Salma Hayek Biography

Salma Hayek Jiménez (born September 2, 1966 in Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, Mexico) is an Academy Award nominated Mexican actress, Daytime Emmy-winning director and a film and television producer. The most successful Latin American actress in Hollywood since Carmen Miranda, Hayek has appeared in more than thirty films and performed as an actress outside of Hollywood in Mexico and Spain. Salma is an Arabic name that means "peace" or "calm".

Early life

Hayek was born in Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, Mexico to Sami Hayek, a Lebanese oil company executive, and Diana Jiménez, an opera singer. Hayek's paternal grandparents were Mexicans of Lebanese descent, while her mother is of Spanish descent. Raised in a wealthy, devoutly Catholic family, she was sent to the Academy of the Sacred Heart, Grand Coteau, Louisiana, at the age of 12. Salma pulled prank on the nuns by setting their clocks back three hours and she was soon expelled. Only after attending Mexico City's Universidad Iberoamericana did she feel ready to pursue acting seriously.

Career

At the age of 23, Hayek landed the title role in Teresa (1989), a successful Mexican telenovela that made her a star in Mexico. In 1994, Hayek starred in El Callejón de los Milagros (Midaq Alley), which has won more awards than any other movie in the history of Mexican cinema. For her performance Hayek was nominated to an Ariel Award.

Despite limited fluency in English, Hayek moved to Los Angeles, California, in 1991 to study acting under Stella Adler, hoping for a career in Hollywood. Robert Rodriguez and his producer wife Elizabeth Avellan soon gave Hayek the break she needed, a starring role opposite Antonio Banderas in 1995's Desperado. The movie caught Hollywood's attention.

Hayek followed her success in Desperado with a brief but memorable role in From Dusk Till Dawn. In 1999 she co-starred in Will Smith's big-budget Wild Wild West, and played a supporting role in Kevin Smith's Dogma. In 2000 she had an uncredited acting part opposite Benicio Del Toro in Traffic. Around this time Hayek founded production company Ventanarosa, through which she produces film and television projects. Her first feature as a producer was 1999's El Colonel No Tiene Quien le Escriba, Mexico's official selection for submission for Best Foreign Film at the Oscars.

Frida, co-produced by Hayek, was released in 2002. Starring Hayek as Frida Kahlo, and Alfred Molina as her unfaithful husband, Diego Rivera, the film was directed by Julie Taymor and also featured an entourage of stars in supporting roles, including Antonio Banderas, Ashley Judd, Geoffrey Rush, Edward Norton and Valeria Golino. She earned a Best Actress Academy Award nomination for her performance.

In that same year she produced and directed the The Maldonado Miracle, a Showtime movie which won her a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing in a Children/Youth/Family Special. In December 2005 she directed a music video for Prince, titled "Te Amo Corazón" ("I love you, sweetheart") that featured her good friend Mia Maestro.

Hayek was an executive producer of Ugly Betty, television series airing in the United States since September 2006. Hayek adapted the series for American television with Ben Silverman, who acquired the rights and scripts from the Colombian Telenovela Yo Soy Betty La Fea in 2001. Hayek guest-starred on Ugly Betty as Sofia Reyes, a magazine editor. The show quickly became a ratings hit and won a Golden Globe Award for Best Comedy Series in 2007.

Hayek has also been credited as a song performer in three movies. The first was Desperado for the song Quedate Aquí. In Frida she performed with band Los Vega the Mexican folk song La Bruja. She also recorded Siente mi amor, which played during the end credits of Once Upon a Time in Mexico.

Chosen by People (USA) magazine as one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world [1996 and 2003] Was ranked 8th of the 100 Sexiest Women by FHM Taiwan (2001). Ranked #31 in Stuff magazine's "102 Sexiest Women in the World" (2002). Named #34 on the Maxim magazine Hot 100 of 2005 list. Named #12 in FHM's "100 Sexiest Women in the World 2005" special supplement. Named #36 in FHM magazine's "100 Sexiest Women in the World 2006". Fluent in English, Arabic, Spanish and Portugese. Member of the jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 2005.

Other work

Hayek has been a spokesperson for Avon Products, Inc. since 2004. She formerly served in the same function for Revlon. She modeled for Chopard in 2001 and was featured in 2006 Campari adverts as photographed by Mario Testino. That same year she helped introduce La Doña, a watch by Cartier. She was also featured in a series of Spanish language commercials for Lincoln cars.

Personal life

Hayek is a naturalized U.S. citizen. Hayek dated fellow actor Edward Norton for four years, between 1999 and 2003, and then Josh Lucas from 2003 until 2004. Has homes in Los Angeles and Mexico. She is best friends with Spanish actress Penelope Cruz. The two co-starred in the 2006 film, Bandidas.

