Background

Ethnicity: Hayek's father is of Lebanese descent and her mother is of Mexican/Spanish ancestry.

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.

As a child, Hayek’s grandmother regularly shaved her head and eyebrows because she thought it would make her hair grow thicker, glossier and darker.

After having seen Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) in a local movie theatre, Salma decided she wanted to become an actress.

Education

Salma Hayek attended the Academy of the Sacred Heart in Grand Coteau, Louisiana, at the age of twelve. While there, she was diagnosed with dyslexia. She also went to Ramtha’s School of Enlightenment.

She attended University in Mexico City, where she studied International Relations at the Universidad Iberoamericana (In English – Ibero-American University).

Career

Salma Hayek landed the title role in Teresa (1989), a hugely successful soap opera that 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 naive 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 (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; In the Time of the Butterflies (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, 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), 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.

After costarring with Adam Sandler and Chris Rock in the comedy Grown Ups (2010), Hayek portrayed a ruthless drug kingpin in Oliver Stone’s Savages (2012) and the love interest for an aspiring mixed martial artist in the comedy Here Comes the Boom (2012). Hayek then controversially played a woman who must use violence to extract herself from sexual enslavement in the sanguinary action film Everly (2014). In Il racconto dei racconti (2015; Tale of Tales), an adaptation of a book of fairy tales by 17th-century author Giambattista Basile, she depicted a queen who impregnates herself by way of a magical ritual that requires her to eat the heart of a sea monster. She later appeared in a series of comedies that included How to Be a Latin Lover (2017), Beatriz at Dinner (2017), Drunk Parents (2018), The Hummingbird Project (2018), and Like a Boss (2020).

Achievements

• 

  Hayek's breakthrough role was in the 2002 film Frida as Mexican painter Frida Kahlo for which she was nominated in the category of Best Actress for an Academy Award, BAFTA Award, Screen Actors Guild Award, and Golden Globe Award.
  
  Salma Hayek is a recipient of Time magazine 25 Most Influential Hispanics in 2005.
  
  The Hollywood Reporter ranked Hayek fourth in their inaugural Latino Power 50, a list of the most powerful members of the Hollywood Latino community in July 2007.
  
  In 2008, she was awarded the Women in Film Lucy Award in recognition of her excellence and innovation in her creative works that have enhanced the perception of women through the medium of television.
  
  Entertainment Weekly ranked Hayek number 17 in their list of the "25 Smartest People in TV."
  
  is the first and only Mexican actress to be nominated for an Academy Award for She Best Actress.
  
  She was one of fifteen women selected to appear on the cover of the September 2019 issue of British Vogue, by guest editor Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.
  
  She was a member of the jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 2005.

Works

More photos

• movie

  • The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists

    (The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! (released i...)

    2012
  • V-Day: Until the Violence Stops

    (Extraordinarily empowering and heartbreakingly funny, the...)

    2003
  • Dogma

    (Dogma is a 1999 American fantasy comedy film, written and...)

    1999
  • The Velocity of Gary

    (In the underground culture of New York City, Valentino (V...)

    1998
  • In the Time of the Butterflies

    (Based on a novel by Julia Alvarez and inspired by the tru...)

    2001
  • The Faculty

    (This hip and edgy thriller from the director of Machete a...)

    1998
  • El Callejon de los Milagros

    (Midaq Alley (Spanish: El callejón de los milagros, also r...)

    1995
  • Four Rooms

    (Four Rooms is a 1995 American anthology comedy film co-wr...)

    1995
  • Across The Universe

    (Across the Universe, from director Julie Taymor, is a rev...)

    2007
  • Breaking Up

    (Russell Crow stars with Salma Hayek in the passionate sto...)

    1997
  • Americano

    (When his mother dies, a young man (Mathieu Demy) is drawn...)

    2011
  • Traffic

    (Michael Douglas, Don Cheadle, Benicio Del Toro, Dennis Qu...)

    2000
  • Chain of Fools

    (When Kresk discovers the location of a fortune in stolen ...)

    2000
  • Grown Ups

    (From the guys who brought you Paul Blart; Mall Cop, five ...)

    2010
  • Everly

    (Salma Hayek takes no prisoners in this action-packed thri...)

    2015
  • Frida

    (Nominated for 6 Academy Awards including Salma Hayek for ...)

    2002
  • From Dusk Till Dawn

    (It's nonstop thrills when George Clooney (The American) a...)

    1996
  • Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant

    (Drawn to the magical world of the Cirque, a 16-year-old b...)

    2009
  • Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet

    (In this new animated classic, a free-spirited young girl ...)

    2014
  • How To Be A Latin Lover

    (Eugenio Derbez and Salma Hayek head an all-star cast in t...)

