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Salma Hayek’s 25-year Hollywood trajectory in pictures
The Mexico-born actress went from starring in telenovelas to Hollywood films
As one of Hollywood’s most elite actors, Salma Hayek ’s successful career has won her to be an inspiration for many Latinas looking to set foot in the entertainment industry. The actress, born Salma Valgarma Hayek Jiménez, was born in Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, Mexico. In 1991, at the age of 25, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue her career in acting after having starred in a 1989 telenovela called Theresa.
After getting settled in L.A., the Mexican-American actress took a small part in the 1993 film, Mi Vida Loca (My Crazy Life) as Gata. Her debut led her to be discovered by director Robert Rodriguez, who cast her in Desperado (1995) alongside Antonio Banderas . From there, her career only took off and 25 years later she continues to flourish in the world of cinema.
The Frida star also has her own production company, Ventanarosa, which translates to pink window, and recently partnered with Netflix to produce Mexican series, Monarca. Now known as Salma Hayek-Pinault after marrying French billionaire François-Henri Pinault , the 53-year-old star is a mom to their 12-year-old daughter Valentina Paloma , and one of the most respected stars in the film industry.
Welcome to Hollywood
Salma Hayek’s Hollywood trajectory began in 1995 when she starred in the action-packed film Desperado, alongside Antonio Banderas and Quentin Tarantino. She was 28 at the time and played the role of Carolina. In an interview with Yahoo! Entertainment, Salma revealed film director Robert Rodriguez discovered her while being ridiculed in an interview in Spanish for being an extra in Mi Vida Loca when she was already a well-known actress in Mexico. Salma added the studio was apprehensive at first since she was “an unknown,” but a screen test silenced their doubts.
Ssssizzling Salma
Salma went on to star in Fair Game, a film starring Cindy Crawford and William Baldwin, where she played the role of Rita. However, her part as in From Dusk Till Dawn is much more memorable thanks to the famous scene where she seductively dances with a giant snake. Although she played a demon named Santanico Pandemonium, Salma’s beauty was truly captivating before transforming into a horrific demon. She told Yahoo! Entertainment the dance was completely improvised since she was unable to rehearse with the snake.
The one with Matthew Perry
In 1997 Salma starred opposite Matthew Perry in the romantic comedy Fools Rush In as Isabel Fuentes Whitman. A day before the film premiered, the Mexican beauty appeared on The David Letterman Show, where she revealed she had a great time working with the Friends star, but because of their cultural differences, she didn’t understand some of his Knock Knock jokes. That same year Salma appeared in The Hunchback as Esmeralda and in Breaking Up with the role of Monica.
1999
At 31, the rising Hollywood star played the role of Anita in the film 54 starring Ryan Phillipe and Neve Campbell. That same year, in 1998, the former telenovela star appeared in the horror sci-fi film The Faculty as Nurse Harper and Dogma, where she played an exotic dancer called Serendipity. The film was a religious satire starring Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. That year, Salma was also cast as Rita Escobar alongside Will Smith in Wild Wild West.
Frida
In 2002 Salma transformed into iconic Mexican painter Frida Kahlo for the starring role of Frida. The actress revealed it took eight years to make the film for which she was later nominated for an Academy Award as Best Supporting Actress. “I did it by myself against all odds when I was not very famous,’ she told Yahoo! Entertainment. “A movie that nobody wanted to do,” she added. Salma stated she prepared for the outstanding role by learning to paint since she realized she didn’t even know how to hold a brush.
Carolina returns
The following year, Salma returned to play the role of Carolina in the sequel to Desperado, Once Upon A Time in Mexico. This was her second time working with Antonio Banderas. In a 2003 interview with Novidades Cinema, the brunette beauty spoke of what it was like working with the Spanish actor. “His films are always exciting and challenging and fun...he always challenges me, it’s never easy,‘’ she said. Salma also claimed Antonio would “have such a good time putting me through hell” but she confessed that after seeing herself on screen, she “thanked him for it because he always pushes me to do things I never thought I could do.”
