The star of 'Spy Kids' has opened up about quitting her glamourous LA lifestyle and moving to Hawaii to become part of a community of faith.
Alex PenaVega, 33, made the decision in 2017 after feeling "trapped in the entertainment world" and realising that her "job had become her identity".
She moved with her husband Carlos PenaVega and their three children.
Speaking to Fox News, Penavega said that LA was "so jaded" and explained that "God pulled her out" of the entertainment industry so she could "learn how to be an awesome mum and wife".
She said that Carlos, a former pop star and fellow actor, was "really struggling" with rejection after going to numerous auditions but failing to land any roles. She said it was "just becoming too much for him".
"Carlos was really struggling with the industry," she said. "Every audition he went on, it would get down between him and one other guy and the other guy would always get it."
"This went on for a full year," she added, noting that she was also pregnant at the time.
The couple, who are both Christians, said that they eventually got to a tipping point and, led by their faith, decided to consider Hawaii as the next move.
"We’d always talked about moving to Hawaii, but later on in life, like a retirement plan. But we also knew that we didn’t want to raise our kids in Los Angeles," PenaVega said.
But she said she felt God was telling her "you guys need to get out of here. It’s time".
Despite sensing a divine prompting, PenaVega said that she found it hard to comprehend the move at the time, adding that she "loved her career in LA".
Then, as she was praying in her car one day, the whole thing clicked and she had some stark realisations.
"It stopped me in my tracks because all that time, I thought we were just moving for Carlos. But I needed a heart reset," she said.
"I was the one trapped in the entertainment world and needed to take a step back. My job became my identity."
"God pulled me out of that so I could learn how to be an awesome mom and an awesome wife. God helped us build that foundation in our family. And once I had that revelation, I felt at peace.'"
PenaVega, who has a sparkling career as a child actor, said that she and Carlos immediately fell in love the the "Maui culture" which is all about "family and community".
"It’s pretty amazing," she added. "Hawaii is loaded with young families who love God and are growing in their faith."
"Your kids are outdoors all day long. We’re not inside on our phones or playing games. We’re enjoying nature, getting our feet in the sand, the dirt. Kids can be kids."
The actress did add that Los Angeles "is a place that offers you a lot of opportunities" but that it "doesn’t necessarily have a family culture".
"For us, we wanted to get out of that because we were ready to be part of a community that shared our faith," she went on. "And we found that in Hawaii ... I don’t know, I feel like LA is so jaded. But here, in Hawaii, people are just living."
