Salma Hayek has broken barriers to give a new direction to her acting career by moving to Hollywood. Her bold decision led her to major success with the actress making it into the list of most influential Latina actresses. From initially getting typecasted as ‘sexy Mexican’ to starring in diverse projects, she has come a long way.
Salma Hayek Watched Movies in Horrifying Rat-Infested Theatres
In a 2021 appearance at The Graham Norton Show, Mexican megastar, Salma Hayek shared about her theatre experience in her childhood. Belonging to Coatzacoalcos, Mexico, she recalled going to theatres with her father.
“When I was a little girl, my town was a very, very, tiny town at the time called Coatzacoalcos, and it was a big deal to go to cinema. I could only go on Sundays ’cause it’s the only time that they would play a movie appropriate for children. It was the ‘matinee’ and I went religiously with my father.”
Since the theatre would only screen for the young audience on Sundays, it was jam-packed, leaving possibilities for ‘strange things’ that would happen at the time.
“It was so packed and so hard all kinds of strange things would happen. I fainted one time from the heat and I was they got me back up and I’m like, ‘What did I miss?’ and sometimes my father had to carry me on his shoulders because there was no place to sit, I sat on the floor.”
She went on to share the situations that could happen while the movie screened, which included rats getting chased by cats!
“You think watching the movie and then you feel a rat, you know like, come on top of your feet, and it was like nothing. Everybody, the whole world would go like this ’cause the cat’s coming. Then there goes a cat and we’re back, brought cheering for the movies, we loved it there.There was nothing that would have stopped me to go on Sundays, I loved it.”
Despite the bizarre experience, it used to be a big deal for her at the time who would never miss to witness that experience on Sundays. Elsewhere, she talked about her favorite film that she used to watch at a young age which inspired her to pursue an acting career.
Salma Hayek Talked About Her Favorite Movie!
Getting into acting initially started in her childhood as Hayek recalled how her favorite movie, Gene Wilder’s Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory (1971) gave her a new perspective.
“I just love the original Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory. That film is what made me what to be in the movies. As a young girl, I sat watching this movie thinking that I could win a golden ticket and go into this world where anything and everything was possible!”
She added,
“All you needed was your own imagination. That movie was the first one that told me that I created any reality I wanted, and through my own mind, I could reinvent my own reality. I also learned that anything was possible at the movies.”
She recalled that she was convinced anything was possible after she completed finishing the movie. She further commented that a good movie can help you realize that anything is possible which led to the first step for her to get attached to the cinematic world.
Source: The Graham Norton Show via Youtube