    2017
  • Roadracers

    (A rockin' rebel (David Arquette, Scream) races through li...)

    1994
  • Puss in Boots

    (Puss in Boots is a 2011 American computer-animated, adven...)

    2011
  • Fled

    (Two escaped convicts - chained together - bicker and braw...)

    1996
  • Drunk Parents

    (Two drunk parents attempt to hide their financial difficu...)

    2019
  • El Coronel No Tiene Quien le Escriba

    (No One Writes to the Colonel (Spanish: El coronel no tien...)

    1999
  • Desperado

    (The mysterious Mariachi - armed with a guitar case full o...)

    1995
  • Beatriz at Dinner

    (A provocative and sharply hilarious film about characters...)

    2017
  • Septembers of Shiraz

    (Based on true events, Septembers of Shiraz follows a secu...)

    2016
  • Fools Rush In

    (Sparks fly and cultures collide in this romantic comedy a...)

    1997
  • Once Upon A Time In Mexico

    (Returning from exile to avenge his slain family, the gun-...)

    2003
  • Sausage Party

    (A sausage leads supermarket products on a hilarious quest...)

    2016
  • Ask the Dust

    (Arturo Bandini (Colin Farrell), a young would-be writer w...)

    2006
  • Lonely Hearts

    (John Travolta, James Gandolfini, Salma Hayek, Jared Leto ...)

    2006
  • Fair Game

    (Cindy Crawford stars in this action-packed thriller as a ...)

    1995
  • Some Kind of Beautiful

    (When Kate (Jessica Alba) leaves Richard (Pierce Brosnan) ...)

    2015
  • Timecode

    (Four separate stories are told simultaneously -- all in o...)

    2000
  • The Hummingbird Project

    (Two cousins are players in the high-stakes game of high-f...)

    2018
  • Living It Up

    (A captivating romantic comedy about Lola (Hayek), a sexy ...)

    2000
  • Savages

    (The lover of two friends who share a successful pot-growi...)

    2012
  • As Luck Would Have It ( La chispa de la vida )

    (As Luck Would Have It (Spanish: La chispa de la vida) is ...)

    2011
  • Like a Boss

    (Best friends Mia and Mel (Tiffany Haddish and Rose Byrne)...)

    2020
  • Bandidas

    (Sexy outlaws Penelope Cruz and Salma Hayek go on a rampag...)

    2006
  • Here Comes The Boom

    (A high school teacher takes up fighting in mixed martial ...)

    2012
  • Watch Grown Ups 2

    (The all-star comedy cast from "Grown Ups" returns with so...)

    2013
  • 54

    (Famous 70's NYC nightclub seen and told through the eyes ...)

    1998
  • Wild Wild West

    (Will Smith, Kevin Kline and Salma Hayek is on a perilous ...)

    1999
  • After the Sunset

    (After a successful last score, a master thief retires to ...)

    2004
  • Muppets Most Wanted

    (The Muppets find themselves entangled in an international...)

    2014
  • Spy Kids 3

    (Carmen's caught in a virtual reality game.)

    2003
  • The Hitman's Bodyguard

    (Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson star in this outrageo...)

    2017
  • Tale of Tales

    (Salma Hayek and John C. Reilly are Queen and King in this...)

    2016
  • Mi Vida Loca

    (Echo Park, L.A. is the setting for a gang movie that beat...)

    2005

• TV series

  • 30 Rock

    (30 Rock is an American satirical sitcom television series...)

    2013
  • Ugly Betty

    (Ugly Betty is an American comedy-drama television series ...)

    2010
  • The Hunchback

    (Body of a monster. Heart of a saint. From Victor Hugo's r...)

    1997

Religion

Hayek was raised in a very devout Catholic home. She admits to being very devoted to her faith as a young girl, but has since given up on Catholicism - and pretty much religion altogether. She said of her break with the church:

"The minute I started thinking it through, I realized all religions are a form of manipulation. And I started having problems with certain beliefs-like in Africa, where people are dying of AIDS and overpopulation, the Catholic Church is going over to convert them and take away the condoms! And I said, wait a minute."

She isn’t into organized religion. She said: "I don’t believe in the institution. I still believe in Jesus Christ. I believe in God."

Politics

Hayek is a naturalized U.S. citizen, she is invested in United States politics. Her investments go to Democrats. She has donated to only two politicians - both Democrats and one was Barack Obama.

Hayek campaigned for Clinton.

She is politically active in other areas, particularly when it comes to battered women. She addressed the United States Congress in 2005, urging them to pass the Violence Against Women Act - which they did. Additionally, Hayek has donated tens of thousands of dollars to battered women charities. She said: "No woman has to be a victim of physical abuse. Women have to feel like they are not alone. Every woman who thinks she is the only victim of violence has to know that there are many more. It’s not worse here or there, it’s a worldwide problem."

