One of Hollywood's most dazzling leading actresses, 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 businessman father, Sami Hayek Dominguez, and her opera-singing mother, Diana Jiménez Medina. Her surname is from her paternal grandfather, who was Lebanese. After having seen Un mundo de fantasía (1971) in a local movie theatre, Salma decided she wanted to become an actress. At 12, she was sent to the Academy of the Sacred Heart in New Orleans, Louisiana, 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 Sigue soñando (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 Abierto hasta el amanecer (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 Sólo los tontos se enamoran (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; Studio 54 (1998) 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; En el tiempo de las mariposas (2001), 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 El coronel no tiene quien le escriba (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 El milagro de Maldonado (2003), which was shown at the Sundance Film festival. In 2003, she starred in the final of Rodriguez's "Desperado" trilogy El mexicano (2003), again opposite Banderas, and has just finished El gran golpe (2004) opposite Pierce Brosnanand Pregúntale al viento (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. - IMDb Mini Biography By: LarbiBenmira@hotmail.com and The_gabbo@yahoo.com
Spouse
François-Henri Pinault (14 February 2009 - present) (1 child)
Trade Mark
Often plays strong-willed, independent women
Curvaceous, buxom figure
Seductive deep voice
Trivia
Chosen by People (USA) magazine as one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world in 1996, 2003 and 2008.
Is dyslexic and has combined type ADHD.
Was ranked 8th of the 100 Sexiest Women by FHM Taiwan (2001).
Frequently collaborates with Antonio Banderas and Robert Rodriguez, and is godmother to Rodriguez's children.
Her paternal grandfather was a Lebanese immigrant to Mexican. Her other ancestry is Mexican-Spanish. Salma is fluent in Arabic, Spanish, Portugese and English.
Was originally considered for the part of Alicia Larde in Una mente maravillosa (2001) because the character in real life is from El Salvador. But the character for the film was later changed to American and given to Jennifer Connelly.
Salma is an Arabic name that means "peace" or "calm".
She was sent to a boarding school in Louisiana at age 12, but was soon sent back home after getting in trouble for frequently terrorizing the nuns!
Studied international relations & drama at college in Mexico City.
Won Best Newcomer at the 1989 Novela Awards for Un nuevo amanecer (1988).
Has her own production company, Ventanarosa.
Is the second Latin American actress to be nominated for the Best Actress in a Leading Role Academy Award, for her performance in Frida (2002). Brazilian veteran Fernanda Montenegro was the first, for Estación central de Brasil (1998).
Her brother, Sami, designs custom chairs. His celebrity clients include Jennifer Anistonand her ex-husband, Brad Pitt.
Was named one of the ten most stylish women in the world by Mr. Blackwell (aka Richard Selzer) in 1997. InStyle named her the most stylish celebrity of 2003 and Eonline.com ranked her as the best dressed female celebrity.
Ranked #31 in Stuff magazine's "102 Sexiest Women in the World" (2002).
Good friend of Penélope Cruz, Ashley Judd and Valeria Golino.
She loves dogs
E! entertainment voted her look at the 1997 Academy Awards one of the 5 most memorable in Oscar history. At the event she wore a beaded Armani gown complemented by a 1920s diamond tiara.
Member of the jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 2005
Her parents are Sami Hayek Dominguez (oil company executive) and Diana Jiménez Medina (opera singer).
Played a (mythological creature disguised as a) stripper twice: in Abierto hasta el amanecer (1996) and in Dogma (1999) (A Vampire and a Muse respectively).
Visited Guatemala from 2 May 2005 to 5 May 2005 as ambassador to Youth/AIDS, to promote the prevention of the mortal disease. Ashley Judd and Colombian pop singer Juanes also came with her.
Named #34 on Maxim magazine's Hot 100 in 2005, then #90 in 2007. She was also ranked #12 in FHM magazine's "100 Sexiest Women in the World" in the 2005 special supplement , and then #36 the following year.
As the announcer for the Oscars 2007, she was able to announce best friend Penélope Cruz' nominations for Best Actress for Volver (2006).
Announced engagement on March 9, 2007 to Francois-Henri Pinault, chairman and chief executive officer of the luxury goods company PPR SA. On Sept. 21, she and Pinault gave birth to their first child, daughter Valentina Paloma Pinault. Pinault has a son Francois (b. 1998) and a daughter Mathilde (b. 2001) from his first marriage to Dorothée Lepère, and a son, Augustin James (born 2006) from his relationship to Linda Evangelista.
Recently diagnosed with diabetes while pregnant (July 2007).
They called off their engagement in July 2008, but then after months of speculation about whether they were still a couple, Salma and Pinault married in a secret ceremony on Valentine's Day 2009 in the city hall of the Second Arrondissement in Paris.
Her spokeswoman is Jillian Roscoe.
She and Francois Henri Pinault renewed their vows at Venice's Teatro La Fenice opera house in late April 2009 with 150 guests present. Among them were Penélope Cruz, Javier Bardem, Charlize Theron, Stuart Townsend', Woody Harrelson, Hayek's ex-boyfriend Edward Norton, French president Jacques Chirac, Lucy Liu, Ashley Judd, Antonio Banderas, Anna Wintour, Gael García Bernal, Diego Luna, Bono and Stella McCartney.
In 2009, musician Prince included a song on his CD "Lotus Flow3r/MPLSound" that is about Salma Hayek. The song shares the same name as her daughter, Valentina.
Returned to work 5 months after giving birth to her daughter Valentina in order to begin filming El circo de los extraños (2009).
Was in attendance at the wedding of Reese Witherspoon to Jim Toth (26 March 2011).
Welcomed her first child, daughter Valentina Paloma. [September 2007]
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 Lopezdoesn'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.
[on being pregnant] You are like a swollen whale and never looked worse in your life. And somebody goes, 'You're glowing.' They don't have the courage to tell you how bad you look.
You've got to take who you are and love who you are and do the best you can with what you've got. It goes for the figure, and it goes for everything else.
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