Here's What Alexa Vega Was Up To Before 'DWTS'

Remember Spy Kids star Alexa Vega? While she's no longer a member of the world's coolest secret-spy family, she is joining the Season 21 cast of Dancing With The Stars . It's been 14 years since Vega's breakout role in the Spy Kids franchise, so here's what she's been up to since then.

First things first: In January 2014, she married Big Time Rush star Carlos Pena and the two changed their surnames to the combined PenaVega. If you're not familiar with Carlos, you can get to know him when he competes against her on Dancing With The Stars. Yep, the couple is going head-to-head!

But back to Spy Kids. Vega was previously in movies such as Nine Months and Twister, but it was the franchise that made her a household name. She went on to star in the movie Sleepover and play Shilo Wallace in the 2008's cult classic Repo! The Genetic Opera.

In 2010, Vega married Napoleon Dynamite producer Sean Covel and was even walked down the aisle by Spy Kids director Robert Rodriguez. In July 2012, Vega filed for divorce from Covel. Vega and Pena became engaged in August 2013 while on a cruise with friends.

Vega made her transition away from being a child star with her role in 2013's Machete Kills. It was a mature part for the actress, right down to her risque costume. In an interview with Collider, Vega spoke about her Machete Kills role, saying:

I had to have this confidence, going on set, that I’ve never had to have before for a role. I would just go in there and play whatever sweet character I was playing. But, I had to dive into this role, full force, in a completely different way, and I loved that.

Vega has also made numerous television appearances, most notably on The Mentalist, Big Time Rush and Royal Pains. She landed a recurring role on the third season of Nashville, playing Gunnar's ex-girlfriend, Kiley.

You can catch her in Dancing With the Stars when Season 21 premieres on Sept. 14.

Image: Alexa Vega/ Instagram