‘Spare Parts’ is a stepping stone in Carlos PenaVega’s career

For Carlos PenaVega, forming part of the upcoming film “Spare Parts” is a stepping stone in his career.

“This is huge for me,” he told VOXXI. “I’ve never done a movie where I was the lead like this and it’s a complete departure from Big Time Rush.”

SEE ALSO: Hollywood goes to Arizona for the ‘Spare Parts’ premiere

Prior to joining the cast which includes George Lopez and Jamie Lee Curtis, PenaVega was singing and dancing his days away as part of the Nickelodeon show and boy band “Big Time Rush.”

Though Big Time Rush was part of his life for five years, those days are long gone. PenaVega, 26, has now ventured to  film with his leading role of Oscar Vasquez in “Spare Parts.”

The film, out January 16, tells the heartfelt and inspirational story of four undocumented immigrants from Mexico who compete in an underwater robotics competition, beating all odds. It’s based on the true story of a group of high school students from Phoenix, Arizona, and was first reported in a Wired Magazine story by Joshua Davis.

“It’s [the movie] super serious. It has a great message and I really think people are going to see a new side of me. We’ll see what happens,” he said of his starring role.

From the small screen to the big screen, PenaVega thought one of the most challenging things would be being away from home. But the fear vanished when his wife and actress Alexa PenaVega, was invited to form part of the cast as his movie girlfriend Karla.

“The hardest part is waiting in the movie sets,” he eventually admitted. “It’s fun shooting, but then you have to sit there.”

But despite his long hours on set, PenaVega learned a lot from his character and the movie. “Believe in yourself to get that extra push,” he said to VOXXI. “These kids did it over all the obstacles.”

We bet that this won’t be the last of Carlos PenaVega; in fact, we have a gut-feeling that it’s only the beginning of a beaming career. Here are some facts of the new Latino in Hollywood.

• He was born in Columbia, Miss. and raised in Weston, Fla.
• His father is Spanish and Venezuelan descent
• His mother is of Dominican descent
• His first acting role was at age 10 on “ER”
• His first solo single is in Spanish and it’s called “Electrico”
• He was once a cheerleader
• He was also part of the 2007 MTV reality series “Making Menudo”
• His birth name is Carlos Pena Jr., he meshed his last name when he married his wife Alexa Vega –the couple now goes by Carlos and Alexa PenaVega

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