What have the Spy Kids cast been up to in the 20+ years since the movie?
The Spy Kids cast is one of the most star-studded ensembles ever assembled for a family film. When Robert Rodriguez's Spy Kids hit cinemas on 30 March 2001, it introduced the world to the Cortez family — child spies Carmen and Juni, their globe-trotting parents, and a gallery of unforgettable villains — and earned a remarkable $147.9 million at the worldwide box office) on a $35 million budget. More than two decades on, the cast has scattered across blockbusters, reality TV thrones, Broadway stages, and family life. Here is where every major member of the Spy Kids cast is now.
Source: Getty Images
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Alexa PenaVega, who played Carmen Cortez, has remained consistently active in film and TV, starring in Hallmark and Lifetime movies while raising a family with husband Carlos PenaVega.
- Daryl Sabara, the original Juni Cortez, married pop star Meghan Trainor in December 2018 and the couple now have three children together.
- Antonio Banderas has continued to thrive in Hollywood, most recently starring in the Anthony Bourdain biopic Tony in 2026.
- Alan Cumming transformed his Spy Kids villain role into one of TV's most beloved hosting gigs, winning multiple Emmy Awards for The Traitors on Peacock.
- Teri Hatcher made a major career pivot, joining the West End cast of The Devil Wears Prada The Musical in London in 2026.
Summary table
Actor | Character | Notable post-Spy Kids work |
Alexa PenaVega | Carmen Cortez | Hallmark and Lifetime movies; The Casagrandes (voice) |
Daryl Sabara | Juni Cortez | Weeds, John Carter; Meghan Trainor music videos |
Antonio Banderas | Gregorio Cortez | Babygirl (2024), Paddington in Peru (2024), Tony (2026) |
Carla Gugino | Ingrid Cortez | Netflix horror films; The Fall of the House of Usher |
Alan Cumming | Fegan Floop | The Traitors (Peacock/NBC); X2; Avengers: Doomsday |
Teri Hatcher | Ms. Gradenko | Desperate Housewives; The Devil Wears Prada Musical (2026) |
Tony Shalhoub | Alexander Minion | Monk franchise (2002–2023); multiple Emmy wins |
Danny Trejo | Machete | Machete (2010), Zootopia 2 (2025); Trejo's Tacos |
Cheech Marin | Felix Gumm | Coco; Cheech Marin Centre for Chicano Art |
Robert Patrick | Mr. Lisp | Diamond (2026); ongoing TV roles |
Where is the Spy Kids cast now?
Alexa PenaVega — Carmen Cortez
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Alexa Ellesse PenaVega
- Date of birth: 27 August 1988
- Age: 38 (as of October 2026)
- Nationality: American
- Profession: Actress, singer
- Spouse: Carlos PenaVega (married 2014)
- Instagram: @alexapenavega
Alexa is an American actress, singer, and pianist best known for playing Carmen Cortez in the Spy Kids film series. After the franchise wrapped, she moved fluidly between genres — starring in films like Sleepover and Machete Kills, and appearing in series like Ghost Whisperer and The Middle.
In recent years, she has become a fixture of faith-based and holiday television. Her credits include Get Him Back for Christmas (2024) and Mr. Manhattan (2024), as well as the Lifetime thriller Before Your Father Finds Us (2025), on which she also served as executive producer. She also voices Carlota Casagrande in the Nickelodeon series The Loud House and its spin-off The Casagrandes, a role she held from 2017 to 2023.
Alexa married singer Carlos PenaVega in 2014, and the couple combined their surnames — Pena and Vega — to create their shared family name. In April 2024, Alexa and Carlos experienced the devastating stillbirth of their daughter, Indy. They also have three living children: sons Ocean and Kingston, and daughter Rio.
Daryl Sabara — Juni Cortez
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Daryl Christopher Sabara
- Date of birth: 14 June 1992
- Age: 34 (as of October 2026)
- Nationality: American
- Profession: Actor, voice actor
- Spouse: Meghan Trainor (married 22 December 2018)
- Instagram: @darylsabara
- TikTok: @darylsabara
Daryl Christopher Sabara, born 14 June 1992 in Torrance, California, is an American actor best known for portraying Juni Cortez in the Spy Kids film series, with a career spanning live-action and voice roles. After his run as Juni ended, Sabara moved into voice acting, lending his vocals to projects including The Polar Express, Ben 10, and Gravity Falls. He co-starred in John Carter (2012) and played recurring character Tim Scottson across seven episodes of Weeds between 2005 and 2012.
