Spy Kids cast now – sex woes, Meghan Trainor romance and near death experience

The cast of Spy Kids have all come a long way since starring in the iconic children’s franchise back in the early noughties.

The family adventure comedy followed siblings Carmen and Juni Cortez, who end up involved in a shady espionage plot after their parents disappear. With one of the first ever 3D experiments and some truly cringeworthy CGI, Spy Kids spiralled into a hugely successful franchise with three original films in the series.

It got a re-boot in 2011 and then again last year with Spy Kids: Armageddon which launched straight on Netflix. It brought a whole new audience to the franchise, as well as a new crop of Spy Kids stars.

READ MORE: Spy Kids star compares sex to the gym and admits she ‘didn’t want it at first’

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But the original is still the stand-out. And there’s no surprise the cast have gone from strength to the strength in the 23 years since it first came out.

So, Daily Star has taken a look at how they’ve transformed since making their Spy Kids debut.

Carmen Cortez – Alexa PenaVega

Best known for playing older sibling Carmen Cortez in Spy Kids, Alexa PenaVega has gone on to make her mark on the acting world, starring in various Hallmark movies and even a slew of Christian flicks.

Alexa is a devout Christian and came under fire for her pro-life views – even reporting she “saved” a woman who intended to have an abortion. She said: “Once life begins — that is a whole baby. That is a beautiful life, and for me, I will do whatever it takes to protect that.”

Alexa spoke to a teenage mom via Zoom for more than an hour in a bid to convince her not to abort her foetus. She said: “I just told her about the joy that I have with my kids and the greatest thing that I ever felt was like being able to tuck them in at night and like seeing their beautiful little sleeping faces.”

Despite divorcing her first husband, film producer Sean Covel, in 2010, Alexa went on to marry Big Time Rush star Carlos Pena Jr after the pair met at a Bible study group. The pair share three children – sons Ocean and Kingston and daughter Rio.

But their romance didn’t come easy, Alexa confessed, as she compared their sex life to “going to the gym”. Speaking on the Heaven in your Home podcast, the actress said: “I would enjoy it but it wasn’t this thing I craved all the time. And he’s a man so he’s like ‘I want you to want me’.

“I started trying to own the sex part of our marriage a bit more and really work on that.”

Alexa added: “This is going to sound terrible, but you know how you don’t necessarily want to go to the gym at the beginning, but once you start going you’re like ‘I have to go every day, this is great. I feel good, my body feels good.'”

The Carmen Cortez star said one comment her hubby made reduced her to tears. “I knew I had to do this for him and it all started with one comment he made. I didn’t think we had any issues in our marriage but he said, ‘I just keep praying to God that he’ll take away my hunger for sex.’

“My poor husband, he’s literally asking God to take that urge away from him. Like, why am I not there on his level? It hurt my heart.”

Juni Cortez – Daryl Sabara

Since shooting to fame as wart-ridden Juni in the Spy Kids films, actor Daryl Sabara has gone on to act in everything from House, Wizards of Waverly Place and Halloween. And though his character might have been known as an insecure little boy, Daryl has no reason to feel the same way after finding love with pop princess Meghan Trainor.

The pair started dating in summer 2016 and married two years later in 2018, on Meghan’s 25th birthday. In 2021 the pair welcomed their first child together, a son called Riley. Two years later and Meghan was pregnant again, branding it a “blessing”.

The Made You Look songstress told People Magazine: “I’m just so grateful I can get pregnant. And I’m like, ‘I’m crushing it. This is amazing. This is my dream.’ I’m halfway there — I want four kids!”

However, Daryl wasn’t able to keep completely out of the spotlight for the wrong reasons, either. In 2019 he was charged with a count of vandalism and one count of tampering with a vehicle after allegedly ripping off two custom side panels from a parked car “with his bare hands”.

The vehicle had been parked close to the UCLA campus in Los Angeles, though the car’s owner didn’t personally know Daryl. The incident was reportedly captured on CCTV.

Carla Gugino – Ingrid Cortez

Known for playing the kids’ mom Ingrid Cortez, Carla Gugino has had plenty of major roles since her Spy Kids days – appearing in Watchmen, Sucker Punch and horror flick Gerald’s Game.

As someone who prides herself on “channelling her sexuality” in roles, it’s no surprise that one of Carla’s co-stars ended up falling for her. She has been romantically involved with her Jett colleague Sebastian Gutierrez – with her beau branding Carla his “favourite actress”.

Together since the 90s, Carla said marriage wasn’t important for the pair, telling Women’s Health in 2009: “We like being boyfriend and girlfriend; there’s something sexy and fun about that. We’re very much about, ‘There’s nothing holding us here other than our desire to be together’.”

Antonio Banderas – Gregorio Cortez

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Though he’s probably better known for giving voice to iconic animated character Puss In Boots from the Shrek franchise, Antonio Banderas also made his mark on the Spy Kids movies as Juni and Carmen’s dad Gregorio.

Known for his high profile marriages to Ana Leza and Melanie Griffith, Antonia began acting in his native country of Spain in the 80s. And despite his split from Melanie in 2015, Antonio did gain one very famous step-daughter – Fifty Shades of Grey star Dakota Johnson, who he is still close to today.

But life hasn’t always been easy for the veteran actor, as he suffered a heart attack back in 2017. Antonio said the incident “changed his life entirely and completely for good”, crediting his partner Nicole Kimpel with saving his life after she gave him an aspirin.

The star suffered chest pains while exercising and was quickly rushed to hospital, later undergoing surgery to have three stents inserted into his arteries. He told Page Six: “I knew always [that I was going to die] but now I know. I’ve seen it right here.”

Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk