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Salma Hayek - Biography |
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The amazing Salma Hayek was born on
September 2, 1966, in the oil boomtown of Coatzacoalcos, Mexico. Hayek has
freely admitted that she and her brother, Sami, were spoiled rotten by her
well-to-do Lebanese-Mexican businessman father and her Mexican-born
opera-singing mother. After having seen Willy Wonka & the Chocolate
Factory (1971) in a local movie theatre, Salma decided she wanted to
become an actress. Her education included a stint at a New Orleans convent
school, where she pulled pranks on the nuns by setting their clocks back
three hours. She was soon expelled. Only after attending Mexico City's
Universidad Iberoamericana did she feel ready to pursue acting seriously.
She soon landed the title role in "Teresa" (1989), a hugely successful
soap opera which earned her the star status in her native Mexico. However,
anxious to make films and to explore her talent and passion, Hayek left
both "Teresa" (1989) and Mexico in 1991. Heartbroken fans spread rumors
that she was having a secret affair with Mexico's president and left to
escape his wife's wrath.
At long last, Salma made her way to Los Angeles. The 24 year old actress
approached Hollywood with naïve enthusiasm, and quickly learned that Latin
actresses were, if at all, typecast as the mistress maid or local
prostitute. By late 1992, Hayek had landed only bit parts. She appeared on
"Street Justice" (1991), "The Sinbad Show" (1993), "Nurses" (1991), and as
a sexy maid on the HBO series "Dream On" (1990). She also had one line in
the Allison Anders film Mi vida loca (1993). Feeling under-appreciated by
Anglo filmmakers, Hayek vented her frustrations on comedian Paul
Rodriguez's late-night Spanish-language talk show in 1992.
Robert Rodriguez and his producer wife Elizabeth Avellan happened to be
watching and were immediately smitten with the intelligent, opinionated
young woman. He soon gave her her big break--to star opposite Antonio
Banderas in the now cult classic Desperado (1995), which put her on
Hollywood's map. The moviegoers proved to be as dazzled with Hayek as he
had been. After her break, she was cast again by Rodriguez to star in his
From Dusk Till Dawn (1996). Although her vampy role opposite George
Clooney and Quentin Tarantino was a small one, it was a good credit to her
box office name. Hayek's first star billing came later that year with
Fools Rush In (1997) opposite "Friends" (1994) actor Matthew Perry. The
film was a modest hit, and Hayek continued to rise her star in both
commercial and artistic films such as: Breaking Up (1997) with an unknown
Russell Crowe; "54" about the rise and fall of the legendary New York
club; Dogma (1999), playing the muse in a somewhat odd comedy co-starring
Matt Damon and Chris Rock; In the Time of the Butterflies (2001) (TV), the
small artistic film which won Hayek an ALMA award as best actress; and the
1999 summer blockbuster Wild Wild West (1999). Her production company
"Ventanarosa" produced the 1999 Mexican feature film Coronel no tiene
quien le escriba, El (1999), which was shown at the Cannes Film Festival
and selected as Mexico's official Oscar entry for best foreign film.
The new millennium started out quietly around Salma as she was preparing
to produce and star in her dream role, that of Frida Kahlo, the legendary
Mexican painter whom Salma had been admiring her entire life and whose
story she wanted to bring to the big screen ever since her arrival in
Hollywood. It finally happened in 2002. Frida (2002), co-produced by
Hayek, was a beautifully made film overflowing with passion and
enthusiasm, with terrific performances from Salma and Alfred Molina as
Kahlo's cheating husband "Diego Rivera". On the side was an entourage of
stars including Antonio Banderas, Ashley Judd, Geoffrey Rush, Edward
Norton and Valeria Golino.
The picture was a hit and was nominated for six Oscars, including best
actress for Hayek, who became the first Latin actress to be nominated in
the category, and won the awards for make-up and its brilliant original
score by Elliot Goldenthal. Hayek established herself as the serious
actress that she is and, in the same year, expanded her horizons,
directing The Maldonado Miracle (2003) (TV), which was shown at the
Sundance Film festival. In 2003, she starred in the final of Rodriguez's
"Desperado" trilogy Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003), again opposite
Banderas, and has just finished After the Sunset (2004) opposite Pierce
Brosnan and Ask the Dust (2006) opposite Colin Farrell. Both are scheduled
for release in early 2005. In the works are Robert Altman's "Paint" and
Bandidas (2006) in which she will star with her friend Penélope Cruz. |
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Salma Hayek - Personal Quotes |
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I keep waiting to meet a man
who has more balls than I do.
