What Carlos PenaVega Loves About Working With Hallmark Rival Great American Family

In 2024, former Nickelodeon star Carlos PenaVega and his "Spy Kids" alum wife Alexa PenaVega joined the list of Hallmark Channel staples who have jumped ship to rival network Great American Family, alongside the likes of Danica McKellar. Carlos in particular seems to really love working with GAF — not because he harbors any ill will towards Hallmark, but because the environment is one that helps give him a sense of security in his relationship. Though the former child stars often play love interests in their made-for-TV movies, whether for Hallmark in flicks such as "A Paris Proposal", or now GAF, this obviously can't always be the case. 

During a joint interview with Fox News, in 2024, Alexa confessed that Carlos was uncomfortable whenever she shared romantic scenes with another actor, which is something they had to work through over time. "I think the more confident and comfortable, and honestly the closer we got to God, the more our roles started shifting with what we were taking," Alexa opined. "But, also, I think there's just so much trust in our relationship that there was never a need to be, like, threatened by anybody else." Still, Carlos knows Alexa is in good hands at GAF.

The Big Time Rush member gushed, "That's what I love so much about Great American Family. If she's not doing a movie with me, I know that whatever she's doing, whoever she's with, it's safe. And it's all going to be good. So, for us, this is such a great home for us." 

Celebrity couple Carlos and Alexa PenaVega have been pretty open about the fact that watching each other perform intimate scenes with third parties sometimes triggers jealousy, on both sides. In fact, that's why competing on "Dancing With the Stars" back in 2015 was so difficult for the PenaVegas. Having to get up close and personal with their respective dance partners proved to be a major challenge for the two longtime actors, especially considering the fact that their romance was still relatively new at the time. "It was early in our marriage, and we literally said [to each other that] we don't know how spouses do this show without doing it the way we did," Alexa recalled in a 2024 chat with People. 

The "Spy Kids" star elaborated, "Like, if Carlos was doing this and I was watching this girl dance with him all close and the rehearsals or whatever, it would be so hard." Likewise, for her husband, at that point Carlos was still quite prone to jealousy and in that kind of environment, where playing up the romantic elements of the dance for the cameras is encouraged, it was tough. As Alexa pointed out, "You know how it is: It is incredibly flirty." Ultimately, the newlyweds found that setting strong boundaries was key. To that end, while the "Taking a Shot at Love" star loved working with dance partner Mark Ballas, if he ever got a bit too flirty, she would immediately shut it down, acknowledging, "I was a little mean."