Not to mention the fact that she’s literally one of the most courageous and powerful women in showbiz! So, we think it’s time we all get to know her a little better.
Clean Shaven
OK, here's something you would have never imagined about Salma Hayek: Growing up, her grandmother used to shave her head and eyebrows on a regular basis. Sounds weird?
Well, it's about to get weirder: she did it to make Hayek's hair thicker. It's hard to say if it worked or not, but Salma has a fine head of hair on her, so… maybe Grandma's creepy trick actually worked. Guess we'll never know.
Huge Animal Lover
One crucial thing you should know about Salma Hayek: she LOVES animals. The woman has had about 50 (!) different pets up until now and counting.
If you walk into her house, you might confuse it for a petting zoo (or perhaps, a zoo-zoo): Salma has dogs, horses, parrots, and alpacas. Yes, alpacas, y'all. We had to take a minute there just to remind ourselves of what alpacas look like, but she just has them in her home. Speechless is what we are.
Krav Maga, Baby
No wonder Salma is so fit and toned – her workout routine is based on Krav Maga, a method that combines aikido, karate, and boxing. We think that's extremely badass!
Krav Maga may be an intense workout, but Salma is a true fighter, so it works. But what is Krav Maga, exactly? Well, it's a self-defense system that was originally developed for the IDF, AKA the Israeli Defense Forces. If it's good for them, it's good for Salma.
A Touch of Lebanese
Now, let's talk about the unique makeup behind Salma's incredible genetics. Both her mom and her dad are Mexican-born, but, her father is also a descendant of a Lebanese heritage, which explains her non-Mexican last name, Hayek.
If you don't know much about last names, you'd probably never guess she's anything but Latina, so good thing we're here to clarify things. Anyway, this special combo might be what makes her so mesmerizing, so we're all for it.
Social Activist
Salma is both a Mexican and a feminist, and those are two major reasons why she took part in a big protest against the phenomenon of women disappearing randomly in Mexico.
The protest took place in Juarez, Mexico, which is often referred to as Mexico's "murder capital." Sounds really scary, and we appreciate Salama as a person even more now, knowing that she fights for other women's rights.
A Feminist. Or is She?
Well, Salma may be known for being a feminist now, but things weren't always so. She went through quite an evolution in that department, from declaring that she wasn't one, saying that she promotes equality in general, regardless of sex; to being a full-on feminist and announcing it explicitly, saying she would keep on fighting for women's rights.
You know what, though, we always knew her heart was in the right place – so the words Salma uses to define herself don't really matter to us.
Pride in Spite of Prejudice
Salma Hayek is undoubtedly a strong, independent, Latina woman – but this doesn't mean she was never discriminated against for her ethnic descent. Sadly, she was.
Salma auditioned for a film role and was almost hired, but ultimately rejected for being Latina. We kid you not! We're SO happy she didn't let this answer stop her from keeping her head up, pursuing an acting career, and becoming such a successful actress.
Her Own Production Company
Salma is definitely not just a (breathtakingly beautiful, uber-talented) actress – she's SO much more. Don't belive us? Wait till you read this!
In 1999 (which seems like eons ago, we know) Hayek founded her very own production company, which she named Ventanarosa ("rose-colored window" in Spanish). Hayek's production company may be rather small, but it's worked with major studios like Lionsgate and Netflix!
Mexican Soccer Buff
No matter how long she's been living in the US, Salma stays loyal to her Mexican descent in various ways, one of which is watching Mexican soccer whenever she has the chance.
It turns out that in Mexico, soccer is a really big deal! So, it adds up. Hayek's husband is also very much into soccer, which means they can watch it together as a cool couple bonding activity. We just hope they're not getting into fights over whose team is better.
Tetanus Vaccine Campaign
Among Salma's many social activism endeavors, she took part in a campaign meant to help pay for tetanus vaccines for those who cannot afford them.
That's such a wonderful cause! The campaign was initiated by the United Nations Children's Fund, and Salma did such a great job on it, that she got the UNICEF Humanitarian Award for her work. Such a beautiful soul.
