juni Cortez. From there, I continued to secure recurring parts on Disney Channel’s hit shows “The Wizards of Waverly Place” and “Weeds.” Additionally, I’ve had the privilege of using my voice in various series, including “Marvel’s Avengers Assemble,” “Ultimate Spider-Man,” and “Ben 10.

In the year 2016, Sabara started a romantic relationship with popular singer Meghan Trainor, and they tied the knot in December 2018. Their family expanded with the arrival of their first child, Riley, in the year 2021, followed by their second son, Barry, in the year 2023.

Following her portrayal of Ingrid, the matriarch of the Cortez clan, Gugino was featured in movies like “Night at the Museum”, “American Gangster”, “Watchmen” and “San Andreas”.

She is the main actress in Netflix’s popular horror series, both “The Haunting of Hill House” and “The Haunting of Bly Manor.

Gugino has been with her partner Sebastián Gutiérrez since 1996. 

The actor who played Zorro assumed the part of Gregorio Cortez, the head of the spy family, reprising this role for two sequels. In 2004, he started providing the voice for the beloved Shrek character Puss in Boots and also starred in Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Frida, and Take the Lead.

In 2018, he played the role of Pablo Picasso in the National Geographic series “Genius”, earning Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for his acting. The following year, Banderas received his first-ever Oscar nomination for “Pain and Glory”.

For nearly a decade, I was joyfully married to the talented actress, Melanie Griffith. However, our journey as a married couple came to an end in 2015. Together, we were blessed with a beautiful daughter named Stella Banderas, who continues to be a source of immense pride and love for us both.

Often recognized for portraying villains, the actor from “Terminator 2” took on the role of the main antagonist in the first “Spy Kids” movie, known as Mr. Lisp. Following this, his acting career expanded to include roles in films such as “Walk the Line,” “Bridge to Terabithia,” “Flags of Our Fathers,” and “Gangster Squad.

On the television screen, Patrick has been a main cast member in shows such as The X-Files, The Unit, and From Dusk Til Dawn: The Series. He also made guest appearances on True Blood, Community, and Mayans M.C. More recently, he can be seen on The Walking Dead and MacGyver.

Patrick has been married to actress Barbara Hooper since 1990 and the couple have two children. 

Collaborating often with his second cousin, the filmmaker known as Robert Rodriguez (director of “Spy Kids”), and subsequently in various projects, Danny Trejo’s character, Machete, eventually starred in a series of movies that were noticeably more appropriate for mature audiences.

In my line of work as a lifestyle expert, I’ve had the privilege to be part of more than 250 cinematic journeys across movies and television series. From gracing the screen as a menacing figure in “Breaking Bad,” a rebel in “Sons of Anarchy,” a divine entity in “American Gods,” and even a superhero-like character in “The Flash,” each role has been an exciting adventure. Most recently, I found myself testing my vocal talents on the unpredictable stage of “The Masked Singer.

2016 saw the actor embark on a new venture by launching restaurants in Los Angeles; among them were Trejo’s Tacos, Trejo’s Cantina, Trejo’s Donuts & Coffee.

In 2016, the actor started up several eateries in Los Angeles, such as Trejo’s Tacos, Trejo’s Cantina, and Trejo’s Donuts & Coffee.

In the 2002 sequel, the character famously known from Cheech & Chong took on the role of Felix Gumm, a family acquaintance of the Cortezes, eventually transforming into the antagonist.

Marin has provided his vocal talents for numerous Disney movies like “Oliver & Company,” “The Lion King,” the “Cars” franchise, “Coco,” and “Beverly Hills Chihuahua.” Additionally, this former star of “Nash Bridges” has made appearances on television shows such as “Lost,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” and “Jane the Virgin.

In 2009, the actor tied the knot with Natasha Rubin, and since then, he has put out two highly successful albums focusing on kids’ music.

After his tenure as Fegan Floop, the Tony award recipient subsequently appeared in CBS’ successful drama series The Good Wife for a span of six years, receiving three Emmy nominations for his role as crisis manager Eli Gold. Additionally, Cumming has been seen on shows like Doctor Who, Broad City, Prodigal Son, and has made appearances in films such as X2, Burlesque, Battle of the Sexes, and provided voiceovers for the The Smurfs franchise.

Since the year 2007, Cumming has been in a marital bond with Grant Shaffer. He is the author of two books, one being the novel “Tommy’s Tale”, and his 2014 memoir titled “Not My Father’s Son: A Memoir”.

More recently, Cumming was the host for the show “The Traitors,” which secured the title of Outstanding Reality Competition Program at the 2024 Emmy Awards.

Shalhoub appeared in the first three Spy Kids films as reformed baddie Alexander Minion. 

2002 marked the commencement of Tony Shalhoub’s highly praised stint on USA Network’s “Monk.” Over eight consecutive years, he received an Emmy nomination for Best Lead Actor in a Comedy Series and won three times. Since 2017, he has been part of Amazon’s Emmy-winning comedy series “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” and reprised his role as Adrian Monk in the 2023 film “Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie.

Shalhoub has been married to actress Brooke Adams since 1992 and the couple have two daughters.

The actor who played Superman in “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman” appeared as Ms. Gradenko, an OSS traitor, in the initial Spy Kids movie. Later, she starred in ABC’s popular soap opera Desperate Housewives three years afterwards. While residing on Wisteria Lane, this previous Bond girl was awarded a Golden Globe for her performance as Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy.

Ever since the series “Desperate Housewives” concluded in 2012, she has made appearances on “The Odd Couple” and “Supergirl”. Additionally, this actress runs her own YouTube cooking channel called “Hatching Change”, and she even participated in the competition show “Chopped” on Food Network.

Hatcher has a 23-year-old daughter, Emerson, with ex-husband Jon Tenney.

Indeed, George Clooney did appear in the original “Spy Kids” film, with his famous role from “Ocean’s Eleven” as a brief cameo playing the character of head of the OSS/future President of the United States Devlin. He also reappeared in this capacity for “Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over”.

Ever since, he’s been a household name in Tinseltown, gracing the silver screen in movies like “The Perfect Storm,” “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”, “Gravity,” “The Monuments Men,” and many others. Clooney, now 59, has scooped up two Academy Awards; one for his role in “Syriana” and another as a producer for “Argo.” The former “ER” star even made a comeback to the small screen with Hulu’s “Catch-22” back in 2019. I simply can’t get enough of this multi-talented legend!

In September 2014, after a long stretch of being unmarried, the gentleman tied the knot with renowned human rights lawyer Amal Clooney. Their twins, Alexander and Ella, arrived in the year 2017.

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2025-07-26 16:17