Salma Hayek is Afraid of Snakes and Other Juicy Facts You Didn’t Know about Her
Mexican born actress, Salma Hayek, rose to mainstream fame during the 90s. Hayek’s breakthrough role came in the 2002 film Frida, a biopic which focused on the life of Mexican painter Frida Kahlo. The film, which Hayek also co-produced, received critical acclaim and The American Film Institute stated: “Frida is a movie about art that is a work of art in itself. The film’s unique visual language takes us into an artist’s head and reminds us that art is best enjoyed when it moves, breathes and is painted on a giant canvas, as only the movies can provide.” For her role in the film, Hayek received an Academy Award nomination for best actress, making her just the second Latina woman to receive the honor. Now 48, Hayek has often been considered one of the most beautiful women in Hollywood, and has appeared in hit movies such as Puss in Boots and Americano. She has shown the world that she is a very talented and versatile actress who is willing to work constantly to make sure that she is successful. Here are five things you didn’t know about Salma Hayek.
5. Salma Hayek is afraid of snakes.
In the 1996 film, From Dusk Till Dawn, Salma Hayek became well-known for a scene in which she danced with a snake. However, in real life, Hayek actually has a very intense fear of he scaly creatures. In 2010, after a snake while she and the rest of the cast were out promoting the film Grown Ups 2, Hayek admitted that she had a “phobia” of snakes. During an appearance on The Late Show, Hayek described the incident and stated: “We were promoting this movie in Los Angeles by Malibu lake. There were 40 people around us and three girls talking, Maya, Maria and myself. The snake got through this huge crowd of people and it was a big snake and she was coming towards us… There were bodyguards, cameramen, electricians, all these tough guys. [smacks hands] They ran.”
4. Salma Hayek had her head shaved as a child.
When Salma Hayek was a child, her grandmother would often shave her head. According to Hayek, “There’s a belief that if you shave a child’s head around the age of two, you’ll have strong, really beautiful hair.” Hayek also said that her grandmother used a concoction made of eggs to help promote thick hair growth. While she acknowledges that some may see these methods as strange, Hayek considers her grandmother to be her greatest inspiration and states: “She was a magnificent woman, who loved knowledge and was an avid reader. She was also a scientist and a chemist and she was ahead of her time, but for women like her there were no opportunities. She learned about herbology and studied with Indians in different parts of Mexico. She used to make her own beauty creams. Her lab was the kitchen and she would do all sorts of experiments. She could make hair grow on bald men! I don’t know what her secret formula was but she could have made a fortune if she had wanted to. I still have her inside of me and I always will.”
3. Salma Hayek directed a music video for prince.
In 2005, Salma Hayek teamed up with the legendary musician, Prince, to direct his music video, “Te Amo Corazon.” The video featured Hayek’s Frida co-star, Mia Maestro, and the song was written and produced by Prince. In the years since the video’s release, many have speculated that Prince has a crush on Hayek. In 2009, he released a song called, Valentina (the name of Hayek’s daughter) which included lyrics such as, “Hey Valentina, tell your mama she should give me a call/ When she get tired of runnin’ after you down the hall…”
2. As a teenager, Salma Hayek was expelled from boarding school.
When Salma Hayek was in high school, her parents sent her away to a Catholic boarding school in Louisiana. However, unfortunately for Hayek, she should be expelled just two years later after reportedly playing pranks on the nuns. After leaving Louisiana, Hayek returned to Mexico to finish out the remainder of her high school career and graduated in 1984.
1. Willy Wonka inspired Salma Hayek to become an actress.
Salma Hayek has been a professional actress for more than 25 years, but unlike some well-known celebrities, her decision to become an actress doesn’t involve any crazy/over-protective parents. Hayek credits the 1971 film, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and stated: “I realized in cinema you could have a river made out of chocolate, chew gum and then burp yourself back down to earth, take flowers made out of candy and eat them…I was always a bit sad, being raised Catholic, at the idea that we only got to live one life, so acting was my way of cheating this concept. As an actress, I can live many lives and I’ve been many different people.” Now Hayek has become so passionate about acting that she has said that working is no longer about the money, she does it simply be causes she loves it.
(Photo by Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images)