Salma Hayek

Infobox actor


caption = Salma Hayek, May 2005
birthname = Salma Valgarma Hayek Jiménez
birthdate = birth date and age|1966|9|2
birthplace = Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, Mexico
deathdate =
deathplace =
occupation = actress
yearsactive = 1988–present
spouse =
domesticpartner = Edward Norton (1999–2003)Fact|date=September 2008
François-Henri Pinault (2006–2008)Fact|date=September 2008
website =
academyawards =
baftaawards =
cesarawards =
emmyawards = Daytime Emmy - Outstanding Directing in a Children/Youth/Family Special
2004 "The Maldonado Miracle"
filmfareawards =
geminiawards =
goldenglobeawards =
goldenraspberryawards =
iftaawards =
tonyawards =
awards =

Salma Hayek Jiménez (born September 2, 1966) is a Mexican and American actress, director, television and film producer. Hayek has appeared in more than thirty films and performed as an actress outside of Hollywood in Mexico and Spain. Hayek's charitable work includes increasing awareness on violence against women and discrimination against immigrants. [http://go.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=oddlyEnoughNews&storyID=12929239]

Hayek is the first Mexican national to be nominated for a Best Actress Oscar. She is one of the most prominent Mexican figures in Hollywood, since the legendary Dolores del Rio. She is also, after Fernanda Montenegro, the second of four Latin American actresses to achieve a Best Actress Oscar nomination.

In July 2007, "The Hollywood Reporter" ranked Hayek fourth in their inaugural Latino Power 50, a list of the most powerful members of the Hollywood Latino community. [cite news | title = THR's Latino Power 50 | first = Stephen | last = Galloway | url = http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/features/e3i08b80be8ba1477a7111e18b474e8366a | publisher = The Hollywood Reporter | date = 2007-07-26] That same month, a poll found Hayek to be the "sexiest celebrity" out of a field of 3,000 celebrities (male and female); according to the poll, "65 percent of the U.S. population would use the term 'sexy' to describe her". [cite news | title = Salma Hayek tops sexiest celebs list | url = http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19718502/ | publisher = MSNBC | date = 2007-07-11]

Early life

Hayek was born in Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, Mexico, the daughter of Diana Jiménez, an opera singer and talent scout, and Sami Hayek, an oil company executive. [Love, Bret (March 2003). "The Beautiful Mind of Salma Hayek". "Razor Magazine", p. 48.] [cite web | url = http://www.filmreference.com/film/83/Salma-Hayek | title = Salma Hayek Biography (1966?-) | work = filmreference.com | accessdate = 2008-02-19] cite episode | series = Inside the Actors Studio | title = Salma Hayek | url = http://www.bravotv.com/Inside_the_Actors_Studio/guest/Salma_Hayek | network = Bravo | airdate = 2004-12-05 | season = 11 | number = 1105 | credits = Lipton, James (host)] Hayek's father is of Lebanese descent while her mother is of Spanish descent. Her first given name, Salma, is Arabic for "peace" or "calm". [cite web | url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000161/bio | title=Salma Hayek - Biography | publisher=Internet Movie Database | accessdate=2008-10-08] Raised in a wealthy, devoutly Catholic family, she was sent to the Academy of the Sacred Heart, Grand Coteau, Louisiana, at the age of twelve. While there, she was diagnosed with dyslexia. [ [http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/12/12/1039656167594.htm Drawn From Life] ] She was also an accomplished gymnast aspiring to compete in the Olympics, but her father prevented her from being recruited by the Mexican national team. [citation | url = http://www.style.com/vogue/feature/052305/page2.html | title = Free Spirit | first = Robert | last = Sullivan | date = June 2005 | publisher = Vogue] The religious sisters running the Academy ejected Hayek, citing behavioral problems, so she returned to Mexico. She was later sent to live with her aunt in Houston, Texas, where she stayed until she was seventeen. She attended college in Mexico City, where she studied International Relations at the Universidad Iberoamericana. To the surprise of her family, she dropped out to pursue a career as an actress.

Career

Mexico

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 the film "El Callejón de los Milagros" ("Miracle Alley"), which has won more awards than any other movie in the history of Mexican cinema. For her performance, Hayek was nominated for an Ariel Award. [cite web | title = Ariel > Ganadores y nominados > XXXVII 1995 | url = http://www.academiamexicanadecine.org.mx/ver_ariel.asp?anio=XXXVII+1995&tipo=anio | language = Spanish | accessdate = 2008-02-19 | publisher = Academia Mexicana de Artes y Ciencias Cinematográficas]

Early Hollywood acting work

Hayek moved to Los Angeles, California in 1991 to study acting under Stella Adler, [cite web | title = Stella Adler Alumni | url = http://www.stellaadler-la.com/alumnifamous.html | accessdate = 2008-02-19 | work = stellaadler-la.com] hoping for a career in Hollywood, despite limited fluency in English, attributed to her suffering from dyslexia. [citation | title = Oprah's Cut with Salma Hayek | url = http://www.oprah.com/omagazine/200309/omag_200309_ocut.jhtml | publisher = O, The Oprah Magazine | date = September 2003] 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, as moviegoers proved to be dazzled by Hayek as Rodriguez had been. Due to Hayek's loyalty to the director, she would later decline playing the role Catherine Zeta-Jones eventually took in "The Mask of Zorro" after Rodriguez abandoned the project. She has also appeared in the "Spy Kids" trilogy.