Peace Out
Let's talk linguistics: What does Salma's first name mean? Well, it turns out that "Salma" pretty much means "peace" in Arabic.
Let us be Chandler Bing for a minute and ask: Could her parents HAVE BEEN more accurate in naming her? The answer is no since Salma is the epitome of peace. She's such a wonderful person, and is all about helping others, be it humans or animals.
Bad Catholic Girl
We all know the 'Good Catholic Girl' cliché – well, Salma Hayek was just about the opposite. When she was a schoolgirl, Hayek managed to get through only two years in Catholic school prior to being expelled.
The school claimed Salma was a troublemaker and refused to keep her as a student. We're really interested in knowing what kind of troublemaker she was, and what exactly she did that got her expelled. Guess that's for her to know and for us to remain super curious about.
Trouble Concentrating
We're not sure how many times we have to repeat this message for people to get it inside their heads: famous people have issues, too.
Here's yet another proof of that: the seemingly-perfect Salma Hayek, her royal loveliness, suffers from dyslexia and ADHD. It actually took two separate diagnoses to make Hayek believe she had ADHD, but it finally sunk in. Anyway, as we all know, she never once let those things stand in her way to success.
Skin Problems
We know, you never thought you'd read the words "skin problems" in the same sentence as "Salma Hayek" – but truth can be stranger than fiction, and it often is.
Back in her 20s, Hayek suffered from serious acne, which led to a major bout of depression. She was so depressed, that she refused to leave her house for a while. That's extremely sad. We're so grateful Salma made it through and finally decided to get back out there, otherwise, we wouldn't be able to enjoy her talent! Plus, it's safe to say the acne thing was resolved. Big relief.
Top-Notch Nudity
Salma holds one of the most unique awards in Hollywood, one you may have never even heard of, up until now: Best Nude Scene for 2006. Sounds scandalous, we know, but we promise there's nothing sketchy involved.
Hayek won the award for a very legitimate film, "Ask the Dust," where she had a memorable nude scene with Colin Farrell. The actress is known for being comfortable showing her body on camera, and we really think she has all the reasons to feel this way.
Born Wealthy
We're definitely not about to tell you a heartbreaking rags-to-riches story about this Hollywood star since we'd simply be lying. Salma Hayek comes from an extremely rich Mexican family: her dad, Sami, holds a senior position at an oil company; and both Salma and the rest of the family enjoyed all the benefits coming from his job.
This doesn't go to say Salma didn't have to face her own set of challenges in life, but let's just say not having enough money was never one of them.
Would You Be My Valentine?
Salma and her husband Francois were one of those couples cheesy enough to get married on Valentine's Day, which means each year they get their Valentine's Day with extra Anniversary cheese.
Hey, it might not be for us, but we can definitely we respect that. But did they go too far also naming their mutual daughter Valentina? Well, some might say so, but we're not ones to judge.
A Latina Pioneer (Almost)
Did you know Salma Hayek was only the second Latina to get nominated for the Best Actress n Leading Role Academy Award?
We know she wasn't the first one, okay, but being the second one is pretty damn respectable, too. So, what was she nominated for? You ask. Well, it was for her fabulous portrayal of Frida Kahlo in the movie "Frida." And btw, this was just one of the awards Salma was nominated for following that amazing film.
Brought to You by Wonka-Inspired
You wouldn't believe what movie prompted Hayek to become an actress: it was no other than "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory."
That's quite the peculiar choice, but it just goes to show that Salma could never be accused of being basic. We're not sure what it was about that movie that made her want to become an actress herself, but we're extremely thankful for it! As bizarre as it may be.
Crisis of Faith
After being kicked out of Catholic school, Salma found herself a student of Ramtha's School of Enlightenment. What's that? well, it's a New Age spiritual school which is located in Washington.
Salma has said that the school did a lot of good for her. She found herself growing away from the Catholic faith and starting to ask new questions about religion, science, and philosophy. Some critics of the school claim that it's more like a cult, but it seems like Salma felt differently.
A Missed Gymnast
Many people don't know that Salma's initial dream, before wanting to become an actress, was being a gymnast. The actress fell in love with the field when she was young, and at only 9 years old, she begged her father to allow her to train at a gym in Mexico City during the summer.