I act tall!" "But look how short I am...I can't even act to be tall.
I'm five-two. I can't even create the illusion that I am tall!
"I don't believe in the so-called Latino explosion when it comes to
movies. Jennifer Lopez doesn't have an accent. She grew up in New
York speaking English not Spanish. Her success is very important
because she represents a different culture, but it doesn't help me.
I grew up in Mexico, not the US, and the fact is that there just
aren't any parts for Latin actresses. I have to persuade people that
my accent won't be a problem, but an asset. Everyone's afraid of
doing something a bit risky. Everyone wants a $200 million hit and
anything they think might get in the way of that kind of success is
considered a liability".
"What worries me the most is that most men are so weak. Because of
that they act like they don't care and like machos - because they
are too fragile inside. They're scared of confrontation and afraid
of so many things. And because of this they build up their life so
they have to deal with their feelings as little as possible. I find
feminine men unbelievably sexy. But most men are completely
incapable of getting in touch with their feminine side. What am I
supposed to talk about with a man who doesn't know what it's like to
be a woman?"
At the beginning [my career] was hard. People were like, 'Who is
this Mexican jumping bean?'
"What works in a relationship of very public people is not making
the relationship public - keeping it as personal as it can be. It's
the only way it is real. I am suspicious of those who have to let
the world know how much they love each other. It's a little sad when
you have to brag about how much you love someone. That kind of
declaration doesn't always reflect the moment of truth between two
people who care deeply for each other. When that truth is there, you
don't need others to know it. And when somebody truly loves you, you
don't even need him or her to be affectionate. Affection is
fantastic, but it doesn't necessarily mean there's love - and the
public display of affection is often just a show. When you open a
door for others to have an opinion on your relationship, it can be
dangerous. Find what you need, not what everyone else wants for you.
Women have been taught that in order to have a place in the world,
an identity, they must marry and have children. If that's the life
you truly want, great. But for many women, marriage is only about
needing the world to know that someone desires them enough to say,
"Here's a contract to prove that I love you and will commit to you
for the rest of my life." For these women, no contract equals no
validation - and, thus, no reason for existing."
"In my twenties I was offered lots of parts where there wasn't much
to do but act sexy. I still get offered those roles - but now I take
it as a compliment." Woman's World (7-11-06)
About Madonna: "She always paid attention to the Latin community. I
was grateful somebody like her appreciated our culture" (InStyle
magazine, Sept 2006).
"If I go on a diet and work out, I'm always in a bad mood. I'd
rather be a little heavier but nice." -quoted in Woman's Day 8-15-06
issue
"In my world, you have to be so beautiful, so skinny, so rich, so
famous and I don't believe you really have to be any of those
things. You simply have to be who you are. I do have thighs and a
butt. I have cellulite. Don't be too impressed with me. Don't try to
dress like me or wear your hair like mine. Find your own style.
Don't spend your savings trying to be someone else. You're not more
important, smarter, or prettier because you wear a designer dress. I
get them free and I'm too lazy to go out and look for my own. I, a
rich girl from Mexico, came here with designer clothes. And one day,
when I was starving in an apartment in Los Angeles, I looked at my
Chanel blouses and said, 'If only I could pay the rent with one of
these.'"
"If a man lets all of my dogs sleep in the bed with us, then that is
the most romantic thing. You must love my dogs in order to love me.
A man who is nice to my animals and doesn't shoo them away - well,
that's the height of romance."
