Salma Hayek

Touted by filmmaker Robert Rodriguez as the first Mexican star to play the female lead in an American movie since Dolores Del Rio, the stunningly beautiful and charismatic Salma Hayek scorched stateside cineplexes as the fiery border town bookseller who romances Antonio Banderas' vengeful "mariachi" in "Desperado" (1995). She had previously won the hearts of her countrymen with two TV roles in the late 1980s, first as an innocent schoolgirl in "Nuevo Amancer" and subsequently as the comely bad girl protagonist of "Teresa" in the extremely popular primetime soap. Fearing that Mexican audiences valued her looks more than her thespian skills – despite several acting awards – Hayek left Mexico at the height of her vogue and headed for L.A. She then took a year-and-a-half off from acting to learn English.

By 1992, Hayek was landing TV guest shots and appeared as a recurring character on a family sitcom, "The Sinbad Show" (Fox, 1993-94), before winning a supporting role in Alison Anders' well-regarded indie feature "Mi Vida Loca/My Crazy Life" (1993). Hayek's English skills had blossomed but roles remained elusive. Writer-director Rodriguez heard her lament on comic Paul Rodriguez's talk show and cast her as the female lead in his first 35mm project, "Roadracers" (Showtime, 1994), the hyper-stylized premiere installment of the "Rebel Highway" TV-movie series. His ultimate goal was to cast her as the female lead in his studio-produced sequel to 1992's low-budget marvel "El Mariachi;" the ploy worked, allowing Hayek to beat out all the standard Anglos that the studio attempted to impose upon the production.

Additional Hollywood assignments followed including further collaborations with Rodriguez on two other projects – a cameo with Banderas in the ill-conceived feature "Four Rooms" (also 1995) and as a blood-sucking snake-dancer in the Quentin Tarantino-scripted vampire outing, "From Dusk Till Dawn" (1996). Hayek has stated her intention to alternate between working in Hollywood genre fare and Mexican art films (e.g., 1995's "Midaq Alley/El Callejon de los Milagros"). She idled for a while in Hollywood, though; with unremarkable supporting roles in Cindy Crawford's debut outing, "Fair Game" (1995), and the convicts on the run actioner "Fled" (1996).

Hayek then essayed her first romantic comedy lead opposite Matthew Perry in the underperforming "Fools Rush In" (1997). Cast as a Mexican woman who hastily marries an American and then proceeds to fall in love with him, she made a valiant effort, but critics and audiences were not impressed. "Breaking Up" (1997), which paired her with Russell Crowe as a couple who constantly separate and reconcile, also failed to excite audiences. She fared somewhat better as the fiery gypsy dance Esmeralda to Mandy Patinkin's "The Hunchback" in the 1997 TNT TV-movie but her role in the highly anticipated "54" (1998) was abbreviated when executives demanded re-shoots and a change in the storyline.

In 1999, Hayek was cast as the female lead in the western action flick, "Wild, Wild West" and appeared in director Kevin Smith's controversial comedy "Dogma.” She followed up with more serious fare, taking a small role in Steven Soderbergh's acclaimed anti-drug ensemble drama "Traffic" and appearing as a sexually controlling actress in Mike Figgis' experimental multi-screen drama "Timecode" (she would later reunited with Figgis for his next split-screen effort "Hotel"). She also produced and starred as the Mexican surrealist painter Frida Kahlo in the drama biopic "Frida" (2002). For years Hayek fought to get the film made, eventually becoming the movie's producer, and the actress powered the project into production by the sheer force of her desire to bring the life story of her fellow countrywoman to the screen. While reaction to the film – directed by avant garde auteur Julie Taymor – was mixed, Hayek's intense performance was roundly praised. She was able to transcend both her sex symbol status and the limits of her ethnicity when she received an Academy Award nomination as Best Actress for her efforts.

In 2003 Hayek reunited twice with director Robert Rodriguez, first for a humorous cameo in "Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over" and then to reprise her role as Carolina – if only in flashback – in the successful and entertaining third outing in the El Mariachi series "Once Upon a Time in Mexico.” She then demonstrated her highly combustible sexual chemistry with co-star Pierce Brosnan in the amiable caper comedy "After the Sunset" (2004), playing the lover/partner of Brosnan's retired master jewel thief who finds himself tempted by the prospect of one last score, putting their relationship in jeopardy.

Then in 2006, Hayek donned a new hat – executive producer – for television’s “Ugly Betty" (ABC, 2006- ), an American adaptation of the popular Colombian telenovela “Betty, La Fea” (RCN, 1999-2001.) Using her big-screen fame, Hayek guest-starred in several episodes of “Ugly Betty” during its first season to boost the fledgling show’s ratings. On July 19, 2007, Hayek’s portrayal as glamorous fashionista Sofia Reyes earned the actress her first Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series.