They starred together in the 2006 comedy Bandidas and have been an integral part in each other’s life ever since. And as Penelope Cruz turned 46 on April 28, Salma Hayek was quick off the mark to wish her close amiga a very happy birthday! “Happy Birthday Penelope! Feliz Cumpleaños @penelopecruzoficial,“ she wrote before launching into a bilingual tribute to the Spanish star.

“Thank you for having been born. Thank you for your loyalty, for your friendship, for being such a powerful source of positivity in my life, for all the good advice, for the inspiration and last but not least, for all the laughter. You are such a light in every life you touch,” Salma wrote next to a video of Penelope looking stunning in a red flamenco dress and performing in the 1998 movie La Niña De Tus Ojos.

The two are often seen at awards shows together – Penelope posted a funny photo of Salma feeding her at the 2020 Oscars. They’ve also helped each other out in a tight fix. “I actually did Salma Hayek’s hair and makeup once in the dark,” the Spanish actress told InStyle magazine in an interview. “She had a premiere one night and called me like, “My glam squad didn‘t show up, and the power went out in my house. I need you.’ We put candles everywhere, and I got her ready.”

They’ve even been mistaken for each other – by none other than the official Academy Awards Instagram page who posted a photo of Robert De Niro and Penelope rehearsing prior to the show in 2014 but captioning it: “Hayek and De Niro prepping backstage #Oscars.”