Kidzworld is with Spy Kids’ Carmen; Grown up and hot in the new film Spy Kids: All the Time in the World.
Whether you saw the films in theaters or later or home video, you’ll remember little spy girl Carmen Cortez who, along with her annoying red-haired bro Juni, aided her parents in saving the world multiple times. She’s baaaaaack in Spy Kids: All the Time in the World.
Grown up Carmen still works for the OSS spy organization as a young adult and aids her aunt Marissa, a retired spy played by Jessica Alba, in stopping The Timekeeper, a mastermind who is determined to turn back time…until there is none left.
Alexa Vega, 22, married and looking very gorgeous, is with us talking about the old days, her “bro” Juni (Daryl Sabara), her delayed honeymoon and the fact that she’s a girlie girl-slash-biker chick!!
Kidzworld: I think your birthday is this month. Do you have any plans yet?
- Alexa Vega: I don’t have any yet although we are going to Hawaii late August which is near by birthday so we’ll just say that is my birthday present.
Kidzworld: Not too shabby! I spoke with your old Spy Kids partner Daryl Sabara about his TV Movie “Worst Prom Ever” and he said that you just clicked again when back on set and the old sibling rivalry thing between the two of you as actors wasn’t there anymore.
- Alexa: It’s so funny, when we were younger, we really were like brother and sister. We would bicker back and forth. We loved each other but would always tease each other. This time around, there was a love and bonding there. We’d grown up through so much and have come a long way since the first three films so it was really nice to come back and work together again and be grown up. It was weird. He’s so tall. Who knew I’d have to look up to talk to him?
Kidzworld: Didn’t you get married during shooting this movie? So, no honeymoon? (Alexa is married to producer Sean Covel).
- Alexa: We shut down production for two days so I could go get married. We didn’t get to go on our motorcycle honeymoon but I did get the motorcycle! I love my motorcycles. I have a Ninja 500 (Kawasaki) right now but my husband has a Ducati 999.
Kidzworld: Okay, you are talking like a biker babe! One of this film’s major themes is family so is that in your future for you and hubby?
- Alexa: Definitely in my future but not the near future. I’m the oldest of six kids and I still feel like those kids are my kids. The youngest is two years old. Sean and I want to travel first and enjoy this time in our marriage. We want to take it step-by-step.
Kidzworld: I love Carmen’s costumes in this. They are really sleek and sexy and she has some great jackets. Did you keep anything?
- Alexa: I love the jackets but I actually kept the pants, the leather on the pants was great.
Kidzworld: I love the shot where the grown up Carmen is revealed. The camera starts at her toes and slowly moves up. One of the teen guys in my screening was like “Whoa. Carmen is hot!” (Alexa laughs). So, did director Robert Rodriguez spring that on you or was it planned early on?
- Alexa: He wrote that in the script. He had that planned out. They also had wonderful, flattering clothes on me so all thanks to (costume designer) Miss Nina Proctor.
Kidzworld: What would be your fantasy spy gadget and what would it do?
- Alexa: Ooooo. My favorite of the all of them is Ralph (the spy bug). So, if I could come up with a version of Ralph and Argonaut (the robot dog) together, that would be the ultimate spy gadget.
Kidzworld: Do you often feel you don’t have enough time to devote to all the things you want to accomplish in your life. This movie is all about time.
- Alexa: Oh, certainly. It’s hard to prioritize your time especially in this business but, because my whole family are all in the business and grew up in it, we really understand how all the hours work. I don’t know how we do it but we just manage to find the time for each other. We don’t get our feelings hurt if we can’t call each other every day. We know how long the grueling hours are like when doing a press tour. We do try to talk to each other every day. Even on a five minute break, you make a call and say “I love you”.
Kidzworld: Did you give little actress Rowan who plays the equivalent of Carmen, the next generation, any tips?
- Alexa: I gave one tip to both kids. Enjoy everything right now while you have it because it’s all going to go by so quickly and you’re gonna wonder, “We had it so good. Where has the time gone?” So enjoy this right now and have a great time because, soon, you’ll be an old lady like me. (oh yeah. Old! She’s only 22).
Kidzworld: Can you see yourself in her; the kid actress with tons of optimism?
- Alexa: Absolutely. I remember how much fun it was to hear that we were first going to be a part of this film. These kids are very appreciative and very genuinely excited to be a part of it.
Kidzworld: When you were 14, you told me that you grew up in a house full of girls but you really enjoyed hanging out with a bunch of guys more. You were a tomboy?
- Alexa: That’s right! I did that growing up. But now I’ve embraced my girlie-girl side. I like to dress up and go to a dinner or premiere and look totally girlie but I love playing in the dirt, riding my motorcycle, that’s just who I am and I don’t think I’ll ever change. I think a lot of it has to do with growing up in the South. I love that side of myself.
Kidzworld: Did you get to work much on this with Jessica Alba?
- Alexa: We hardly got to work together. They had us on green screen so we weren’t really together much. I just passed her in the hall here and she’s soooo pregnant.
Kidzworld: Will there be more Spy Kids movies with you and Daryl running the re-activated Sky Kids division?
- Alexa: I can see Carmen running the whole OSS in a couple of years. If Robert comes back, we’ll come back. We have no idea what the future holds for this franchise but I would love to be a part of that.
Kidzworld: You were Penny in “Hairspray” a few years ago on Broadway. Any stage or music ambitions?
- Alexa: I’ve been so blessed to have music be a part of my acting jobs but I can’t really imagine pursuing it outside of this career. I’m not as comfortable in that area. I grew up on sets. I grew up acting so I feel sort of confident there. But being on Broadway in a musical was fun. I hope I get that experience again.
Kidzworld: What’s next for you?
- Alexa: There is a movie called Clockwork Girl coming out at the end of this year that I think people will really enjoy. I did the voice and it’s my first animated film. We’re working on the live action version right now trying to get the script set up and then I have a movie that I should start shooting at the end of the year called Rio Sangre and I just announced my first comic book that I wrote for Kick Start comics, my own story that will come out sometime next year.
Kidzworld: You are so busy. What message do you have for the old fans of the Spy Kids series?
- Alexa: If you guys enjoyed the first ones, you’ll love this one. It’s funny, has great new gadgets. It’s a whole new adventure and Carmen and Juni are a lot cooler now!
By: Lynn Barker
