Oscar-nominated actress Salma Hayek is one of the most prominent figures in the film industry. The actress undoubtedly has a glamorous career, with an incredible resume. However, her Hollywood journey was far from easy.
Before making her breakthrough debut in Hollywood with Robert Rodriguez’s 1995 film Desperado, Hayek had already established herself as a Mexican soap actress and became a household name with her role in Teresa, where she played the titular character.
Despite, having a massive fan following in Mexico, the actress left it all just to pursue her Hollywood dream. In a 1992 interview, Hayek made a bold statement that caught the attention of the makers of Desperado, which later helped her to bag her breakthrough role. Nevertheless, her Hollywood debut wasn’t a piece of cake, as she had to conquer Hollywood’s racism to get the role.
Salma Hayek’s confident approach helped her to bag her breakthrough role
Mexican-American actress, Salma Hayek’s contribution to the film industry is indeed remarkable. The actress started her acting journey as a soap opera artist. With her television series Teresa she garnered much fame and became a household name in Mexico. However, ambitious driven Hayek decided to take a leap and make her Hollywood debut.
Her decision to leave an established career and restart all over again was indeed startling. According to Elle, in 1992, the actress made an appearance on Paul Rodriguez’s talk show, where she was asked about her decision to leave Mexican soap operas despite knowing that the film industry is reluctant to cast Latina actresses. Hayek responded to it by giving a bold statement. The actress said,
“I’m going to change it, It’s not normal.”
Her interview caught the attention of Filmmaker Robert Rodriguez and his then-wife Elizabeth Avellán. Hayek’s bold statement to make a Hollywood debut impressed the couple, and they decided to offer her a role in the 1995 film Desperado.
When Hayek received the phone call from Avellán, for a moment she thought it was a prank by her friends, as it was hard for her to believe.
Despite being the filmmakers’ choice, Salma Hayek had to fight for her role
Salma Hayek was thrilled to receive that phone call, as she could finally breathe a sigh of relief after bagging her first breakthrough role in the film industry. However, little did she know that her battle wasn’t over yet.
Even though she was the first choice of the makers for the role, still she had to audition for the role along with other Latina actresses. The actress also faced racism, but she conquered it and bagged the role. During the same interview, the actress said,
“I remember Cameron Diaz was huge at the time and her last name was Diaz, so they said she can be Mexican. She was part of the list, and I had to audition again.”
Hayek cleared the audition and got her breakthrough role, which transformed her career.
Source: Elle