That summer adventure actually ended in Salma getting drafted for the Olympic team! But that soon turned out to be a problem since it would have kept her away from her family for too long. Papa Hayek refused, and Salma never became a gymnast.
Her Own Style
Back in 1998, Hayek must not have been that well-known, since according to her, designers refused to dress her or give her jewelry to wear for the 1998 MTV Music Video Awards.
We find it extremely hard imagining someone saying no to Salma Hayek, but this seems to be a true story! Anyway, Salma didn't let those designers bring her down. She had a rather simple black dress she was going to wear to the event, and in order to not look too basic, she wore temp butterfly tattoos to upgrade her look. We love it.
First Celebrity Crush
We all remember that first time we looked at the TV screen and became all gooey-eyed looking at one of the actors or actresses. This actually still happens to us, like, all the time, but that's a different discussion. Anyway, for Salma, that first TV crush was Chachi Arcola from "Happy Days," portrayed by actor Scott Baio.
"Happy Days" ran for 10 whole years, so we really hope Salma got over it at some point and moved on to crushing on real-life teenage boys.
A Tortured Jasmine
Salma's very first acting audition – and quite soon after, first acting gig – was for the part of Jasmine in a Mexican children's play version of Aladdin.
Not too shabby for an anonymous 18-year-old back in the day, but Hayek didn't take it that excitedly. In fact, she had stage fright and was terrified. In an interview, she confessed to having suffered every single day until it ended. Sorry, Salma. We're positive you made a lovely Jasmine, though.
An Original Gift-Giver
Here's an original idea: if you find it hard deciding what to get your significant other for Valentine's Day, just get him or her a pet rescue owl and name is after their luxury goods brand (well, if they own a luxury goods brand, that is – if not, feel free to skip that part).
That's what Salma Hayek got her husband Francois, and it was a big success. What can we say? Their relationship is special that way.
A Sudoku Expert
We all have our random talents, and Salma Hayek's is Sudoku. When interviewing for W magazine, Salma shared the story of how she got into it: while breastfeeding her back-then newborn Valentina for what felt like an eternity, she got bored.
Her boredom made her take up Sudoku, and she found out she was great at it. According to Hayek, she can solve one in as little as four minutes! We're impressed.
What's Cooking, Good Looking?
Okay, let us what a Salma Hayek-style house has to include: a big kitchen with all the necessary ingredients to make top-notch Mexican food.
The star and her family travel around the world for work constantly, and according to her, if there's one thing she can't pass up on, it's that. No matter if they're in LA, London, or Paris – a kitchen full of Mexican food supplies is a must.
Antonio Banderas's Birthday Present
The fact that Salma is a huge animal lover has already been established, but we think actor Antonio Banderas may have taken this one step too far. Or, has he?
On her birthday, Banderas gave Hayek a big box. When she opened the box, she found inside… two monkeys! Yep, that's right. The monkeys, Mariachi and Carlena, had previously filmed some scenes with Banderas and Hayek as part of a movie they were both shooting together.
A Strange Incident
Something disturbing happened to Salma during rehearsal for one of her films: she hit her head and ended up in the hospital, but that's not even the funkiest bit. When she got there, she saw everyone staring at her, which seems only natural due to her being a famous actress.
But soon after, she realized the staring had to do with something else: she was wearing a see-through shirt. It was meant for the scene she was about to film before being rushed to the hospital, and obviously, there was no time to change. The incident ended in an Insta photo with her doctors.
Cursing in Spanish
Salma has a multi-lingual household, with Spanish, English, and French being spoken there regularly. But when it comes to cursing, Hayek makes sure to stick to her mother tongue, the Spanish language.
Obviously, she tries to curse as little as possible, but sometimes she just can't help it. She says some of the Spanish curse words are "just delicious." We don't speak Spanish, but we'll take her word for it. Literally.
Married Twice
Salma Hayek has technically married twice, but don't worry – both weddings involved the same groom. She got engaged to Francois-Henri Pinault in 2007, but the two canceled their engagement in 2008, after already giving birth to their daughter Valentina.
