Latino Empowerment: Salma Hayek

by | Sep 26, 2024 | Blog

Perhaps the most prolific Mexican actress of our time, Salma Hayek has become a household name over the span of her near 40 years of work in the entertainment industry. She is best known for her portrayal of Frida Kahlo, another remarkable Mexican artist, and her frequent collaboration with director Robert Rodriguez. She has also made a name for herself in the world of comedy and action blockbusters in recent years, starring opposite various Hollywood juggernauts.

Salma Hayek was born in Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, Mexico, on September 2nd, 1966. Raised in a catholic home, Hayek would leave Mexico at age 12 to attend a convent school in New Orleans, Louisiana. Following her graduation, she would return to living in Mexico fulltime, as she attended Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City, but would dropout when her talent was noticed by local television producers. She was cast in a daytime telenovela titled, “Teresa,” wherein she played the title role, a young woman with ambition driving her to leave her childhood neighborhood for greater luxury. Following her stint on daytime television from 1989 to 1990, Hayek moved to Los Angeles in 1991.

What followed was an impressive introduction into 90’s Hollywood. Following a small role in the film Mi Vida Loca (1993), Salma Hayek starred in two films directed by Robert Rodrigez, Desperado (1995) and From Dusk Till Dawn (1996). It was also throughout the 90s period of Hayek’s career, that she would begin researching and envisioning a film about her inspiration, Frida Kahlo, though Frida (2002) would not be filmed for years to come.

Decades later, amidst the Me Too movement of the late 2010s, Salma Hayek would write an opinion piece for The New York Times, titled “Harvey Weinstein is My Monster Too,” where she revealed the horrific injustice that she and her critically acclaimed film would endure. Hayek was targeted with abhorrent verbal abuse and sexual harassment, and burdened by unfair and ridiculous challenges to the production of Frida (2002). However, despite the nightmare that attempted to sour her artistry and halt her career, not only did Hayek persevere but meet every single ridiculous challenge with indisputable success. In a time where women in Hollywood felt no agency, and could not advocate for themselves lest they potentially end their careers, Salma Hayek felt she was at war, that this was a battle she had to win rather than escape.

Frida (2002) was released in only one theater in New York City, but was met with rave reviews, prompting a second theater release in Los Angeles. Its success became undeniable, forcing Weinstein to allow for its greater theatrical release. The following awards season, Salma Hayek became the first Latina actress to be nominated for the Best Actress Award at the Oscars. Salma Hayek the actress and artist was established. She possessed undeniable talent as not only the actress to portray the character of Frida, but the artist able to capture the essence of prolific and historic Mexican artist, Frida Kahlo.

Having proven herself for over a decade, Hayek was able to move on to her next passion project. The TV series, “Ugly Betty,” first aired in 2006 and ran for four seasons. The show was immediately met with success, and has since continued to be a cult classic through its revival on streaming services. “Ugly Betty,” was a reinvention of a Columbian telenovela, and was produced by Salma Hayek’s own production company, Ventanarosa, which also produced Frida (2002). It followed aspiring fashion writer, Betty Suarez, as she attempted to climb the corporate ladder; the show offered both comedy and drama, as viewers attached themselves to her ambition as well as the cross-culture event that was the introduction of a young Latina protagonist on the American TV stage. The show received countless awards over its tenure and continues to be beloved by fans of multiple generations.

Salma Hayek continues to this day to be a highly admired, respected, and beloved artist. Having overcome a devastating start to her career, she has not only proved herself to be capable and successful, but provided a foothold for Latina artists within the United States entertainment industry.

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