Sabara began dating singer-songwriter Meghan Trainor in July 2016, and the couple married on 22 December 2018 — Trainor's 25th birthday. They now have three children together: sons Riley and Barry and daughter Mikey. In August 2025, Trainor revealed that their son Riley calls his dad's Spy Kids character "Baby Dada" and that she bought eBay figurines so their kids could have toys of their father.
Antonio Banderas — Gregorio Cortez
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: José Antonio Domínguez Banderas
- Date of birth: 10 August 1960
- Age: 66 (as of October 2026)
- Nationality: Spanish
- Profession: Actor, director, producer
- Partner: Nicole Kimpel (2015–present)
José Antonio Domínguez Banderas, born 10 August 1960 in Málaga, Spain, is one of Hollywood's most enduring leading men. His post-Spy Kids career has never stalled. He appeared in the adventure films Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023) and Paddington in Peru (2024). His 2024 credits also include the psychological drama Babygirl, in which he played the husband of a CEO portrayed by Nicole Kidman.
In 2026, Antonio Banderas played a chef who mentors a young Anthony Bourdain in the biopic Tony. Away from acting, he continues running Teatro del Soho CaixaBank, his performing arts theatre in Málaga, Spain.
Carla Gugino — Ingrid Cortez
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Carla Gugino
- Date of birth: 29 August 1971
- Age: 55 (as of October 2026)
- Nationality: American
- Profession: Actress
- Partner: Sebastián Gutiérrez (1996–present)
Carla Gugino, born 29 August 1971 in Sarasota, Florida, is an American actress who has been active since 1988. Today, Gugino is a streaming regular on Netflix, starring in several titles including Gerald's Game, the Haunting films, Gunpowder Milkshake, and The Fall of the House of Usher. Her collaboration with horror director Mike Flanagan has made her a genre icon. Off-screen, she has been in a long-term relationship with Venezuelan filmmaker Sebastián Gutiérrez.
Alan Cumming — Fegan Floop
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Alan Cumming
- Date of birth: 27 January 1965
- Age: 61 (as of October 2026)
- Nationality: British–American
- Profession: Actor, presenter, writer
- Spouse: Grant Shaffer (married 2007)
Alan Cumming, born 27 January 1965 in Aberfeldy, Scotland, is a Scottish actor, filmmaker, and presenter known for numerous accolades, including a BAFTA Scotland Award for his contribution to film and television. In film, he is known for his role as Fegan Floop in the Spy Kids trilogy and as Nightcrawler in X2 (2003), reprising the latter in Avengers: Doomsday (2026).
His biggest recent success has been as host of The Traitors. Cumming won an Emmy for his work presenting the series in its second season, with the show also taking the trophy for Outstanding Reality Competition Program. NBC launched a civilian spin-off of the Emmy-winning series, dubbed The Traitors: New Blood, again hosted by Cumming. Off-screen, he has authored several memoirs and children's books.
Teri Hatcher — Ms. Gradenko
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Teri Lynn Hatcher
- Date of birth: 8 December 1964
- Age: 61 (as of October 2026)
- Nationality: American
- Profession: Actress, author, director
Teri Lynn Hatcher, born 8 December 1964 in Palo Alto, California, is an American actress best known for playing Lois Lane in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993–1997). She became a household name again with Desperate Housewives, which ran from 2004 to 2012.
In 2026, Hatcher took on her most ambitious recent role yet. As of October 2026, she is starring as the legendary editor-in-chief Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada The Musical during its third year in London's West End. It marks a bold return to the spotlight for the veteran actress.
Tony Shalhoub — Alexander Minion
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Tony Shalhoub
- Date of birth: 9 October 1953
- Age: 73 (as of October 2026)
- Nationality: American
- Profession: Actor
Ever since playing Alexander Minion — Floop's minion in name and spirit — Tony Shalhoub has been making fans laugh on screens of all sizes. He is best known for his lead role in the detective series Monk, which ran for eight seasons from 2002 to 2009.
