Alexa PenaVega Admits Her Children 'Didn't Like' “Spy Kids” for a 'Really Long Time' (Exclusive)

Meredith Wilshere, Abby RoedelSun, March 15, 2026 at 9:30 PM UTC

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Alexa PenaVegaCredit: Tommaso Boddi/Variety via Getty -

Alexa PenaVega says her kids initially found Spy Kids "too grown-up," but now enjoy playing spies at home

The actress reflects on the film's family-focused message and its lasting impact ahead of its 25th anniversary

PenaVega calls parenting harder than playing a spy, describing it as her "most important job"

Alexa PenaVega says it took her kids a while to appreciate Spy Kids.

Ahead of the film's 25th anniversary, the actress, 37, reflects on its lasting legacy while at the 6th Annual 2026 Texas Film Awards at Troublemaker Studios in Austin, Texas, hosted by the Austin Film Society.

While the movie was a childhood staple for many kids in the 2000s, she admits that "it took my kids a minute" to appreciate the family action flick.

"My kids didn't like it for a really long time. It was just too grown-up," PenaVega tells PEOPLE.

Ultimately, however, she notes that her kids have come around to it and now play spy around the house, channeling their mother.

Alexa and Carlos PenaVega and their kidsCredit: Alexa PenaVega/Instagram

"My kids are doing that. They've been doing that. They think they're part of the OSS," she says.

PenaVega and husband Carlos PenaVega share sons Ocean, 9, and Kingston, 6, as well as daughter Rio, 4. They also welcomed a stillborn daughter, Indy, in April 2024.

Spy Kids followed Carmen Cortez, played by Alexa, and Juni Cortez, played by Daryl Sabara, as the siblings teamed up to become spies and save their ex-spy parents from an evil mastermind using high-tech gadgets.

The Sleepover actress emphasizes that there is a lot her kids could learn from the characters.

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"I would say the importance of working together — that you're better together," she says. "Spy Kids was special because it was always about family and community coming together to make the world a better place. And I feel like that's what my kids, that's what my husband gets out of it."

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When asked which is harder, playing a spy or parenting, PenaVega was quick to choose "parenting."

"Without a doubt, I feel like I could save the world all day long, but raising kids to be amazing, beautiful humans, it's a tough job, but it's the most important job," she shares. "That's my take."

Carla Gugino, Daryl Sabara, Antonio Banderas, Alexa PenaVega in 'Spy Kids'Credit: Rico Torres/Dimension/Kobal/Shutterstock

Spy Kids celebrates its 25th anniversary on March 18. In addition to Alexa and Sabara, the movie starred Antonio Banderas, Carla Gugino, Alan Cumming, Danny Trejo and Tony Shalhoub.

Regarding the film's legacy, PenaVega says a huge reason for its success was its authenticity.

"I feel like a lot of the movies that we watch nowadays…the kids don't really feel like real kids," she says, noting that she and Sabara "were just kids playing dress up on set."

"And that's why I think they withstood the test of time," she says.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”