Working with her bestie
The year 2006 saw Salma as Sara Sandoval in Bandidas opposite Penelope Cruz. Both actresses are leading Spanish speaking stars who share a strong bond. Aside from working together, the friends had a near death experience when their plane had to do an emergency landing. According to Mitú, Penelope once said in an interview: “a thought came across my mind that if I were to die at that moment at least I’d die with my best friend.”
All Grown Up
In 2010, Salma appeared in Grown Ups as Adam Sandler’s fashion designer wife, Roxanne Chase-Feder. “I love the movie. I’m proud of it. I can’t wait for [my daughter] Valentina to see it,” she told Collider back in 2010. The actress-producer shared that everyone was allowed to bring their children on set. “Adam makes it the dream environment to bring children,” she said. “They are so highly entertained that you’re nervous when you get back home because you wonder how you are going to entertain your child. They have all kinds of toys and things for them to play with. Everybody had children of the same age. She [Valentina] loved coming to work on the set.”
First animated feature
In 2011 Salma’s vocals were used to give life to Kitty Softpass in Puss in Boots, voiced by Antonio Banderas. She played the love interest of his character, and even though that was her fifth film working next to Antonio, that was her first animated feature. “I’m so excited because my daughter will get to see me in an animated movie. Most of my recordings have all been in Paris, which is also the dream job. I can record anywhere in the world. I’m so excited to do this project,” she told Collider in 2010.
Grown Ups 2
The Grown Ups sequel was released in 2013, and the actress-producer returned to play Adam Sandler’s wife as she did in the first film. The comedy also stars David Spade, Chris Rock, Kevin James, Maya Rudolph, Maria Bello, and Nick Swardson. “I felt very lucky that I got to work with these people again,” she told Hey U Guys. When asked about what she thought was appealing about working with Adam Sandler, Salma replied, “He’s one of the loveliest guys you can possibly meet. He is so generous to everybody, he’s really thoughtful, very loyal.”
Reunited with Pierce Brosnan
In 2014, Salma starred alongside Pierce Brosnan and Jessica Alba in the romantic comedy Some Kind of Beautiful. Salma and Pierce had worked together once before in After Sunset (2004). The Frida star played Kate’s (Jessica Alba) sister, Olivia, who ends up falling in love with the college professor (Pierce Brosnan), who is her sister’s baby daddy.
Not your average Salma Hayek film
The mom-of-one did the unexpected when she played a lesbian taco in Sausage Party in 2016 alongside Seth Rogen, James Franco and Kristen Wiig. During an interview with E! News at a red carpet event , Salma revealed she didn’t tell her husband about the role until she showed him the trailer. “I didn’t tell him. I kept it a secret,” she said. When asked about her thoughts on getting approached to play this animated character she explained: “I said ‘I’ll never get another role like this, so why not?’ I read the script, it was very funny. It was completely outrageous, and so I said, ‘let’s go.’”
A busy year
Salma had a busy year in 2017. The Hollywood actress starred in Beatriz At Dinner, 11th Hour, The Hitman’s Bodyguard, and How to be a Latin Lover alongside Eugenio Derbez. During an interview with Made In Hollywood TV, Salma was asked about working with fellow Mexican actor-comedian, Eugenio, and how it was different acting in Spanish than English. ”It’s being able to bring into the movie the Latin American humor,” she said. “And I think the combination of American humor with Latin American humor together goes so well because there are two styles of comedy in it, but it’s seamless.”
Silver lining
Fans of Salma were surprised when the brunette beauty turned into a silver fox for The Hummingbird Project. Salma revealed to Cineplex Movies that there was a “huge technological aspect” to the film for which she had to prepare for as ruthless CEO, Eva Torres. “I’m not great with technology and for me it was just a whole new world, a whole other language,” she added. That same year, Salma also starred in Drunk Parents opposite Alec Baldwin.
True Boss
This year, Salma has already starred in the comedy Like A Boss, opposite Rose Byrne and Tiffany Haddish. Furthermore, she starred in independent film, The Roads Not Taken with Javier Bardem and Elle Fanning, and The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard starring Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson, which is expected to be released on August 28.
For over 25 years, Salma has captured the likes of many, but we suspect she’s still got plenty of more in the works to keep audiences entertained.
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