Carla Gugino Trivias

Had a kidney operation when she was only 4 years old.

Niece of actress Carol Merrill.

Modeled for the prestigious Elite agency as a teenager but was considered too short for fashion runway work.

Has a butterfly tattoo on the inside of her left ankle.

Italian-American

Was her high school's valedictorian

Boyfriend is writer/director Sebastian Gutierrez, with whom she has worked on several productions.

She turned down the role of Vin Diesel's love interest in the box office hit The Pacifier (2005) to take a small but unforgettably sexy role in Sin City (2005) because she had enjoyed working with director Robert Rodriguez in the three Spy Kids films.

Her demure height, which had worked against her when she was trying to be a model, later worked for her as she was cast with diminutive actors like Michael J. Fox in Spin City (1996) and Antonio Banderas in the Spy Kids films.

Is of Italian, Irish and English descent