'Spy Kids' cast: What are they up to now?

The cast from "Spy Kids" is all grown up!

It’s been more than 20 years since Carmen and Juni Cortez were introduced to the world on the big screen as pint-size special agent heroes in Robert Rodriguez’s action-packed comedy “Spy Kids.”

Carmen and Juni were played by Alexa PenaVega and Daryl Sabara, who were 12 and 8, respectively, when the first movie came out in March 2001. The two kid characters were such a hit with fans that the film scored two sequels — “Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams” (2002) and “Spy Kids 3: Game Over” (2003) — as well as a 2023 reboot on Netflix called “Spy Kids: Armageddon.”

Of course, PenaVega and Sabara weren’t the only ones who made “Spy Kids” a cult classic. The pair were joined by an all-star cast that included Carla Gugino, Antonio Banderas, Cheech Marin and many more.

Take a peek at what the original cast has been up to since their days of family-friendly espionage.

Alexa PenaVega, 35 

After playing Carmen in “Spy Kids,” PenaVega hopped from one screen opportunity to the next, starring in films like “Sleepover” and “Machete Kills," and appearing in series like “Ghost Whisperer” and “The Middle.” Today, PenaVega is a bona fide Hallmark star, starring in several movies, some even opposite her husband, Carlos PenaVega. The two married in 2014 and have three children together, and they just announced in November that baby No. 4 is on the way.

Daryl Sabara, 31 

Once his role as Juni, the red-headed spy, came to an end, Daryl Sabara entered voice acting, lending his vocals to animated projects, including “The Polar Express,” “Ben 10,” and “Gravity Falls.” He also dipped into the horror genre, appearing in films like “The Green Inferno” and Rob Zombie’s “Halloween.” In 2018, Sabara married pop star Meghan Trainor, and in 2021, the two welcomed their first baby boy, Riley. The couple’s second son, Barry, was born in 2023.

Antonio Banderas, 63 

Banderas played Gregorio Cortez, fellow spy and father to Carmen and Juni, in "Spy Kids." An international star, Banderas works with director Rodriguez often; those projects include “Desperado,” “Machete Kills" (alongside PenaVega) and “Once Upon a Time in Mexico.” Since 2004, Banderas has charmed fans as the voice of the boot-wearing cat in both the “Shrek” and “Puss in Boots” franchises, and in 2020, the actor earned his first Oscar nomination for his leading role in Pedro Almodóvar’s “Pain and Glory." As of March 1, Banderas currently has four projects in the work, according to IMDb. Outside of work, he’s dad to Stella Banderas, 27, and stepfather to Dakota Johnson, 34.

Carla Gugino, 52 

After playing Ingrid Cortez, spy and mom to Carmen and Juni, in the first "Spy Kids" film, Gugino starred in blockbusters “Sin City,” “Night at the Museum,” “American Gangster” and “Watchmen.” But come 2015, the actor shifted to darker fare, starring in the “Wayward Pines” series and working consistently with horror auteur Mike Flanagan. Today, Gugino is a streaming regular on Netflix, starring in several titles like “Gerald’s Game,” “The Haunting” films, “Gunpowder Milkshake" and “The Fall of the House of Usher.” Check out her latest film, “Lisa Frankenstein,” a horror romance written by Diablo Cody, now streaming on Apple TV and Prime Video. As for life off the screen, she has been in a longtime relationship with Venezuelan filmmaker Sebastian Gutierrez.

Alan Cumming, 58 

Alan Cumming played "Spy Kids" initial antagonist, children's TV host Fegan Floop. The actor has made a name for himself in comedies like “Emma,” “Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion” and “Spice World,” not to mention he won a Tony Award for his Emcee role in “Cabaret.” Post-Floop, the actor has not slowed down. Maintaining a presence on the small screen, he stars in “Schmigadoon!” on Apple TV+ and hosts “The Traitors“ on Peacock. Off the screen, he’s authored several memoirs and kids books, and he's married to illustrator Grant Shaffer.

Tony Shalhoub, 70 

Ever since playing Alexander Minion, Floop’s minion in name and spirit, Tony Shalhoub has been making fans laugh on screens of all sizes. On the big screen, the father of two appeared in comedies “How Do You Know,” “Movie 43” and “Pain & Gain.” In 2017, he won a Tony Award for “The Band’s Visit.” And his small-screen credits include eight seasons of “Monk,” which earned critical acclaim and several Emmys, as well as “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” for which he won the Emmy for best supporting actor in 2019. In 2024, “Monk” was rebooted in movie form on Peacock. The film was nominated for a 2024 Critics Choice Award.

Robert Patrick, 65

Robert Patrick plays Mr. Lisp, the overarching antagonist in the first "Spy Kids" film. But this wasn't his first rodeo when it comes to stepping into the shoes of a villain: He also plays the antagonist in James Cameron's "Terminator 2: Judgement Day" and in the Max series "Peacemaker." Patrick's other notable films and TV shows include "The Sopranos," "True Blood" "Identity Theft," "The Road Within" and "1923," to name a few.

Teri Hatcher, 59 

Though Teri Hatcher didn’t reprise her role as Ms. Gradenko, Mr. Lisp's right-hand woman, in the “Spy Kids” sequels, she became a mainstay in other realms of entertainment, like on ABC’s “Desperate Housewives,” where she spent eight seasons as Susan Mayer. Following the series’ cancellation, Hatcher has been in recurring roles on “The Odd Couple,” “Supergirl” and “Fantasy Island.” In 2018, Hatcher debuted her YouTube lifestyle series, “Hatching Change,” and in recent years, she been enjoying making Christmas and made-for-TV movies (“A Kiss Before Christmas,” “Christmas at the Chalet,” “Mid-Love Crisis”).

Cheech Marin, 77 

Renowned for his unmistakable voice and comedic chops, Marin followed his “Spy Kids” run as Felix Gumm with several films and series — “Jane the Virgin,” “Coco,” “Lodge 49” — and even turned his namesake into a partnership with California’s Riverside Art Museum with the opening of the Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture in 2022. Two years earlier, Marin and longtime buddy comic Tommy Chong founded Cheech & Chong’s Cannabis Co. Now, the two are working on a biopic that charts the origin of their creative partnership back to the 1970s, per Entertainment Weekly.

Danny Trejo, 79 

Following the “Spy Kids” series, Danny Trejo expanded the universe of Machete, Carmen and Juni's uncle, in a spinoff series, also written and directed by Rodriguez. “Machete” (2010) and “Machete Kills” (2013) both took on a much more violent tone but included shout-outs to the “Spy Kids” movies and cameos of the actors. Furthering his resume, the actor has multiple projects in the works, both animated and live action. Off the screen, he runs a taco restaurant, Trejo’s Tacos, and pastry shop, Trejo’s Donuts, in Los Angeles.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com