Carla Gugino still in awe that she was cast to play a MOM of preteen children ... trends now
More than two decades after playing the mother of two-school-aged children in Spy Kids, Carla Gugino is still wondering how she landed the role at the age of just 27.
During an interview with BuzzFeed, the now 52-year-old actress recalled her experience making the film, which turned out to be a franchise consisting of three original films with Robert Rodriguez at the helm.
Playing the wife of Antonio Banderas, the Sarasota, Florida native played Ingrid Cortez, a retired OSS agent turned consultant worker, and mother to kids Juni and Carmen who were supposed to be ages nine and 11.
'It is so funny because I was 27,' she said of the original movie that ended up being a big hit. 'It was a really beautiful kind of double-edged sword because I love that movie so much. And the whole experience was incredible, and the movies continue.'
The leading lady went on to share how she just adored her character, but still can't get over the fact that she was far too young to portray the mother.
Carla Gugino is still stumped at how she landed the role of Ingrid Cortez, a retired OSS agent and mother to kids ages nine and 11 in the film Spy Kids (2001), when she was just 27
During an interview with BuzzFeed , the now 52-year-old actress recalled her experience making the film, which turned out to be a franchise consisting of three original films with Robert Rodriguez at the helm; seen in March
'I love Ingrid Cortes,' she said of her role. 'But it was funny because I was 10 years, at least, too young for the role because I was a spy for 10 years and then somehow had children who were like 9 and 11,' she added while laughing. 'So it was physically totally impossible.'
As for Banderas, 63, and his 11-year age gap with Gugino, he was much more age appropriate as he was 38 at the time of the shoot.
It turns out Rodriguez had been shooting for two weeks by the time he hired Gugino for Spy Kids.
'He was like, 'I feel like I'm looking for a mother for my kids.' We were talking about it, and I had auditioned for him and he said, 'I think if we do our job right, no one will ever question it,'' the actress recalled, while referencing her young age for the role.
After admitting no one really did question her age, she went on to reveal she felt her past history working with Banderas on a movie called Miami Rhapsody with David Frankel directing helped ease her
