Mexican born award winning actress Salma Hayek recently grabbed the world’s attention once again in spite of remaining away from the silver screen for sometime. The star of hit movies like ‘Desperado’ and ‘Once upon a time in Mexico’ - both opposite Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek is now standing against domestic violence in real life. Salma ‘the new mommy’ is lending her face and campaigning alongside activists already working on the project to create awareness against violence in domestic life.
The inspiration for the noble cause came from a personal experience that Salma witnessed in Mexico: a man was beating his wife and on intervention by Salma’s dad, the wife turned around and hit Salma’s Dad for interfering in their domestic affair.
Once upon a time in Mexico
Salma Hayek Jimenez was born in Mexico on September 22 1966. Her father, Sami Hayek, an oil company executive is of Lebanese origin while her mother’s roots can be traced back to Spain. As a teenager Salma wanted to be a gymnast and participate in Olympics but due to her devoted catholic upbringing her father did not allow her to get recruited into Mexican national team.
At the age of seventeen Salma dropped out of college and went on to pursue her career in films. It was Mexican cinema that first opened its arms to Salma with a title role in Teresa, a famous Mexican television novel that made Salma a household name in Mexico.
Hollywood Dreams
In 1991 Salma Hayek shifted to Los Angeles and pursued her Hollywood dreams, while learning the antics of acting from Stella Adler. Despite her problematic English accent, director Robert Rodriguez gave Salma the much needed Hollywood break as a lead actress opposite Antonio Banderas in 1995’s hit Desperado. The film immediately made a significant mark at the box-office and Salma was offered ‘The Mask of Zorro’, again by the Rodriguez which she declined politely. Only after two years of her Hollywood debut Salma starred in a big budget movie ‘Wild Wild West’ opposite Will Smith.
Distinctively Ahead
Salma is one of the three actresses from Mexico who has acquired a nomination in the Academy Awards for the best actress for her role of Frida Kahlo in the movie ‘Frida’.
Upcoming Movies
Presently there are two movies that are lined up in the pipeline, ‘Cirque du freak’ which is due to be released sometime in 2008 and ‘Keep Coming Back’ which is still in the pre-production stage and may be released by the end of 2008.