Alexa and Carlos PenaVega Share How Faith and Family Took Priority Over Their Careers
By Movieguide® Staff
Alexa and Carlos PenaVega just announced their third child is on the way!
For the Christian couple, this new blessing from the Lord is yet another reminder as to why they put faith and family over over their careers.
Alexa, 32, and Carlos, 31, said that they left the fast-paced, career-driven lifestyle of L.A. to establish a home on Maui.
“When we were living in California, there was never actually a break. The industry happens 24/7,” Alexa told PEOPLE earlier this fall. “And we thought, we need a place to go and reconnect and that needs to be our home.”
Alexa starred in the SPY KIDS franchise in the early 2000s, and Carlos is known for his role in Nickelodeon’s BIG TIME RUSH, which was both a band and a TV series that ran from 2009 to 2013. The couple also appears in some Hallmark movies both together and separately.
Despite their success, they felt like their values never aligned with the industry.
“We’ve never fit the Hollywood mold,” Alexa said. “We’ve never done things in the conventional way.”
For one thing, faith plays a significant role in not only how they live their lives as individuals, but also in their relationship and marriage.
“We started our entire relationship grounded in our faith,” Carlos told PEOPLE.
In 2013, the couple headed-up a Bible study group. The couple got engaged in September 2013 and were married four months later. They decided to combine their last names.
“We were literally at the county office in Ventura signing all the paperwork, and the woman was like, ‘Whose last name?'” Carlos recalled. “I said, ‘Let’s see if this works. Carlos and Alexa PenaVega. Just one word.'”
The Bible study continued after the couple wed until they welcomed their first son, Ocean, in 2016. With Ocean’s arrival, the couple knew something had to change. “We still have fantastic friends who live there, but most of them don’t have kids and aren’t married,” Alexa said.
Carlos added: “I couldn’t relate to people who didn’t necessarily agree with the way I wanted to live my life.”
As the couple started to look elsewhere for a new home, faith became the determining factor for their movie.
“We visited Maui and we started finding all of these young Christian couples,” Carlos said. “We prayed on it and then we moved here three months later.”
The PenaVegas then welcomed their second child, Kingston. Their third child is due summer 2021.
The couple said that their new community’s support and time to rest confirmed that their decision to move was beneficial for their growing family.
“We immediately felt that weight lifted,” Alexa said. “We can really recharge here and it’s been awesome to have a community that’s supportive.”
The couple continues to work in entertainment but emphasizes that they are in it together.
The PenaVegas competed against one another on DANCING WITH THE STARS in 2015, recently starred in indie drama MIGHTY OAK, and starred in the Hallmark series PICTURE PERFECT MYSTERIES.
“Getting to work together enables us to bring the family everywhere,” Carlos explained.
Alexa added: “I’ve never been in one place for more than three or four months. I didn’t know how badly we needed as a family to set our roots. It’s given us a chance to create those routines with our family. The L.A. mentality is work hard, play hard. We’re all about working hard, but first and foremost, it’s our faith and our family.”
Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
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