- 1988
Sudsy Beginnings
Hayek lands a small part in a Mexican soap opera, or telenovela in Spanish, called Nuevo Amanecer (New Dawn). The following year, she lands the title role in the popular telenovela Teresa, which earns her star status in her native country.
- 1991
Coming to America
Despite her immense popularity in Mexico and her limited fluency in English, an ambitious Hayek moves to L.A. to make it in Hollywood. "I kept thinking, 'I'm famous, but am I good?'" Hayek tells Movieline in 1997. After taking time off to study English and acting with noted teacher Stella Adler, she lands small parts in several sitcoms.
- 1995
Getting Desperate
After traveling back to Mexico to star in the award-winning El Callejón de los Milagros ("The Alley of Miracles"), Hayek gets her big break in the U.S. starring opposite Antonio Banderas in the gun-slinging Robert Rodriguez drama Desperado. The role gains the actress a wide audience as well as a longtime friend in Rodriguez.
- 1996
Vampire Vixen
Hayek continues to raise her profile after landing the role of Santanico Pandemonium, a stripper in the vampire-thriller From Dusk Till Dawn, starring George Clooney, written by Quentin Tarantino and directed by Robert Rodriguez.
Making the Hot List
Hayek makes PEOPLE's "50 Most Beautiful People" list. An honor she will receive again in 2003. Still, the actress admits to PEOPLE, "sometimes I look in the mirror and scream like the boy in Home Alone."
- 1997
Romancing Chandler
Hayek scores her first star billing when she pairs up with Friends' star Matthew Perry in the romantic comedy Fools Rush In. The movie grosses a modest $29.2 million in the U.S.
Kiss and Makeup
Hayek's beauty becomes an even more bankable commodity when the actress signs a lucrative contract to be a television and magazine spokeswoman for Revlon cosmetics. In 2004, Avon also signs her on for its relaunched makeup and perfume ad campaign.
- 1999
Romantic Adjustment
Hayek, 33, begins dating actor Edward Norton, 30, after their chiropractor sets them up. "He's charming and a great companion for Hayek, because he doesn't try to compete with her," Hayek's pal, television producer Lucy Orozco, tells PEOPLE. The two split in 2003.
Going Mainstream
Hayek begins to land bigger, more mainstream roles. She costars in Will Smith's big-budget adventure Wild Wild West. Hayek is also cast in a supporting role in the Kevin Smith comedy Dogma, which premieres at the Cannes Film Festival in May.
- 2002
Labor of Love
Hayek's Frida, the story of Mexican painter Frida Kahlo, premieres. Hayek, who also coproduces the biopic, is nominated for a Best Actress Oscar. "[Making a film] is not an easy task for anyone, let alone a Latin American woman who has an accent," her pal and Frida costar MÍa Maestro tells PEOPLE of Hayek, who spent eight years getting the film made. "But she doesn't see those things as an excuse; she uses them to empower her."
Photo Credits
BIOGRAPHY (top to bottom): AGENCIA MÉXICO; DI CROLLALANZA ARALDO/SIPA; JOYCE RUDOLPH/DIMENSION FILMS; FOTO FANTASIES; CALVIN MOORE/KIKA PRESS; MURRAY CLOSE/WARNER BROS.; RUVEN AFANADOR
- Name
- Salma Hayek
- Real Name
- Salma Hayek Jiménez
- Birth Date
- September 02, 1966
- Birth Place
- Coatzacoalcos, Mexico
- Heart Monitor
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François-Henri Pinault, ex-boyfriend (2006 to 2008; engaged)
Josh Lucas, ex-boyfriend (2003 to 2004)
Edward Norton, ex-boyfriend (1999 to 2003)