They had some sort of a falling out, but luckily, they patched things up and married in Paris in 2009. Later, that same year, they married once again, this time in Venice. We're not sure why, but, hey, why not?
Her Dance Number with Jimmy Kimmel
As part of Jimmy Kimmel's Big Night of Stars, Hayek and Kimmel performed and number together including a comedy routine in English and Spanish incorporating both a song and a dance.
As part of the routine, Salma was looking down from a balcony while a mariachi band serenaded her. We sure would have loved to be in the audience to witness this live!
Zero Plastic Surgery
In case you were wondering, Salma's beauty is 100% natural. She's never had plastic surgery – not even a Botox injection, which pretty much makes her a unicorn in Hollywood.
Not many Hollywood stars can say that (and actually mean it). People have tried persuading her into getting some work done on her face to avoid wrinkles, but Hayek refused. Instead, she practices restorative yoga. Still, anytime a celebrity tells you they have never had any work done, you should take it with a grain of salt.
A Sensual Symbol
Throughout the years, Salma has been continuously defined as a sex symbol and praised for her physical appearance and appeal. Other than often choosing to star in intimate and/or nude scenes, she's also often been cited as one of the most beautiful actresses in Hollywood (and it's clear to see why).
Among other things, she was included in People's list of 50 most beautiful people in the world in 1996, 2003, and 2008; in Maxim's Hot 100 list in 2005 and 2007; and in FHM's 100 Sexiest Women in the World list in 2005 and 2006.
Salma's Husband
Let's take a minute to talk about Salma Hayek's husband. His name is Francois-Henri Pinault, and he is every bit as rich and successful as his name makes him sound.
To be more precise, Pinault is a billionaire, and he's also the third richest man in France (yep, that's right). The chief executive of luxury goods brand Kering, he has an estimated net worth of $44 billion. Well, what can we say? We're not at all jealous.
A Medal from the Pope
Not many people can say they got a medal from the pope, but Salma Hayek sure can. It was from Pope Francis, and she received it at a 2016 ceremony that took place at the Vatican.
Hayek got the medal for her work promoting the Scholas Occurrentes initiative, meant to encourage peace and understanding through art and technology. As part of the initiative, Hayek takes part in an art project.
A Hands-On Parent
Being such an incredibly busy and successful woman, we would have forgiven Salma if she wasn't always the perfect, involved parent. But it turns out she has extremely high expectations of herself as a mother, and she enforces some pretty strict rules when it comes to her children.
For example, she doesn't allow using video games, TV, or smartphones to pass the time after school. She's all about spending time with her kids, no matter how tired she might be. Other than her biological daughter, Valentina, Salma has three other stepchildren.
A Diving Enthusiast
Among all things Salma does, she's also a diver. According to her, this activity allows her to be more in touch with her body and breathing, and she describes floating in the water as an incredibly liberating experience.
She's also very much into watching things underwater. Another fun fact: Salma noted that the very same process of being in touch with her breath also plays a significant part in her sensuality. Sounds intriguing!
The Milky Way
Here's one fact about Hayek that we simply couldn't ignore: the woman fed a starving baby in Sierra Leone with her very own breast milk.
It was while she was taking part in a tetanus vaccine campaign, and she believed it was something she needed to do to help the poor little baby. We don't think many people would have done that for someone they don't even know. Go Salma.
Her Mom and Dad
It's no wonder Salma turned out to have such natural star quality, considering her family background. Her dad, other than being a big deal in the regional oil industry, also ran for mayor of Coatzacoa the city where Salma was born; and her mom was a talent scout and opera singer!
She was actually the one to "discover" Salma. How cool is that?
Salma Trump?
At the very beginning of her Hollywood career, Salma NEARLY dated no other than American billionaire and ex-president Donald Trump.
We know, this sounds like a very bad joke, but it's all true. Trump made a couple of moves on Salma, but what can we say – she just didn't fall for it. Could you imagine her becoming the first lady?
