In 2001, Spy Kids introduced audiences to the Cortezes, a family of super spies. The movie gave birth to a franchise, spanning multiple sequels, an animated series and even a new reboot, Spy Kids: Armageddon. Throughout this impressive run, Spy Kids has included many notable stars, some of whom audiences may have forgotten took part in the franchise.
Viewers likely remember Antonio Banderas and Carla Gugino as Gregorio and Ingrid Cortez, parents of main characters Juni and Carmen, or Danny Trejo as Uncle Machete. But some actors slipped under the radar at the time, like Selena Gomez and Glen Powell. Others may not have been as familiar to young viewers yet, such as Tony Shalhoub and George Clooney. Here are some faces fans might be surprised to see upon rewatching Spy Kids.
10 Emily Osment
Introduced in Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams, Emily Osment played Gerti Giggles, a rival agent at the OSS. She and her brother, Gary, initially helped their father, Donnagon, in his plot to take over the world, but after a conversation with Carmen, Gerti had a change of heart. By the next movie, she and her family had become firm allies to the Cortezes.
Osment went on to star as Lilly Truscott in Hannah Montana, a staple for many Disney Channel fans. After her stint at Disney, Osment tackled drama in the movie Cyberbully. More recently, she’s starred in several notable TV and streaming series, including Almost Family, Young Sheldon and The Kominsky Method. Osment also releases music under the name Bluebiird.
9 Glen Powell
Glen Powell made his big-screen debut in Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over. Credited as Long-fingered Boy, Powell appeared briefly in the game’s robot battle arena, where he gave Juni a mech suit before sending him into the match against Demetra. After Juni won, Powell’s character reappeared to eject him from the arena.
Following his appearance in Spy Kids, Powell got his big break in Scream Queens, playing Chad Radwell, Chanel’s boyfriend. Powell has since made a name for himself by portraying pilots and astronauts in movies like Hidden Figures, Top Gun: Maverick and Devotion.
8 Selena Gomez
Another actor with a brief role in Spy Kids 3-D, Selena Gomez plays Waterpark Girl, a young girl who hires Juni, now working as a private investigator, to find out what happened to the water in Agua Park. As he explains, it’s winter, so the park is closed for the season. Waterpark Girl pays Juni his standard fee, and he quickly moves on to another case.
Gomez later became a household name for her roles in various Disney Channel productions, most notably Wizards of Waverly Place. She has since starred in several popular movies, like Spring Breakers, and TV shows, like Only Murders in the Building. Gomez also has a thriving music career and has her own production company, July Moon Productions.
7 Bill Paxton
Bill Paxton appeared in Spy Kids briefly but memorably as Dinky Winks, an eccentric theme park owner. In Spy Kids 2, he gave the president’s daughter a tour of his park and later asked Dr. Romero about putting his animal hybrids in a theme park. In Spy Kids 3-D, Dinky was among the friends who came to fight the gorilla robots in the finale. He also brought his son, Dinky Winks Jr., played by Paxton’s real-life son, James.
After playing minor and supporting roles in The Terminator, Weird Science and Aliens, Paxton starred in hits like Tombstone, Apollo 13 and Twister. He later gained critical acclaim for his work in HBO’s Big Love and the History Channel’s Hatfields & McCoys. Sadly, Paxton passed away in 2017 due to health complications.
6 Teri Hatcher
In Spy Kids, Teri Hatcher portrayed Ms. Gradenko, one of a few antagonists. Ms. Gradenko was a former OSS agent who helped trap Gregorio and Ingrid and tried to trap Juni and Carmen but got hit by a jet pack that set fire to her hair. She returned later in the movie nearly bald before she and her allies were defeated by their own robot army.
Hatcher rose to prominence playing Lois Lane in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman and Susan Mayer in Desperate Housewives. Aside from starring in other hit movies, like the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies and Coraline, Hatcher has participated in multiple cooking competition shows, including Chopped and The Great British Bake Off.
5 Tony Shalhoub
Tony Shalhoub’s Alexander Minion turned out to be the true villain in Spy Kids. Although he initially seemed to be Floop’s right-hand man, Juni and Carmen discovered that Minion was the true mastermind behind the nefarious goings-on. After being turned into a four-headed Fooglie and defeated by his own army of robot children, Minion made amends and became an ally to the Cortezes alongside Floop.
Before Spy Kids, Shalhoub first rose to fame playing Antonio Scarpacci in Wings and Adrian Monk in Monk. He’s also been in popular movies and cult classics, such as Men in Black, Galaxy Quest and Thirteen Ghosts. In recent years, Shalhoub has won critical acclaim and awards for his roles in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and The Band’s Visit.
4 Steve Buscemi
Spy Kids 2 introduced fans to Steve Buscemi’s Dr. Romero, a scientist who created miniature animals and animal hybrids on a remote island. After losing control of his experiments, Romero remained isolated on the island for quite a while and was afraid to confront his creations. Ultimately, Juni and Carmen inspired him to face his fears.
Buscemi has been a part of several major movies with equally famous directors, such as Reservoir Dogs, Fargo and Big Fish. He’s also gained acclaim for his roles in Boardwalk Empire and Portlandia and lent his voice to many beloved animated projects, including Monsters, Inc. and Hotel Transylvania.
3 Sylvester Stallone
Played by Sylvester Stallone, The Toymaker served as the main antagonist in Spy Kids 3-D. After being imprisoned in hyperspace by the OSS, The Toymaker created a virtual reality video game that would control players’ minds by trapping them in the game. Fortunately, he changed his ways after his old partner, Valentin Cortez, forgave him for putting him in a wheelchair.
Stallone is perhaps best known for the Rocky series, which he wrote, partially directed and starred in. He is also famous for his roles in series like the Rambo movies, The Expendables and Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy films.
2 Elijah Wood
After leveling up in Spy Kids 3-D, Juni is mistaken for The Guy from Game Over’s posters, who is rumored to be able to beat the unwinnable Level 5. He is later proven a fraud when Elijah Wood’s The Guy shows up to help the group beat Level 5. Following a rousing speech, The Guy is immediately zapped by electricity that wipes out all 100 of his lives.
Many know Wood from his portrayal of Frodo Baggins in the Lord of the Rings movies. Since then, he’s appeared in a variety of films and TV shows, such as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Wilfred. He’s also a prolific voice actor, having starred in projects like Happy Feet and Over the Garden Wall, and he has his own record label, Simian Records, and production company, The Woodshed.
1 George Clooney
George Clooney played Diego Devlin, head of the OSS, in the first Spy Kids. After proving themselves as worthy spies, Devlin agreed to let Juni and Carmen into the agency. He later became president in Spy Kids 3-D to gain public recognition for running the country, something he couldn’t do previously as the leader of a secret organization.
After gaining a following for playing Dr. Doug Ross on ER, Clooney became a verified star with films like From Dusk till Dawn, O Brother, Where Art Thou? and the Ocean’s series. Outside of Hollywood, Clooney has been a vocal advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and gun control and supported a variety of humanitarian causes.