Salma Hayek is one of the most successful and well-known actresses in Hollywood. Over the years, she has made a name for herself as a force to be reckoned with as soon as she is in front of a camera, hypnotizing her audiences and taking them on a journey. She has been a part of several massive productions like Frida, Desperado, Eternals, and even Quentin Tarantino’s From Dusk Till Dawn.
Salma Hayek and Angelina Jolie in Eternals I Credit: Marvel Studios
Considering how beloved all of these movies are, it is difficult to imagine them without the beloved actress. However, this could have easily happened. During an interview, Hayek revealed that she was constantly told that she would not be able to make it in Hollywood, and she almost listened to the critics.
Salma Hayek Was Told That She Would Not Make It
When actors start off in Hollywood, they are told from several directions that they should not pick such a career. Be it because of the odds and the completion, or other predispositions, there is a lot of faith and hope that comes with being an actor.
Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek in Desperado I Credit: Columbia Pictures
Interestingly enough, Salma Hayek was also an actress who was told that she would not make it through the gilded gates of the film industry. During an interview with Yahoo, Hayek talked about how her age and ethnicity became a leading factor in why people said that she would not be a successful actress.
They told me my career would die mid-30s. First of all, they told me a Mexican is never going to make it because at the time, the new generations, it was impossible for a Mexican to have a leading role in Hollywood,
Since she was almost thirty and still establishing herself in the film industry, she was told that her age would make casting directors quite hesitant to put her in their projects. Additionally, since the actress was also Mexican, she was told that her ethnicity would also come in the way of her acting jobs.
Salma Hayek as Sonia Kincaid in The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard I Lionsgate
Considering that the 90s and 2000s were very different times in Hollywood, there were little to no movies in the industry that starred a Mexican person as their lead.
Salma Hayek Almost Believed Them
When one is constantly told that the odds are stacked against them, they often end up listening and giving up on the thing they want the most. Salma Hayek could have also done the same thing when she was trying to make it big in Hollywood. Having been told that there was no way that she could play more than a side character in the industry, she could have easily pursued other professions and given up on her dream.
I was told so many times it couldn’t happen, and I almost believed them, but I fought it and I won.
Salma Hayek in From Dusk Till Dawn I Credit: Miramax
However, the actress revealed that she stuck to what she wanted and did not let the negativity hit her confidence. Although sometimes, it was difficult for her to drown out the noise, she decided to stick through it and ended up becoming one of the most well-recognized actresses in the industry.
While one can safely imagine that Hayek is glad that she was able to become a successful actress, it is safe to say that the actress did not imagine exactly where her career would take her. In 1996, she starred in Quentin Tarantino’s From Dusk Till Dawn and there is one specific scene from the film that has fans uncomfortable, to this date.
Salma Hayek and Quentin Tarantino in From Dusk Till Dawn I Credit: Miramax
Tarantino is known for having quite an odd fascination with feet when it comes to putting them into his movies and this film was no different. There is one particular scene from the movie where Hayek is dancing while approaching Tarantino’s character. With all eyes in the room on her, when she reaches him, she pulls out a bottle of tequila. Pouring the liquid down her leg with her feet in Tarantino’s mouth, the actress ends up giving him the shot like this.