Third Choice
You'd think someone like Hayek would always be everyone's first choice, but, whaddya know, it wasn't always so. When she was cast in the 1999 hit "Wild Wild West" alongside Will Smith, it was only after her part was first offered to Jennifer Lopez and Penelope Cruz, who turned it down.
With all due respect for J.Lo and Penelope, we would have offered it to Salma first.
Perseverance is Key... Or Not
Salma's story with Trump did not end on his poor, unsuccessful attempt to hit on her, although we all kind of wish it had. Years later, Trump purchased a lunch date with Hayek at an auction for no less than $145,000!
But that's not even all. After spending all that money at the auction, when the time came for the two of them to meet, Trump didn't show up. He literally paid to stand her up. Salma, we would have never stood you up. Like, ever.
Alfred Molina's Comment
We can already tell you that Salma Hayek is a larger-than-life woman, but just in case you feel like getting a second opinion: Alfred Molina, who acted alongside Hayek in "Frida," praised her for both her acting chops and her incredible film producer abilities.
We really didn't need Molina to say that in order to know it, but it's always good to get some confirmation.
Scared of Snakes
Salma Hayek is scared of snakes. But we're not talking about your average scared-of-snakes scenario – the woman has a serious case of Ophidiophobia.
Ophidiophobia is defined as "an extreme, overwhelming fear of snakes." Well, we can totally relate. Thankfully she's never had to film an entire scene dancing with a huge snake on her body...Oh, wait. She did!
A Soap Opera Star
Salma started her acting career in Mexico before anyone in Hollywood even knew her name. She starred in a Mexican soap opera called "Teresa," playing who else but… Teresa herself.
Salma was 23 at the time and the series made her a big star in the country, even earning her the TVyNovelas Award for Best Female Revelation in 1990. Boy, were they right.
Her Big Break in Mexico
It's true that the English-speaking audience only became aware of this marvelous actress when she finally decided to come to Hollywood (and thank gosh for that!).
But by the time Salma started auditioning for American films, she was already a huge movie star in Mexico. This was thanks to her getting the lead role in one of the most successful Mexican films ever, called "El Callejón de los Milagros." Keep reading, we're going to look it up and watch it in the meantime.
Started From the Top, Now We're Here
Since Hayek arrived in Hollywood with some incredible Mexican acting credits under her belt, people might think she had it easy.
But it seems like being a huge star in Mexico didn't really impress anyone in the City of Angels, and Salma found herself studying acting all over again with one of the industry's famous acting coaches, Stella Adler. That must have been a pretty humbling experience.
Cheated On?
When we first found out Beyonce was cheated on, we realized this could truly happen to anyone. But still, cheating on Salma Hayek? Seriously? Well, the answer, sadly, is yes.
Well, sort of. During Hayek's relationship with her husband Francois, the two broke up for a little while. While they were broken up, he went out with supermodel Linda Evangelista, and even had a son with her! Francois might be able to use the Ross-and-Rachel "we were on a break" excuse here, it seems there may have been an overlap between his time with Evangelista and his relationship with Hayek.
A Looker
It only takes one look at Salma Hayek to see that she is unbelievably gorgeous. People were quick to realize that from the very beginning of her career, and that's probably why that happened when she was filming her first big Hollywood movie, "Desperado."
While filming her, um, intimate scene with Antonio Banderas, the whole crew gathered round to watch! We're talking about literally everyone on set. Eventually, only essential people were allowed to stay for the actual filming. Phew.
Salma and Edward Norton
Salma dated Hollywood actor Edward Norton for about four years, from 1999 until 2003. The two were a beloved celebrity couple, and their blossoming love was often caught on camera.
Their relationship may be over, but Hayek still thinks highly of Norton. It's no wonder: he literally rewrote the whole script of her film "Frida" for free when she was in need. Hayek will always be grateful to him for that, and even referred to Norton as an "angel." Aww.
Not So Wild About the West
We all know Salma starred in the much-talked-about movie "Wild Wild West" in the 90s. But let's just say, she was less than wild about it, as were the other actors in the film.
It turns out that the film's cast members were extremely unhappy with how the movie turned out. The main problem Salma had with it was, that she felt that the creators didn't use her properly in the movie.
