Salma Hayek has been appearing in films since the '90s and her best movies have been with some of the most talented actors and directors in the industry. Hayek made her acting debut in her home country of Mexico, performing in telenovelas from 1988 to 1991. She was quickly recognized as a talented artist, and it wasn’t long before Hollywood began offering her roles in television and movies. Her first part in a feature film came in 1993's Mi Vida Loca and two years later, Hayek was cast in 1995's Desperado as Carolina, in what is considered to be her breakout role.
Since then, Hayek has been a constant film and television presence appearing in over 50 movies and television shows, including a memorable arc as Jack Donaghy’s (Alec Baldwin) lover on 30 Rock. For some of her best roles, Hayek has also been nominated for one Academy Award, one Golden Globe, two SAG awards, and two Primetime Emmys. Hayek’s range of performances and talent in a variety of roles (both supporting and main) prove her to still be one of the best working actors and her filmography is filled with critical and financial hits.
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Timecode (2000)
Timecode is an early 2000s experimental film whose method of filming is more memorable than the story. The movie is directed by Mike Figgis (Leaving Las Vegas) and is constructed via four-different continuous takes that are all on-screen simultaneously. Each of the actors in the respective mini-movies filmed themselves on handheld cameras and one of the quadrants follows Hayek’s Rose, a young actor on her way to a film shoot. It’s one of the best movies to take place in real time. The low-budget nature can take some getting used to but Hayek’s naturalistic acting and confidence in taking on filming duties as well as acting are impressive.
Dogma (1999)
Kevin Smith’s religious satire, Dogma, received a large amount of criticism from Catholic organizations and other religious groups who are targeted by the ideas in the plot. Ben Affleck and Matt Damon star as fallen angels on Earth who devise a plan to use a loophole to get back into heaven. Hayek plays Serendipity, the Muse of Creation, who now works at a strip club. Although Hayek’s performance is relegated mainly to comic relief, she does give it her all to make Serendipity a memorable character. To this day, Dogma has stayed relevant as a cult hit and Hayek’s performance fits right in with Smith’s Askewniverse of movies.
Sausage Party (2016)
After proving to be a hit with the live-action comedy genre throughout the 2000s and 2010s, Seth Rogen and his coterie of comedians entered the animated world and starred and produced in Sausage Party. This raunchy, over-the-top movie stars an ensemble cast who lends their voice to the foul-mouthed and sexually charged food items, which takes a surprisingly deep look at philosophy and religion. Hayek voices a taco, Teresa del Taco, in a self-aware part that utilizes her recognizable voice. Hayek has always had a grounded and relatable sense of humor in her roles and her part in this film shows that even after years of success she is not above doing a ridiculous comedy.
From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)
In Hayek’s second collaboration with director Robert Rodriguez, the actor plays the imaginatively named Santanico Pandemonium in From Dusk till Dawn. Hayek, who had to be hypnotized for the role, is a significant part of the movie’s defining twist when Seth (George Clooney) and Richie (Quentin Tarantino) Gecko stop at a strip club that turns out to be inhabited by vampires. Santanico is an exotic dancer and vampire who kills Richie before being killed by Seth. Hayek is perfectly cast to capture the danger inherent in the mythological creature and it's just a shame she only gets a few scenes with Clooney. It adds another cult classic to Hayek’s resume.
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The Pirates! Band Of Misfits (2012)
Known as The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!, everywhere but North America, Australia, and New Zealand, The Pirates! Band of Misfits is one of Aardman Animation studios best feature film. The movie was nominated for Best Animated Film at the 85th Academy Awards and garnered significant critical praise, receiving an 86% on Rotten Tomatoes. Hayek voices Cutlass Liz, one of the pirate crew, and the affection of everyone. This stop-motion film signaled that Hayek was becoming a staple of animated films. It takes a certain type of talent to succeed in voice work, and it became clear here that Hayek is capable.
Desperado (1995)
Desperado is Hayek’s first film with Robert Rodriguez and her breakout performance. Hayek plays Carolina in part two of Rodriguez’s Mexico Trilogy. The series follows “El Mariachi” (Antonio Banderas in one of his best movies), a musician who seeks to avenge the death of his loved ones. Carolina meets El Mariachi and saves him from pursuing hitmen. The pair fall in love and together defeat the men after them and drive off into the sunset together. Hayek’s performance allows her to show the full range of her talents and that she’s comfortable with romance, action, and comedy, early signs pointing to her future stardom.
Puss In Boots (Franchise) (2022)
The Shrek franchise was far too successful to end with Shrek Forever After (2010) so Puss in Boots in 2011 was somewhat inevitable. However, what wasn’t expected was that it would reinvigorate the franchise, with an 86% on Rotten Tomatoes and its sequel, earning 95%. It has even been argued that Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, is a bigger hit than Shrek. Hayek voices Kitty Softpaws and again teams up with Banderas as Puss’s on-again, off-again lover. The actor brings the necessary high energy and emotional delivery necessary to make the performances of the animated character not feel flat in comparison to the dazzling animation of the film.
Tale Of Tales (2015)
Tale of Tales is an Italian anthology fantasy horror film by Matteo Garrone and stars Hayek, Vincent Cassel, Toby Jones, and John C. Reilly. Hayek and Reilly appear in the first story as a king and queen desperate for a son. The Queen goes to great lengths to acquire one and her protectiveness over him begins to take a dark turn. Hayek is perfectly cast in this horror movie as a stately queen who is slowly losing her grip and how she can quickly change her emotions in a moment makes the story the best in the anthology.
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Beatriz At Dinner (2017)
Beatriz At Dinner is one of Hayek's most memorable roles as it saw her take on a more subdued and unsure side of her acting. Playing Beatriz, a masseuse for wealthy clients, Hayek's character is placed in an awkward predicament as she ends up being stranded at a client's house. During the course of a dinner party, Beatriz argues with the affluent attendees, and the differences between people from varied wealth brackets are thrown into sharp relief. Mike White wrote this prototype of what would end up being the White Lotus and Hayek is quiet and roiling underneath the surface as she tries to remain polite in the face of classism.
Frida (2002)
In one of the best biopics about women, Frida is a movie that follows the eponymous artist life story. For her profound performance, Hayek received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress at the 75th Academy Awards. Frida explores the artist's tumultuous and fascinating life as she lives with a debilitating injury, has relationships with Diego Rivera (Alfred Molina) and Leon Trotsky (Geoffrey Rush), and continues her painting. The grandiosity of the film can sometimes get out of control, but Salma Hayek’s committed performance centers everything.
