Salma Hayek is celebrating her 56th birthday. The Mexican actress and producer has been a Hollywood staple for decades, making films that have impacted the Latinx community and have opened the doors for thousands of people of color.
Hayek has not only been an impact in front of the camera; over the years, she’s been involved behind the scenes, creating her own production company and giving a voice to many filmmakers and stories that wouldn’t have had a platform otherwise. Scroll down to have a look at some of her most inspiring achievements:
Her early career
Hayek started her career like many other Mexican actors – in telenovelas. She was 22 years old when she was cast as the lead in Televisa’s “Teresa,” a series that ran for two years, making her a star in Mexico. Some time later, Hayek moved to the U.S., where she pursued her career further.
Mainstream success
It wasn’t long before Hayek amassed success in Hollywood, partnering up with Robert Rodriguez for different films, including “Desperado” and “From Dusk Till Dawn,” two films that marked her as the next big thing to watch in Hollywood.
Her role as a producer
Aside from her great acting work, Hayek has always been savvy with her career. In 1998, she launched her own production company, Ventanarosa, and started producing films and projects that spoke to her sensibilities as an artist and a Latina. She went on to produce “Frida,” her most significant film, and the super successful show “Ugly Betty,” which was adapted from a Colombian telenovela.
Her efforts in gender parity and diversity
Hayek has always been outspoken, taking every opportunity she can to discuss complex topics like diversity in Hollywood and gender parity. She was the first person to be awarded IMDB’s Icon Star Meter Award, taking the opportunity to discuss important topics. “While there has been progress, particularly in the last few years, this Women’s History Month, I’m reflecting on the work that is still to be done as we continue moving towards gender parity. Thank you to IMDb and IMDbPro for this award and for making it easy for fans and professionals to learn more about the entertainment industry,” she said.
Still killing it
After almost 30 decades of Hollywood involvement, Hayek remains a quality producer and actress. She’s currently producing a variety of shows in Spanish and starred in the Marvel film “Eternals.” She’ll soon star in Angelina Jolie’s “Without Blood” and in “Magic Mike’s Last Dance”
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