Body Positive
It turns out that even someone as gorgeous as Hayek occasionally gets negative comments about her figure. This sounds no less than outrageous to us, but it happens.
According to the Hollywood actress, one of her past boyfriends made an offensive comment about her body, to which she reacted by… dumping him. She's definitely not one to put up with this type of behavior. Go Salma.
Dancing with the Snakes
While playing in Robert Rodriguez's movie "From Dusk Till Dawn," Salma had to perform an, um, interesting task: she had to film a whole scene where she danced with… a snake.
But how do you get an actress with a huge snake phobia to do such a thing? Well, easy: you trick her. The producer of the movie lied to Salma for her to agree to take the role, which eventually ended up in her being in therapy for months in order to get over her fear of snakes. We're anything but pro-lying, but it worked.
30, Flirty, and Thriving
Salma Hayek is mostly known for her being a movie star and film producer, but she also dabbled with some TV acting throughout her career.
Hayek landed a guest role on the NBC comedy series "30 Rock" for four whole years, between 2009 and 2013. Salma played nurse Elisa Pedrera, and even though it was just a guest role, she obviously made quite an impression, since they kept calling her back.
Salma and Josh Lucas
Among Salma's list of former lovers (which we wish we were on), one can find Hollywood hotty Josh Lucas. Sadly, the two dated for only a year then broke up. According to Lucas, the main reason for their breakup was Salma being way too busy with her career to invest in a romantic relationship with him.
Between that and Lucas's own busy career, the two just couldn't make it work. So sad.
Grown Ups? Not So Much
You'd think prejudice in show business would be out by now, but guess not? When Adam Sandler cast Salma to play a role in his movie "Grown-Ups," things didn't go so smoothly at first. Studio executive told Sandler they wanted him to cast someone "less ethnic" instead.
Luckily, Sandler wouldn't put up with those types of discriminative requests and told them it wasn't an option. All well that ends well!
Cringe-Worthy?
Many words come to mind when thinking about Salma Hayek, but "cringe" is definitely not one of them. However, "E! Online" once begged to differ.
When Salma made a statement about her willingness to fight for men as much as she'd fight for women, E! referred to her as, and we quote,"cringe-worthy." We're not sure if the people at E! understand the meaning of the word "cringe," and recommend they have a quick look at the dictionary.
Stalked
All that glitters is not gold, and what happened to Hayek in 2015 is a fine example of that. Back then, the actress was being stalked and harassed by a woman who did pretty much everything in the stalker playbook, from impersonating Salma and trying to contact her family to follow her.
This episode ended with Salma filing a restraining order against the woman. We're just glad she's okay.
Late Motherhood
Did you know Salma became a mom at the age of 41? Not that we mind, God forbid! We're all for being a super-busy, super-successful career woman; but that's definitely a noteworthy fact. Of course, we can totally understand why it took her some time to get to being a mom, with such an amazing and eventful Hollywood career.
Who has the time? Anyway, Salma says that he daughter, Valentina, is one the most fulfilling things in her life.
Awards and Nominations
It sure doesn't surprise us that Salma Hayek has had her share of awards and nominations throughout her successful Hollywood career.
We'll quickly list some of them here if you don't mind: Four Emmy nominations, an Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing in a Children Special, a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in "Frida," a Golden Globe nomination, and the list goes on. Let's just say, people in the industry respect her.
Salma and Matthew Perry: Frenemies?
Back when Hayek and Matthew Perry shot the film "Fools Rush In" together, some people claimed they pretty much despised one another in real life, even though they played a couple on screen.
We'd really hate to believe that since we love them both so much! Anyway, both Hayek and Perry said those rumors were utterly false. We really hope they were telling the truth.
Favorite Movies
Hey, even major Hollywood actresses sometimes just watch other people's movies for fun, just like us common folk. Salma says that her favorite films are "The Graduate," "It Happened One Night," "Gone with the Wind" and "Casablanca."
Well, let's just say we're sensing a pattern here since they all seem to be all-time Hollywood classics. The girl has fine taste in film.
Two Times a Stripper
Many actors choose to play roles that allow them to do something that they would have never done in real life, and Hayek's choices of roles definitely go by that principle.
