Salma Hayek

She’s the sexiest celebrity according to a Forbes poll. So sexy, in fact, that a whopping 65% of the U.S. population would use the word “sexy” to describe her. She was also named #4 in The Hollywood Reporter’s Power 50, a list of the most powerful people in Hollywood’s Latino community. She is – yes, you guessed it – Salma Hayek (aka Salma Hayek Jimenez), actress, director, film and television producer and world-famous sex symbol. She has acted in over thirty films in Hollywood, Mexico and Spain. But, unlike similarly beautiful and successful celebrities, you can’t dislike her. She uses her celebrity clout to raise awareness for all kinds of charitable causes, like violence against women and discrimination against immigrants. Salma Hayek was born on September 2, 1966, in Coatzacoalcos, in the Mexican state of Veracruz, to an oil executive father and an opera singer mother.

 

Salma Hayek’s heritage is mixed: she is Lebanese-Assyrian on her father’s side, and Spanish on her mother’s side. She grew up in a wealthy and religious family. She spent part of her childhood in America; her parents sent her to Louisiana’s Academy of the Sacred Heart when she was twelve years old. She was later expelled due to behavioural problems. She returned to the States shortly after, living with an aunt in Houston, Texas until the age of 17. As a child, salma hayek trained as a gymnast and aspired towards an Olympic career. Her father refused to let her join Mexico’s Olympic team. She later defied her family, dropping out of the international relations program at Mexico City’s Universidad Iberoamericana to pursue a career as an actress. Judging by her success today, she made a wise decision. Salma Hayek’s acting career began in Mexico. She started out in 1989 when she was just 23, playing the title role in Mexico’s mega-popular TV drama Teresa and earning celebrity status. In 1994, she earned a starring role in El Callejon de los Milagros (Miracle Alley in English) and was nominated for a prestigious Ariel Award, Mexico’s answer to the Oscars.

 

Miracle Alley has, to date, won more awards than any other Mexican movie in history. In 1991, Salma Hayek moved to Los Angeles to study acting under the coaching of Stella Adler. Salma Hayek’s break came soon after when she was recruited to star in the 1995 blockbuster Desperado, with Antonio Banderas. This was the era when salma hayek desperado became the talk of the continent – and remains so to this day. Salma Hayak’s role in Desperado caught the attention of Hollywood producers and audiences alike. Desperado earned Salma Hayak legions of fans. She soon landed a role in The Mask of Zorro, to be directed by Roberto Rodriguez, who’d also directed and given her her break in Desperado. Salma Hayek was so loyal to Rodriguez that, when he backed out of this project, so too did Salma Hayak. The role went to another bombshell, Catherine Zeta Jones. Following her work in desperado salma hayak appeared in the Spy Kids triology, From Dusk till Dawn, (famous for her provocative dance scene in which she kills Quentin Tarantino), Wild Wild West (with Will Smith) and Dogma (directed by Kevin Smith). She also appeared in Traffic with Benicio del Toro. This takes us to the late 1990s, when Salma Hayek began her career as a producer. She founded a production company called Ventanarosa. Her first feature film produced was El Coronel No Tiene Quien Le Escriba in 1999, which Mexico submitted for Oscar consideration that year. But her most famous production to date has been 2002’s Frida, based on the life of artist Frida Kahlo. Salma Hayak herself played Frida, and the salma hayak frida interpretation has been highly critically acclaimed – so acclaimed that it even earned her an Academy Award nomination. Salma hayek’s frida featured a slew of critically acclaimed performances from top actors, including Alfred Molina, Antonio Banderas, Ashley Judd, Geoffrey Rush, Edward Norton and Valeria Golino. Salma Hayek’s post-Frida appearances include Once Upon a Time in Mexico. She won a Daytime Emmy Award for The Maldonado Miracle, a Showtime family movie which she directed and produced. She then directed a music video for Prince. These days, Salma Hayek is most praised for two things. One is, of course, her looks. Internet searches for salma hayek gallery, salma hayek wallpaper and salma hayek in a bikini are at an all-time high, as web users clamor for a glimpse of this beauty. Gossip hounds also search for photos of salma hayek pregnant with Francois-Henri Pinault’s child. The other thing for which salma hayek is famous for is her role in one of ABC’s top new comedy-dramas, Ugly Betty. Salma Hayek is not only the executive producer of this charming TV drama, she also guest starred for a few episodes. The show has been adapted from the Columbian show Yo Soy Betty La Fea (I am ugly betty) and features a cast of endearing, entertaining characters. America Ferrera stars as ugly betty, a lovable but fashion-challenged secretary who has just landed the job of her dreams: assistant to Daniel Meade, head of fashion magazine mode.

 

The TV show follows the misadventures of ugly betty, including her love life, her family life and her work life. Ugly Betty, who wears thick glasses and braces and has a penchant for bland hairstyles and granny outfits, is torn between two men: nerdy longtime boyfriend Walter, and equally nerdy but much more aesthetically pleasing Henry from the accounting department. Other men in her life include her father Ignacio, an illegal immigrant from Mexico at risk of deportation, her gay nephew Justin, and the irritating to her but lovable to us Mark, the flamboyant assistant to conniving creative director Wilhemina Slater (played by songstress and former Miss America Vanessa Williams, who is devilishly delightful in this role). At the center of the show is Betty’s relationship with her womanizing boss, Daniel, who constantly needs Betty’s help in getting him out of schemes (and dealing with various personal issues, such as the fact that his mom is in jail for killing his dad’s mistress, or that his brother has come back from the dead as a woman – who’s trying to take over his editor-in-chief job). Other notable female characters in the show include the evil receptionist Amanda, betty’s devoted friend Christina, and ugly betty’s sexy and supportive sister Hilda. Salma Hayek guest starred in ugly betty as Sofia, a magazine editor who sees betty’s potential and offers her a pithier position than just answering phones and cleaning up her boss’ messes. However, betty soon discovered a murkier side to Sofia, whose romantic affair with Daniel ends in disaster. The role earned Salma Hayek a Golden Globe nomination for best guest performance. She didn’t win, but Ugly Betty took home awards for best show. Her role in having brought this entertaining show to television has earned Salma Hayek a whole new generation of worshippers.