Salma Valgarma Hayek Jiménez (born September 2, 1966) is a Mexican and American actress, director, and television and film producer. Hayek’s charitable work includes increasing awareness on violence against women and discrimination against immigrants.
Hayek is the first Mexican national to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress. She is one of the most prominent Mexican figures in Hollywood since silent film actress Dolores del Río. She is also, after Fernanda Montenegro, the second of three Latin American actresses (the other being Catalina Sandino Moreno) 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. 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”. In December 2008, Entertainment Weekly ranked Hayek number 17 in their list of the “25 Smartest People in TV.”
Chosen by People (USA) magazine as one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world [1996]
Is dyslexic.
Was ranked 8th of the 100 Sexiest Women by FHM Taiwan (2001).
Frequently collaborates with Antonio Banderas and Robert Rodriguez.
Fluent in English, Arabic, Spanish and Portugese
Was originally considered for the part of Alicia Larde in A Beautiful Mind (2001) because the character in real life is from El Salvador. But the character for the film was later changed to American and given to Jennifer Connelly.
Salma is an Arabic name that means “peace” or “calm”.
Godmother to Robert Rodriguez’s children.
She was sent to a boarding school in Louisiana at age 12, but was soon sent back home after getting in trouble for frequently terrorizing the nuns!
Father was born in Lebanon and came to Mexico to start a small business where he met her mother.
Studied International Relations & Drama at College in Mexico City.
Won Best Newcomer at the 1989 Novela Awards for “Un nuevo amanecer” (1988).
Has her own production company, Ventanarosa.
Is the second Latin American actress to be nominated for the Best Actress in a Leading Role Academy Award, for her performance in Frida (2002). Brazilian veteran Fernanda Montenegro was the first, for Central do Brasil (1998).
Her brother, Sami, designs custom chairs. His celebrity clients include Jennifer Aniston and her ex-husband, Brad Pitt.
Made the cut to People magazine’s 50 most beautiful people list twice. in 1996 and 2003
Was named one of the ten most stylish women in the world by Mr. Blackwell (aka Richard Selzer) in 1997. InStyle named her the most stylish celebrity of 2003 and Eonline.com ranked her as the best dressed female celebrity.
Ranked #31 in Stuff magazine’s “102 Sexiest Women in the World” (2002).
Good friend of Penélope Cruz, Ashley Judd and Valeria Golino.
She loves dogs
E! entertainment voted her look at the 1997 Academy Awards one of the 5 most memorable in Oscar history. At the event she wore a beaded Armani gown complemented by a 1920s diamond tiara.
Member of the jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 2005
Her parents are Sami Hayek (oil company executive) and Diana Jimenez Hayek (opera singer).
Played a (mythological creature disguised as a) stripper twice: in From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) and in Dogma (1999) (A Vampire and a Muse respectively).
Santanico Pandemonium or Esmerlda (b.In the Late 1800s -d. January 19, 1996) is a fictional character from the From Dusk till Dawn series. She is the Primary Queen Vampire of the Titty Twister. She Portaryed by: Salma Hayek and Ara Celi
Named #34 on the Maxim magazine Hot 100 of 2005 list.
Named #12 in FHM’s “100 Sexiest Women in the World 2005″ special supplement. (2005)
Visited Guatemala from 2 May 2005 to 5 May 2005 as ambassador to Youth/AIDS, to promote the prevention of the mortal disease. Ashley Judd and Colombian pop singer Juanes also came with her.
Her younger brother is a highly respected make-up artist in Hollwood.
Named #36 in FHM magazine’s “100 Sexiest Women in the World 2006″ supplement. (2006).
As the announcer for the Oscars 2007, she was able to announce best friend Penélope Cruz’ nominations for Best Actress for Volver (2006/I).
Engaged to businessman Francois-Henri Pinualt. Pinault owns PPR, the luxury goods firm that owns iconic fashion houses Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent [March 9, 2007].
Gave birth to her first child, a baby girl named Valentina Paloma Pinault, on Friday September 21th 2007. Father is Salma’s fiancé Francois-Henri Pinault, chairman and chief executive officer of the luxury goods company PPR SA.
Ranked #90 on the Maxim magazine Hot 100 of 2007 list.
Recently diagnosed with diabetes while pregnant (July 2007).