Vulture noted that Shalhoub's performance as Alexander in Spy Kids was among the best in the film, playing "everything so hilariously straight-faced that it only enhances the chaos around him." Shalhoub has won multiple Emmy Awards across his career for his work in Monk and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, cementing his reputation as one of television's finest character actors.
Danny Trejo — Machete / Isador Cortez
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Danny Trejo
- Date of birth: 16 May 1944
- Age: 82 (as of October 2026)
- Nationality: American
- Profession: Actor, producer
Danny Trejo was born on 16 May 1944 in Maywood, California. He reprised his role as Machete from the Spy Kids franchise in the standalone Machete (2010) and its sequel Machete Kills (2013). Danny Trejo has continued in voice roles, including The Book of Life (2014), Dora and the Lost City of Gold (2019), and Zootopia 2 (2025).
Off-screen, Trejo runs a taco restaurant, Trejo's Tacos, and a pastry shop, Trejo's Donuts, both in Los Angeles. A beloved figure in his community, he also works as a drug counsellor. He is known for his frequent collaborations with his cousin and Spy Kids director Robert Rodriguez.
Cheech Marin — Felix Gumm
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Richard Anthony Marin
- Date of birth: 13 July 1946
- Age: 80 (as of October 2026)
- Nationality: American
- Profession: Actor, comedian, musician
Richard Anthony "Cheech" Marin was born on 13 July 1946 in Los Angeles. He is an American comedian and actor who has been active in comedy since 1971. After his run as Felix Gumm in Spy Kids, Marin followed up with roles in Coco and Lodge 49, and partnered with California's Riverside Art Museum for the opening of the Cheech Marin Centre for Chicano Art & Culture in 2022.
Marin and longtime buddy Tommy Chong also founded Cheech & Chong's Cannabis Co., and the two are now working on a biopic charting the origin of their creative partnership.
Robert Patrick — Mr. Lisp
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Robert Patrick
- Date of birth: 5 November 1958
- Age: 67 (as of October 2026)
- Nationality: American
- Profession: Actor
Robert Patrick is best known to wider audiences as the T-1000 in Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991). Since Spy Kids, he has maintained a steady presence across film and television. Patrick is among the Spy Kids alumni who found continued success in various film and TV projects after the original film. Most recently, he appears in Diamond (2026), a project that began principal photography in Los Angeles in October 2025.
FAQs
What have the Spy Kids cast been up to since the movie?
It has been over 20 years since the first Spy Kids film debuted. The cast has gone in wildly different directions: Alexa PenaVega and Daryl Sabara have both started families, Antonio Banderas continues to headline major films, and Alan Cumming has become one of television's biggest reality hosts. Several cast members have also reunited for the 2023 Netflix reboot, Spy Kids: Armageddon.
Are the kids from Spy Kids married now?
Yes. Alexa PenaVega married Carlos PenaVega in 2014. Daryl Sabara married Meghan Trainor on 22 December 2018. Both former child stars have gone on to start families of their own.
What happened to the actor who played Juni in Spy Kids?
Daryl Christopher Sabara was born on 14 June 1992 in Torrance, California. After Spy Kids, he transitioned into voice acting and adult roles. He married singer Meghan Trainor in 2018, and the couple now share three children. As of October 2026, Sabara has around 963,000 Instagram followers and 2.7 million TikTok followers.
Why did Juni leave Spy Kids?
Juni Cortez's reduced presence in later entries was a narrative and creative choice within the franchise, not a real-world departure. Daryl Sabara reprised the role of Juni Cortez across multiple films in the Spy Kids franchise before the series concluded. Sabara simply grew up and moved on to other acting opportunities.
Where is Carmen from Spy Kids now?
Alexa PenaVega's most recent credits include the Lifetime thriller Before Your Father Finds Us (2025), on which she also served as executive producer, as well as Mr. Manhattan (2024) and Get Him Back for Christmas (2024). She remains one of the most active members of the original Spy Kids cast, balancing a prolific on-screen career with family life in Nashville.
We also highlighted facts about the cast of The Middle and what Patricia Heaton, Neil Flynn, Charlie McDermott and their co-stars have done since the sitcom ended in 2018.
Some cast members have remained active in television and film, while others have pursued new careers or stepped away from Hollywood. The actors have also continued to reconnect, including through a rewatch podcast hosted by Eden Sher and Brock Ciarlelli.
Source: Legit.ng