Views

Salma Hayek has broken down racial barriers in Hollywood, establishing herself as the most influential Hispanic woman in the movie industry. A Mexican actress of Lebanese and Spanish descent, Salma has faced racism and stereotypes throughout her life. But she is proud of her multi-cultural heritage and has worked hard to become a respected actress, producer, and director. With her production companies, Salma also provides opportunities for other Latin-American actors. However, her movies tell stories that appeal to people of all races and cultures.

In December 2017, after dozens of other women had come forth to accuse mega-producer Harvey Weinstein of rape, harassment and other disturbing behavior, Hayek penned an op-ed piece for The New York Times titled, "Harvey Weinstein Is My Monster Too."

The actress described numerous attempts to fend off his advances over the years: “No to me taking a shower with him. No to letting him watch me take a shower. No to letting him give me a massage. No to letting a naked friend of his give me a massage. No to letting him give me oral sex. No to my getting naked with another woman.” Additionally, during one fit of rage, Weinstein allegedly threatened to kill her.

Quotations: "Some men have a silly theory about beautiful women - that somewhere along the line they'll turn into a monster. That movie gave them a chance to watch it happen."

"No woman has to be a victim of physical abuse. Women have to feel like they are not alone."

"What is important is to believe in something so strongly that you're never discouraged."

"The truth is, I just don't have the drive to be the prettiest and the thinnest. I can be happy for other people for their beauty."

Personality

Salma Hayek tends to be quite adaptable, and she finds it easy to fit into most social set ups and vocational fields.

There are no particular virtues that can cause an imbalance in Salma's personality and life, but she has to work hard and persistently to develop those special strengths that she desires to attain.

Learning to be wisely assertive is a major lesson to be taken by Salma Hayek throughout her life.

Salma’s most favorite movies are The Graduate, It Happened One Night, Casablanca and Gone with the Wind.

Her favorite food is Mexican and French, a favorite destination is France, her favorite colors are blue and purple.

Hayek is a committed activist: her list of charitable endeavors includes her own foundation helping women and children in Mexico, and the feminist charity Chime For Change, founded with Beyoncé.

Other projects receiving the full force of the Hayek commitment include her range of nutritional juices, and a beauty line that she created herself.

Before acting she was an accomplished gymnast aspiring to compete in the Olympic Games, but her father prevented her from being recruited by the Mexican national team.

She is very fond of animals. She turned her house into a shelter for stray animals. Right now she homes five parrots, one cat without a tail that was rescued by one of her 10 dogs, four ducks, 20 chickens, five horses, two guinea pigs and four alpacas.

Physical Characteristics: Hayek's hair color is back, her eye color is dark brown.

Her height is 5 ft 2 in or 157 cm, weight is 54 kg or 119 pounds.

In July 2007, she was diagnosed with diabetes while she was pregnant.

In school, Salma was diagnosed with dyslexia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Quotes from others about the person

• “I think Salma steals the whole movie. I challenge anyone not to fall in love with her because (a) she’s a polymath and (b) she kicks ass.” - director Patrick Hughes.

Interests

• charity, animals, aromatherapy

• Politicians

  Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama

• Writers

  "The Prophet" by Kahlil Gibran

• Artists

  Martial Raysse, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Frida Kahlo

• Sport & Clubs

  Bikram Yoga, Mexican soccer, Krav Maga, Los Angeles Lakers
  
  basketball team

• Music & Bands

  Prince

Connections

Hayek began dating French entrepreneur Francois-Henri Pinault in 2006, and the couple became engaged the following year. She gave birth to daughter Valentina Paloma Pinault on September 21, 2007, in Los Angeles, California. The couple married on Valentine's Day 2009 in Paris, France, and held a second ceremony soon after in Venice.

Hayek had previously been romantically linked to several actors, including Edward Norton, Edward Atterton and Richard Crenna Jr.

Father:

Sami Hayek Domínguez

Mother:

Diana Jiménez Medina

Spouse:

Francois-Henri Pinault

Brother:

Sami Hayek Jr.

Daughter:

Valentina Paloma Pinault

Born: 2007

Friend:

Matthew McConaughey

colleague:

Adam Sandler

colleague:

Antonio Banderas

References

• Salma Hayek Quotes: 95+ Motivational Salma Hayek Quotes To Start Your Day
  2019
• Salma Hayek: Actress, Director, and Producer
  2015
• Salma Hayek: An Unauthorized Biography
  2016
• Salma Hayek Pinault • Instagram photos and videos
• Salma Hayek Pinault
• Salma Hayek Pinault - Twitter