While the Spy Kids franchise centered on interesting main characters, it also included a number of cameos from both well-known actors and up-and-coming stars. Throughout the 2000s, Robert Rodriguez directed and released Spy Kids movies that became a staple in children’s movies. The first three Spy Kids movies followed Juni and Carmen Cortez, but the next two movies also followed pairs of children in the Spy Kids division of the Organization of Super Spies, or OSS.
In addition to the strong main cast, the Spy Kids movies featured a number of cameos from established actors and directors. Most of these individuals broke out from their traditional typecast and genre by getting involved in Spy Kids. These aren’t the only recognizable faces in the franchise, though. Other people now considered Hollywood stars also got their start playing a minor role in the Spy Kids movies.
12 Richard Linklater (Spy Kids)
Richard Linklater is a well-established Hollywood director, writer, and producer. His film Boyhood swept the awards circuit in 2014, winning 175 awards including one Oscar. Long before this, though, Linklater had two cameos in the Spy Kids franchise. He played Cool Spy in Spy Kids and Spy Dad in Spy Kids: The Island of Lost Dreams. However, neither character impacts the plot, and they’re collectively on the screen for a total of two minutes. As such, the cameos are difficult to catch.
11 Glen Powell (Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over)
Actor Glen Powell is best known for playing Chad Radwell in Scream Queens and Hangman in Top Gun: Maverick. However, his first acting role was playing Long-Fingered Boy in Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over. Though they never call him that name in the movie, the name comes from his robot’s appearance. Powell’s great performance foreshadowed his success in action roles. Additionally, it’s a fun marker of where he started and how much he’s grown as an actor.
10 Selena Gomez (Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over)
Back when Selena Gomez performed on Barney & Friends, she also took on a role as Waterpark Girl in Spy Kids 3: Game Over. Waterpark Girl hires Juni to investigate why the water disappeared from her water park. In the less than a minute that she appeared on the screen, she showed that she could take an undeniably silly role and make it impactful. In the years since then, Gomez has created a successful music career, producing career, and acting career. Most recently, she starred in the cast of Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building.
9 Ricky Gervais (Spy Kids: All The Time In The World)
Despite the fact that he’s never seen on screen, writer and actor Ricky Gervais provides the best cameo in Spy Kids: All the Time in the World. Cecil and Rebecca have a talking robotic dog named Argonaut. Argonaut provides comedic relief in every scene, especially when he fails at pretending to be a normal dog. Outside this performance, Gervais famously acted as Dr. McPhee in the Night at the Museum franchise and David Brent in The Office UK.
8 Salma Hayek (Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over)
By the time Salma Hayek performed in Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over, she’d already acted in numerous telenovelas and movies. In the third Spy Kids movie, Salma Hayek played Cesca Giggles, the mother of the spies Gary and Gerti Giggles. Due to her background with dramatic roles, it was both surprising and entertaining to see her act in a comedy-action kids movie. Her performance strikes the right balance between taking the role seriously and recognizing the goofiness of the Spy Kids franchise.
7 Bill Paxton (Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over)
The late Bill Paxton had a small role as Dinky Winks in Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams and made a cameo reprising the role in Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over. Dinky Winks is the owner of the Troublemaker Theme Park that Alexandra sabotages in order to get her dad’s attention. Paxton shows Dinky Winks as a kind and thoughtful man with good intentions. This contrasted with Paxton’s sci-fi movie roles in the movies Apollo 13, Twister, and Aliens.
6 Taylor Momsen (Spy Kids 2: Island Of Lost Dreams)
After playing Cindy Lou Hou opposite Jim Carrey’s Grinch, Taylor Momsen took on the role of Alexandra, the President’s daughter, in Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams. She offers a compelling performance, bouncing well off Daryl Sabara’s Juni. Momsen shows Alexandra’s smart and conniving nature. After this movie, Momsen would later grow to fame playing Jenny Humphrey in Gossip Girl and singing in the rock band The Pretty Reckless.
5 Steve Buscemi (Spy Kids 2: Island Of Lost Dreams)
Actor Steve Buscemi is best known for his roles in Fargo, Reservoir Dogs, and The Death of Stalin. In his early years, he performed predominantly dramatic roles; however, his roles in Spy Kids 2 and 3 showed the comedic roles he’d transition into later in his career. His performance in these movies is memorable because he’s both gentle and funny. He builds a good relationship with both Carmen and Juni, eventually riding in on a spork to help them fight Toymaker.
4 Emily Osment (Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over)
People’s Choice winner Emily Osment only had small roles prior to getting cast as Gerti Giggles in Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams, a role that she reprised as a cameo in Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over. Despite the fact that she played a villain in the second movie, her role in the third film is a friend and all to Juni. Her character arc was the first indication that Osment would grow into a phenomenal actress. As an adult, Osment took on lead roles on the TV shows Young & Hungry, Almost Family, and Pretty Smart.
3 Elijah Wood (Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over)
After performing as Frodo Baggins in the first two Lord of the Rings movies, actor Elijah Wood played a gamer called the Guy who helps Juni and Carmen to reach the unwinnable level in Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over. However, he quickly gets killed by the door’s security system. The Guy is heroic, compassionate, and a little overconfident. This contrasts with his role as Frodo in which he’s heroic but brooding and traumatized.
2 George Clooney (Spy Kids)
Oscar-winning actor George Clooney played Diego Devlin, the leader of the OSS in Spy Kids and the US President in Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over. After acting as a doctor, a soldier, and Batman, it seems fitting that Clooney played the President. After their hard work saving their parents, Devlin allowed Juni and Carmen to join the OSS. After his role in Spy Kids, Clooney acted in the Ocean’s movies as the eponymous character.
1 Sylvester Stallone (Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over)
The most exciting celebrity performance within the Spy Kids franchise is Sylvester Stallone playing Toymaker, the antagonist of Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over. Prior to this role, Stallone became famous for portraying Rocky in the eponymous franchise. Unlike his famous role, Toymaker is equal parts devious and whimsical. After getting imprisoned in cyberspace for betraying the OSS, he creates a plan to capture all the world’s children through a virtual reality game. Due to his memorable performance, Stallone goes down as the best cameo in the Spy Kids franchise.
