The role of Carmen Cortez in the “Spy Kids” trilogy brought American actress, singer, and dancer Alexa Vega international attention when she was still a teenager. She made her acting debut at the age of five on the CBS television series “Evening Shade” and went on to perform in a number of children’s television programs and films. Her portrayal in the movies “Spy Kids” and its two sequels, “Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams” and “Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over,” made her an adolescent icon. In the third sequel, “Spy Kids: All the Time in the World,” released nearly ten years later, she returned to the character. Vega, an active child, performed all of her own stunts while the ‘Spy Kids’ movies were being made. She appeared in movies including “Repo! The Genetic Opera,” “Broken Hill,” and “From Prada to Nada” as a leading lady. Throughout her career, she continued to make appearances on television, playing the lead in the series “Ruby & The Rockits” and recurrent parts in programs like “To Have & to Hold,” “Ladies Man,” “Unsupervised,” “The Tomorrow People,” and “Nashville.” ‘Dancing with the Stars’ 21st season had her as a contestant.
Early Childhood & Life
On August 27, 1988, in Miami, Florida, Alexa Ellesse PenaVega was born to an American mother Gina Rue, and a Colombian father Baruch Vega. Her mother was a former model, and her father worked as a photographer.
Her family migrated to California after spending her first four years of life on a ranch in Ocala, Florida. Her half-sisters Greylin James and Margaux Vega, as well as half-brother Jet James, are among her six siblings. Makenzie Vega, her younger sister, is also an actor.
She has been highly active since she was young, participating in sports like water polo and cross-country running. She has experience in gymnastics and has taken dancing lessons as well.
Career of Alexa Vega
Alexa Vega’s mother recognized her aptitude when she was only five years old and brought her to an audition for the sitcom “Evening Shade” in 1993. In 1993–1994 she appeared in the series’ last season as Emily Newton after a successful audition for the part.
She made her big-screen debut in the 1994 film “Little Giants,” playing the character’s 6-year-old daughter, played by Ed O’Neill. She starred in ‘Nine Months’ the following year in addition to guesting on ‘ER’ and ‘Chicago Hope’.
In the 1996 film “Twister,” she played the part of young Jo Harding, which was originally done by Helen Hunt. She portrayed the daughter of Steven Seagal in “The Glimmer Man” and the daughter of Alec Baldwin in “Ghosts of Mississippi” in the same year. She also made an appearance in the ABC sitcom “Life’s Work” as Tess Hunter.
After a brief hiatus, she made a comeback to television in 1998 on the shows “The Magnificent Seven” and “To Have & to Hold.” Additionally, she played Gina in the direct-to-video film “Dennis the Menace Strikes Again.”
She played a recurring character in the CBS sitcom “Ladies Man” in 1999. In the same year, she appeared in the film “The Deep End of the Ocean” as Michelle Pfeiffer’s daughter. In the years that followed, she had appearances in movies including “Run the Wild Fields” and “Follow the Stars Home.”
Her major break came in 2001 when Robert Rodriguez’s spy adventure movie “Spy Kids” put her in the lead role of Carmen Cortez. Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams and Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over, which were released in 2002 and 2003 respectively, were two sequels to the instant blockbuster. Spy Kids: All the Time in the World, the final installment in the series, was released in 2011.
She recorded her debut song, “Isle of Dreams,” for the soundtrack of the film “Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams.” She is a superb singer. ‘Game Over’ and ‘Heart Drive’ are two more songs she recorded for the third movie in the series.
She worked on two movies in 2004: “Sleepover” and “State’s Evidence,” the latter of which was released in 2006. She acted in the 2006 HBO film “Walkout” and as a victim of cyberbullying in the 2005 Lifetime television movie “Odd Girl Out.”
She joined the cast of the Tony Award-winning musical “Hairspray” at the Neil Simon Theatre in February 2007. She portrayed Penny Pingleton, Tracy Turnblad’s best friend and the play’s female lead.
She starred in movies like “Remember the Daze,” “Repo! The Genetic Opera,” “Innocent,” “Broken Hill,” “Café,” and “From Prada to Nada” from 2007 to 2011. She also played the lead in the TV show “Ruby & The Rockits” and appeared frequently in the comedy “Unsupervised.”
She won praise for her performance in the 2012 television film “The Pregnancy Project” and went on to land regular parts in the TV shows “The Tomorrow People” and “Nashville” in the years that followed. The Clockwork Girl, 23 Blast, and Machete Kills are among of her most well-known recent movies.
‘Dancing with the Stars’ season 21 featured both Alexa and her husband Carlos in 2015. They each danced with a different partner and finished in sixth and fourth place, respectively, before being eliminated.
Bigger Works of Alexa Vega
Spy Kids, the movie that made Alexa Vega famous, was a tremendous box office hit that earned over $147 million worldwide and received favorable reviews. Three sequels of the movie were produced in the years that followed, although none of them were as successful as the original.
Recognition & Achievements
For her work in “Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams,” Alexa Vega earned the “Young Artist Award” in the category of “Best Performance in a Feature Film – Leading Young Actress” in 2003. In their July issue that year, “Vanity Fair” selected her as one of the sexiest teen stars.
She was nominated for the ALMA Award and the Imagen Award for her work on the telefilm “Walkout” and she won the Black Reel Awards in 2007. Additionally, she has received an Imagen Award and an ALMA Award for “The Pregnancy Project” and “From Prada to Nada,” respectively.
Personal Legacy & Life
Sean Covel and Alexa Vega were wed on October 10, 2010, in a ceremony that took place in Lead, South Dakota, the home of the movie producer. Robert Rodriguez, the filmmaker of “Spy Kids,” led her down the aisle. Later, the two separated, which she revealed on Twitter in July 2012.
On a cruise ship in August 2013, she proposed to actor and singer Carlos Pena Jr.; they wed on January 4 in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. On December 7, 2016, a son named Ocean King was born to them.
Following their marriage, she and Pena adopted each other’s last names to form the fusion surname PenaVega. Additionally, they started making joint vlogs and changed his YouTube channel’s name from “CarlosPenaTV” to “LexLovesLos.”
Facts of Alexa Vega
The father of fashion photographer Alexa Vega also served as an undercover informant for the Drug Enforcement Administration and the FBI. Although he was eventually detained on suspicion of money laundering, he assisted in arranging the surrender of several expensive narcotics dealers.