Salma Hayek is one of the highly regarded actors in Hollywood but she has always struggled with refining her English accent. Like her, her husband, François-Henri Pinault, 61, a French businessman has the same struggle as his wife.
Hayek and Henri Pinault made a sweet challenge to refine their English accent as both believed their accents were a disaster. Also, both having different mother tongues, English was the sweet spot, a common ground for communication. So, they had to rise above the odds.
The English Challenge: Salma Hayek Vs. François-Henri Pinault
It’s all led to the English-speaking issue. In Salma Hayek’s, their children are quite equipped with English communication skills with sound accents but the parents’ struggle led them to the open and sweet challenge they have made. They had to improve their English as it was a common language everyone in the family would not have to struggle harder to communicate. “English is like Switzerland, it’s the neutral territory,” Hayek told Jimmy Fallon in an episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. François-Henri Pinault once said to the family that he was dead set on improving his English, even before Hayek.
“You know what guys, I’m going to get a dialect coach, I’m gonna get rid of the accent before you, who’ve been living in the stage for like six to seven years. Referring to me” Hayek recalled her husband’s challenge.
But Hayek thought he was not going to do it. “He never mentioned it again, so, I thought he didn’t do it, right?” Hayek told Fallon. But her perception of her husband was soon to be changed and her anger almost reached the sky.
A Suspicious Text Prompted Salma Hayek to Shout at Her Husband
After some time of their English improving challenge, Hayek found a suspicious text from a woman on her husband’s phone. “A couple of days ago, I am texting something and I see his phone and there is this message,” the 56-year-old actor said. It raised the suspicion in her. “Hi, this is Ellena, if you want to improve your English, you have to practice, do you wanna practice now?” the Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard actor revealed the content of the text.
“Jimmy, I’m Mexican, you know? […] So, I was so furious then I said, obviously she’s desperate, you know? He’s not calling her. Should I say something? I said, I’m not gonna say anything. I said, I’m gonna trust him, I’m not gonna say anything. Psst, four hours later we eating. I’m cool, everything, I’m acting, ‘hi baby, everything’s okay?’ I’m eating and I go, ‘Who the hell is Ellena?’” Hayek finally confronted.
However, Henri Pinault was clueless about it. “I don’t know, must be one of your cousins Ellenas,” Hayek recalled her husband’s clueless state. But Hayek was on fire at that point. “And you tell that Ellena that I speak English. You can practice your English with me because she send you a message and he goes, ‘You mean Elsa?’ Elsa, Ellena whatever,” The Eternals actor revolted. Then her husband started laughing, “It’s an app.” Quite embarrassing but Hayek found solace in the fact that the app didn’t work as her husband’s accent was far from improving.
Source: YouTube.