Hayek had a starring part opposite Matthew Perry in the romantic comedy "Fools Rush In". She followed her success in "Desperado" with a brief but memorable role as a vampire queen in "From Dusk Till Dawn", where she provocatively danced on a table. 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". In 2003, she reprised her role from "Desperado" by appearing in "Once Upon a Time in Mexico", the final film of the "Mariachi Trilogy".

Later Hollywood work: Director, producer and actress

Around the year 2000, Hayek founded production company Ventanarosa, through which she produces film and television projects. Her first feature as a producer was 1999's "El Coronel No Tiene Quien Le Escriba", Mexico's official selection for submission for Best Foreign Film at the Oscars. [cite news | url = http://www.elmundo.es/1999/11/06/cultura/06N0104.html | language = Spanish | title = El coronel no tiene quien le escriba, de Arturo Ripstein representará a México en los Premios Oscar | publisher = El Mundo | date = 1999-11-06]

"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 featured an entourage of stars in supporting and minor roles (Valeria Golino, Ashley Judd, Edward Norton, Geoffrey Rush) and cameos (Antonio Banderas). She earned a Best Actress Academy Award nomination for her performance. This made Hayek, along with Katy Jurado and Adriana Barraza, one of only three Mexican actresses to have been nominated for an Academy Award. The film earned two Oscars.

In 2003 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. [cite press release | url = http://www.emmyonline.org/emmy/daytime_31st_creative_b.htm | title = The 31st Annual Creative Craft Daytime Emmy Awards | publisher = National Academy of Television | date = 2004-05-14] In December 2005, she directed a music video for Prince, titled "Te Amo Corazon" ("I love you, sweetheart") that featured her good friend Mia Maestro. [cite news | url = http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/12-12-2005/0004232338 | publisher = PRNewswire | title = Prince and Salma Hayek Create 'Te Amo Corazon' | date = 2005-12-12]

Hayek is an executive producer of "Ugly Betty", a television series airing around the world 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. Originally intended as a half hour sitcom for NBC in 2004, the project would later be picked up by ABC for the 2006–2007 season with Silvio Horta also producing. Hayek guest-starred on "Ugly Betty" as Sofia Reyes, a magazine editor. She also had a cameo playing an actress in the telenovela within the show. The show quickly became a ratings hit and won a Golden Globe Award for Best Comedy Series in 2007. Hayek's performance as Sofia resulted in a nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series at the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards. [ [http://www.emmys.org/awards/2007pt/59thnominations.php Academy of Television Arts & Sciences ] ]

In April 2007, Hayek finalized negotiations with MGM to become the CEO of her own Latin themed film production company, Ventanazul. [cite news | url = http://www.trulyhollywood.com/articles.php?req=read&articleId=406 | title = News: Salma Hayek | publisher = Truly Hollywood | date = 2007-04-09] The following month she signed a two year deal with ABC to develop projects for the network through her production company, Ventanarosa. [cite news | title = Hayek sits pretty with ABC deal | url = http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3i289264b713379249ab47612fec62e6a2 | publisher = Hollywood Reporter | date = 2007-05-15 | author = Siegel, Tatiana; Andreeva, Nellie]

She is developing and producing "La Banda", a Spanish-language romantic comedy set in Mexico, written by Issa Lopez.

inging credits

Hayek has 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". She also contributed to "Happiness is a Warm Gun" in "Across the Universe" as the singing nurses.

Promotional work

Hayek has been a spokesperson for Avon cosmetics since February 2004. [ [http://www.avoncompany.com/women/news/press20040722.html Avon Foundation Newsroom ] ] She formerly served in the same function for Revlon in 1998. In 2001, she modeled for Chopard [ [http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/summary_0199-1753966_ITM The market report.(women's perfumes)(Statistical Data Included) - Journal, Magazine, Article, Periodical ] ] and was featured in 2006 Campari adverts as photographed by Mario Testino. [ [http://publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=55319 MediaPost Publications Home of MediaDailyNews, MEDIA and OMMA Magazines ] ] On April 3, she helped introduce La Doña, a watch by Cartier inspired by fellow Mexican actress María Félix. [ [http://www.diezydiez.com/fullnews.php?id=17(Spanish-language) Diezydiez - Revista De Relojes Y Joyas ] ]