"It sounds trite to go after men who are nice but when you've been
hurt a lot it becomes appealing." |
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Salma Hayek - Filmography |
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Banda, La (2009)
Keep Coming Back (2008)
South of the Border (2008) (voice)
Across the Universe (2007) .... Singing Nurse
"Ugly Betty" .... Sofia Reyes / ... (7 episodes, 2006-2007)
- Sofia's Choice (2007) TV episode .... Sofia Reyes
- Fake Plastic Snow (2006) TV episode .... Sofia Reyes
- Lose the Boss? (2006) TV episode .... Sofia Reyes
- Four Thanksgivings and a Funeral (2006) TV episode .... Sofia
Reyes
- After Hours (2006) TV episode .... Sofia Reyes
(2 more)
Lonely Hearts (2006) .... Martha Beck
... aka Lonely Hearts Killers (Germany)
Ask the Dust (2006) .... Camilla
Bandidas (2006) .... Sara Sandoval
Sian Ka'an (2005) (voice) .... Maria
After the Sunset (2004) .... Lola Cirillo
Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003) .... Carolina
Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over (2003) .... Cesca Giggles
... aka Spy Kids 3: Game Over (USA: video title)
"Saturday Night Live" .... Host (1 episode, 2003)
... aka NBC's Saturday Night (USA: first season title)
... aka SNL (USA: informal title)
... aka SNL 25 (USA: alternative title)
... aka Saturday Night (USA: second season title)
... aka Saturday Night Live '80 (USA: sixth season title)
- Salma Hayek/Christina Aguilera (2003) TV episode .... Host
Frida (2002) .... Frida Kahlo
In the Time of the Butterflies (2001) (TV) .... Minerva Mirabal
... aka En el tiempo de las mariposas
Hotel (2001) .... Charlee Boux
Traffic (2000) (uncredited) .... Rosario
... aka Traffic - Die Macht des Kartells (Germany)
Gran vida, La (2000) .... Lola
... aka Living It Up (International: English title)
Chain of Fools (2000) .... Sgt. Meredith Kolko
Timecode (2000) .... Rose
Wild Wild West (1999) .... Rita Escobar
Coronel no tiene quien le escriba, El (1999) .... Julia
... aka No One Writes to the Colonel (International: English title)
... aka Pas de lettre pour le colonel (France)
... aka Personne n'écrit au colonel (France)
Dogma (1999) .... Serendipity
The Faculty (1998) .... Nurse Rosa Harper
The Velocity of Gary (1998) .... Mary Carmen
54 (1998) .... Anita Randazzo
... aka Fifty-Four
Breaking Up (1997) .... Monica
The Hunchback (1997) (TV) .... Esmeralda
... aka Quasimodo (Canada: French title)
... aka The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Europe: English title)
Fools Rush In (1997) .... Isabel Fuentes Whitman
Sistole Diastole (1997) .... Carmelita
Fled (1996) .... Cora
... aka Perseguidos (USA: Spanish title)
From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) .... Santanico Pandemonium
"Vuelo del águila, El" (1996) TV series .... Juana Cata
Follow Me Home (1996)
Fair Game (1995) .... Rita
Four Rooms (1995) .... TV Dancing Girl (segment "The Misbehavers")
Desperado (1995) .... Carolina
Callejón de los milagros, El (1995) .... Alma
... aka Midaq Alley
... aka Miracle Alley (Australia)
Roadracers (1994) (TV) .... Donna
... aka Rebel Highway
"Rebel Highway" .... Donna (1 episode, 1994)
- Roadracers (1994) TV episode .... Donna
Cherry Street, South of Main (1994) (TV)
"The Sinbad Show" (1993) TV series .... Gloria Contreras (unknown
episodes, 1993)
... aka Sinbad (UK)
Mi vida loca (1993) .... Gata
... aka My Crazy Life
"Nurses" .... Yolanda Cuevas (1 episode, 1992)
- One Pequeno, Two Pequeno (1992) TV episode .... Yolanda Cuevas
"Dream On" .... Carmela (1 episode, 1992)
- Domestic Bliss (1992) TV episode .... Carmela
"Street Justice" .... Andrea (1 episode, 1992)
- Homecoming (1992) TV episode .... Andrea
"Teresa" (1989) TV series .... Teresa
"Nuevo amanecer, Un" (1988) TV series .... Fabiola |
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Salma Hayek - Related Links |
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Wikipedia: Salma Hayek
YouTube: Salma Hayek
Salma Hayek at Celebs, Inc.
Salma Hayek at Babemania.com
Top Celebrities Sites:
The Celebrity
Cafe |
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