Alexa PenaVega’s Children Gave Spy Kids A Bad Review

Some kids would be impressed to see their mom in a beloved children’s movie — but not Alexa PenaVega’s. The former child actor told E! on Oct. 20 that her little ones are not into her most famous film. “They don’t like Spy Kids,” she said.

The Love in the Limelight star shares three kids with husband Carlos PenaVega: Ocean, 5, Kingston, 3, and Rio, 17 months. To be fair, they may still be a little young for the spy action comedy. But it’s got to sting at least a little bit that they much prefer another early aughts movie: The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl. They “only watch” it, she said, and her second oldest tells her she “should have been Lavagirl.”

Ironically, “everybody thinks” she actually did play that role, she noted. It was, however, Taylor Dooley, who is a friend of hers. That might soothe her ego a little as she seems to have taken their bad review mostly in stride, but she did cop to texting Dooley, “Girl, my kids like you better than they like me, and I don’t know what to do about it!”

Her kids might not appreciate her work — or Spy Kids’ 93% Tomatometer score — but they do make up for it. In fact, in an Instagram exchange with a fan in April, PenaVega indicated that she’d be open to having more of them. “The world needs more kids who can be a light to others,” she wrote, per People.

The mom of three still works as an actor and has made several Hallmark films in recent years — including 2021’s Taking a Shot at Love, which she filmed while pregnant with daughter Rio. PenaVega dropped that tidbit on Twitter on Jan. 2 that year, writing, “Ps. I am totally pregnant while filming this movie and nobody knew.” Fans wanted more details during an Instagram Q&A, and she delivered, saying that morning sickness was “the hardest part” and she had to “suck it up and smile through it.”

If Baby No. 4 comes along anytime in the next few years, she may have to repeat that experience. She and Carlos recently signed a multi-picture deal with Hallmark Media, as Deadline reported on Oct. 20. In a joint statement, the couple shared how their work with the production company has allowed them to “grow as actors and producers all while raising our children.” They’ve even been able to have “the family on set,” which is a pretty cool job perk.

“Can’t wait for you to see what we have coming up!!” the PenaVegas captioned an Instagram post about the deal.

Maybe the two will go on to make a movie that their kids like more than Sharkboy and Lavagirl. Or maybe their little ones will just revisit their negative review of Spy Kids as they get older.