A good example is her playing a stripper not once, but twice in her career! Hayek played a stripper both in the movie "Dogma" and in the movie "From Dusk Till Dawn."
Her Full Name
We all know her by her shortened professional name, Salma Hayek, but Salma's birth name was only slightly longer than that. The star was born under the name of Salma Valgarma Hayek Jiménez.
But wait, that's not all: after adding the last name of her husband, Francois, she is now Salma Valgarma Hayek Jiménez Pinault. We dare you to repeat that 10 times in a row.
(Not So) Ugly Betty
One of Hayek's most successful projects was actually a TV series rather than a movie! It was the series "Ugly Betty," which she adapted from the original Colombian telenovela along with Ben Silverman.
Hayek was the executive producer of the show, as well as a guest star, portraying magazine editor Sofia Reyes. The series was a huge success and won a Golden Globe Award for Best Comedy in 2007. Amazing!
Salma and Frida Kahlo
Salma may have never met artist Frida Kahlo, which she so convincingly portrayed; but she spoke elaborately about her admiration of this unique woman. According to Hayek, she became fascinated with Kahlo's work back when she was a teenager.
In time, her appreciation of Kahlo's work grew, and she started learning more about her personal life and character, which turned her into an even bigger fan. We can definitely see some resemblance in personality traits between these two bold women.
Salma and Penelope Cruz
This sounds too good to be true, but Salma Hayek and fellow actress Penelope Cruz are actually BFFs! We're totally serious. In an interview with Ellen DeGeneres, Cruz said that Hayek and she were practically like sisters, sharing a moving story about how the latter helped her in a time of need.
The two also co-starred in the 2006 comedy "Bandidas," which probably only added to their already-close friendship. How great is that?
A Superhero
Salma played the character of Ajak in the 2021 Marvel movie "Eternals," which apparently meant much more to her on the emotional level than one could imagine.
Hayek was personally selected for the part, and at first, she was surprised that Marvel chose her of all people. According to Hayek, she thought the fact Marvel believed a Mexican woman in her 50s was fit to play a superhero was extremely empowering to many people. Obviously, the movie was a huge commercial success, which was a great bonus.
A Generous Woman
Salma doesn't only lend her free time to charitable causes – she also donates some of her fortune to help others.
Here are but a few examples: Hayek donated $25,000 to a shelter for battered women in Coatzacoalcos, the city she was born in; $50,000 to anti-domestic violence groups in Monterrey; and, along with her husband Francois, $113 million to help reconstruct the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. We're speechless.
A Handful of Campaigns
Being as attractive and famous as Salma Hayek means a lot of brands and organizations offer you major campaigns. Among other things, Hayek was a spokeswoman for Avon Cosmetics and Revlon, modeled for Chopard, starred in ads for Campari, and did commercials in Spanish for Lincoln cars.
Obviously, there's more, but we can't spend all day listing Hayek's various endorsements, so.
Her Own Line of Cosmetics
Salma Hayek looks like she should be the face of a cosmetics brand, but did you know she also owns one? It's called Nuanced by Salma Hayek. She launched it in 2011, and it includes various cosmetics, skincare, and hair care products.
We appreciate a good sense of entrepreneurship, and Hayek's definitely got one. She's a businesswoman no less than she is an actress.
A Cool Woman
Did you know Salma co-founded Cooler Cleanse ( Juice Generation's juice delivery program) in 2008? Later on, in 2017, she also launched a beauty subscription delivery service along with Juice Generation founder Eric Helms, called Blend It Yourself.
We'd really like to try it out. Also, did we already mention the fact that Hayek's a woman of many talents? Because she truly is.
A Muse
There are many beautiful women in show biz, but how many had an entire art exhibition based on them? Well, Salma did. The exhibition, called "Solamente Salma" (which means "Only Salma" in Spanish) ran from April to June 2006 and was held in the Blue Star Contemporary Art Center in San Antonio, Texas.
It comprised 16 different portraits of Salma as the Aztec goddess Itzpapalotl. Too bad we weren't there to see it.