She was also featured in a series of Spanish language commercials for Lincoln cars. Consequently, sales of the Lincoln Navigator among Hispanics increased by twelve percentage points. [http://www.hispaniconline.com/trends/2003/summer/success/index.html]

In art

In the spring of 2006, The Blue Star Contemporary Art Center in San Antonio, Texas displayed sixteen portrait paintings by muralist George Yepes of Hayek as Aztec goddess Itzapapalotl. [ [http://www.mysanantonio.com/entertainment/visualarts/stories/MYSA040206.1P.salma.50ce305.html MySA.com: Visual Arts ] ]

Personal life

Hayek is a naturalized U.S. citizen. [cite web | title = Salma Hayek Biography | publisher = People | url = http://www.people.com/people/salma_hayek/biography/0,,20007809_10,00.html | accessdate = 2008-02-19] She dated actor Edward Norton between 1999 and 2003, and then Josh Lucas in 2003. She has friends in Los Angeles and Mexico and is best friends with Spanish actress Penélope Cruz. The two co-starred in the 2006 film "Bandidas." Hayek studied at Ramtha's School of Enlightenment. [cite web
url = http://www.ramtha.com/createyourday/
title = Ramtha's School of Enlightenment, the School of Ancient Wisdom
accessdate = 2006-10-21
year = 2006
language = English
quote = Having been a skeptic for most of my life, Ramtha has taught me about the possibilities we all have to influence reality using science to explain the mechanics in a way that finally makes sense to me. His technique on creating the day has been very effective in my life.]

On March 9, 2007, Hayek confirmed she was expecting her first child with PPR CEO François-Henri Pinault. [cite news | url = http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20014607,00.html | title = Salma Hayek: Engaged and Pregnant! | date = 2007-03-09 | publisher = People | first = Pete | last = Norman] On September 21, 2007, she gave birth to daughter Valentina Paloma Pinault at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. [cite news | url = http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20052361,00.html | title = Salma Hayek Has a Baby Girl | publisher = People | date = 2007-09-22]

On July 18, 2008 she and Pinault announced the end of their engagement. [ [http://www.reuters.com/article/peopleNews/idUSN1838491120080718 Salma Hayek, Pinault cancel engagement] ]

Her brother, Sami Hayek,cite web | url=http://www.samihayek.com/news.html | accessdate=2008-08-03 | publisher=Sami Hayek Official Site | title=Latest News] and clients that include Louis Vuitton, Brad Pitt, and the Mexican Government.cite web | url=http://www.samihayek.com/Press.pdf | accessdate=2008-08-03 | title=Press Kit | publisher=Sami Hayek Official Site]

Advocacy

On July 19, 2005 Hayek testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary supporting reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act. [http://judiciary.senate.gov/testimony.cfm?id=1570&wit_id=4490] In February 2006, she donated $25,000 to a Coatzacoalcos, Mexico, shelter for battered women and another $50,000 to Monterrey based anti-domestic violence groups. [cite news | url = http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2006-02-14-hayek_x.htm | title = Hayek helps groups aiding battered women | publisher = USA Today | date = 2006-02-14]

Since the birth of her daughter, Hayek has worked to help mothers in developing nations worldwide, teaming up with Pampers and UNICEF to help stop the spread of life-threatening maternal and neonatal tetanus. She is the spokesperson for the Pampers/UNICEF partnership in the U.S. and Canada called: 1 Pack = 1 Vaccine to help raise awareness of this program.

Honors

* Recipient of "Glamour" magazine Woman of the Year Award in October 2001. [ [http://www.rawa.org/glamour.htm Glamour Awards Laud Afghan Woman, October 31, 2001 ] ]
* Recipient of Producers Guild of America Celebration of Diversity Award in 2003. [ [http://www.producersguild.org/pg/awards_a/celeb.asp Celebration of Diversity - The Producers Guild of America ] ]
* Recipient of Harvard Foundation Artist of the Year Award in February 2006. [ [http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/2006/03.02/13-hayek.html Harvard Gazette: Salma Hayek hosts Cultural Rhythms ] ]

Filmography

Film

Television

Event appearances

* Was a member of the 2005 Cannes Film Festival jury. [cite news | title = Cannes festival opens with drama | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4533671.stm | publisher = BBC NEWS | date = 2005-05-11]
* Co-hosted the annual Nobel Peace Prize concert with Julianne Moore in Oslo, Norway on December 11, 2005. [cite news | url = http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1145227,00.html | title = People | publisher = Time | date = 2006-01-01 | first = Rebecca | last = Winters Keegan]

References

External links

*imdb name|0000161|Salma Hayek
*tv.com person|43642|Salma Hayek
*people.com

Persondata
NAME = Hayek, Salma
ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
SHORT DESCRIPTION = American actress
DATE OF BIRTH = September 2, 1966
PLACE OF BIRTH = Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, Mexico
DATE OF DEATH =
PLACE OF DEATH =