Salma Hayek

Going to be slim picken's for a while. I'm actually working on a "real" project, so might miss a day or two if I get in a jam. Bear with me… thanks everyone!

Find Salma Hayek stuff here.

Salma was born on September 2, 1966 in Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, Mexico as Salma Valgarma Hayek-Jimènez. She is 5' 2" [1.57 m] tall.

I'm on a roll with the International thing, so, Salma is keeping it going. I think the first time I saw her on the big screen was the movie "Desperado," though at the time I did not know I was viewing a soon to be superstar… Okay, I give it to you that she might not be a superstar to you, but after "Frida," which I did not see, she was nominated for a bunch of awards, including an Oscar for leading female actor. Besides all that, I think her best role was being Serendipity in "Dogma." She's also done a voice in the movie, "Puss in Boots" another desperado movie with Antonio Banderas if you think about it.

Factoids:

• Is dyslexic.
• Frequently collaborates with Antonio Banderas and Robert Rodriguez, and is godmother to Rodriguez's children.
• Is of Spanish and Lebanese descent, and fluent in Arabic, Spanish, Portugese and English.
• Was originally considered for the part of Alicia Larde in A Beautiful Mind (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!
• Father was born in Lebanon and came to Mexico to start a small business where he met her mother.
• Studied international relations and 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 Central Station (1998).
• Good friends with Penélope Cruz, Ashley Judd and Valeria Golino.
• Member of the jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 2005
• Played a (mythological creature disguised as a) stripper twice: in From Dusk Till Dawn (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.
• As the announcer for the Oscars 2007, she was able to announce best friend Penélope Cruz' nominations for Best Actress for Volver (2006/I).
• Diagnosed with diabetes while pregnant (July 2007).
• 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 five months after giving birth to her daughter Valentina in order to begin filming Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant (2009).

Quotes:

• 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 Lopez doesn'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?'
• "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)
• "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.

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Find more Salma Hayek stuff here.

Find more Salma Hayek stuff here.