On March 9, 2007, Salma confirmed she was expecting her first child with PPR CEO François-Henri Pinault. On September 21, 2007, Hayek gave birth to daughter Valentina Paloma Pinault at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

Salma Hayek Filmography - Movies - TV

• Banda, La (2009) (pre-production)
• Keep Coming Back (2008) (pre-production)
• South of the Border (2008) (filming) (voice)
• Across the Universe (2007) .... Singing Nurse
• "Ugly Betty" .... Sofia Reyes / ... (7 episodes, 2006-2007)
  - Sofia's Choice (2007) TV Episode .... Sofia Reyes
  - Fake Plastic Snow (2006) TV Episode .... Sofia Reyes
  - Lose the Boss? (2006) TV Episode .... Sofia Reyes
  - Four Thanksgivings and a Funeral (2006) TV Episode .... Sofia Reyes
  - After Hours (2006) TV Episode .... Sofia Reyes
• Lonely Hearts (2006) .... Martha Beck
  ... aka Lonely Hearts Killers (Germany)
• Ask the Dust (2006) .... Camilla
• Bandidas (2006) .... Sara
• Sian Ka'an (2005) (voice) .... Maria
• After the Sunset (2004) .... Lola Cirillo
• Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003) .... Carolina
• Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over (2003) .... Cesca Giggles
  ... aka Spy Kids 3: Game Over (USA: video title)
• "Saturday Night Live" .... Host (1 episode, 2003)
  ... aka SNL (USA: informal title)
  ... aka SNL 25 (USA: alternative title)
  - Episode #28.15 (2003) TV Episode .... Host
• Frida (2002) .... Frida Kahlo
• In the Time of the Butterflies (2001) (TV) .... Minerva Mirabal
  ... aka En el tiempo de las mariposas
• Hotel (2001) .... Charlee Boux
• Traffic (2000) (uncredited) .... Rosario
  ... aka Traffic - Die Macht des Kartells (Germany)
• Gran vida, La (2000) .... Lola
  ... aka Living It Up (International: English title)
• Chain of Fools (2000) .... Kolko
• Timecode (2000) .... Rose
• Wild Wild West (1999) .... Rita Escobar
• Coronel no tiene quien le escriba, El (1999) .... Julia
  ... aka No One Writes to the Colonel (International: English title)
  ... aka Pas de lettre pour le colonel (France)
  ... aka Personne n'écrit au colonel (France)
• Dogma (1999) .... Serendipity
• The Faculty (1998) .... Nurse Rosa Harper
• The Velocity of Gary (1998) .... Mary Carmen
• 54 (1998) .... Anita Randazzo
  ... aka Fifty-Four
• Breaking Up (1997) .... Monica
• The Hunchback (1997) (TV) .... Esmeralda
  ... aka Quasimodo (Canada: French title)
  ... aka The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Europe: English title)
• Fools Rush In (1997) .... Isabel Fuentes Whitman
• Sistole Diastole (1997) .... Carmelita
• Fled (1996) .... Cora
• From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) .... Santanico Pandemonium
• Follow Me Home (1996)
• "Vuelo del águila, El" (1996) TV Series .... Juana Cata
• Fair Game (1995) .... Rita
• Four Rooms (1995) .... TV Dancing Girl (segment "The Misbehavers")
• Desperado (1995) .... Carolina
• Callejón de los milagros, El (1995) .... Alma
  ... aka Midaq Alley
  ... aka Miracle Alley (Australia)
• Roadracers (1994) (TV) .... Donna
  ... aka Rebel Highway
• "The Sinbad Show" (1993) TV Series .... Gloria Contreras (unknown episodes, 1993)
  ... aka Sinbad (UK)
• Mi vida loca (1993) .... Gata
  ... aka My Crazy Life
• "Nurses" .... Yolanda Cuevas (1 episode, 1992)
  - One Pequeno, Two Pequeno (1992) TV Episode .... Yolanda Cuevas
• "Dream On" .... Carmela (1 episode, 1992)
  - Domestic Bliss (1992) TV Episode .... Carmela
• "Street Justice" .... Andrea (1 episode, 1992)
  - Homecoming (1992) TV Episode .... Andrea
• "Teresa" (1989) TV Series .... Teresa
• "Nuevo amanecer, Un" (1988) TV Series .... Fabiola

  Salma Hayek Producer - Filmography

• Banda, La (2009) (pre-production) (producer)
• "Ugly Betty" (executive producer) (8 episodes, 2006)
• The Maldonado Miracle (2003) (TV) (senior executive producer)
• Frida (2002) (producer)
• In the Time of the Butterflies (2001) (TV) (executive producer)
  ... aka En el tiempo de las mariposas

  Salma Hayek Soundtrack - Filmography

• Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003) (performer: "Siente mi amor")
• Frida (2002) (performer: "La Bruja", "El Cascabel")
• Hotel (2001) (performer: "Charlee Boux")
• 54 (1998) (performer: "Lamento Borincano")
  ... aka Fifty-Four
• Desperado (1995) (performer: "Quédate Aquí")

  Salma Hayek Director - Filmography

• The Maldonado Miracle (2003) (TV)