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Salma Hayek at the 1999 Annual Moving Picture Ball American Cinematheque Award© WireImage

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Salma Hayek celebrated St. Patrick's Day by flirting with Conan O'Brien: TBT

Hayek compared Irish men to Mexican men in a now iconic clip


Maria Loreto
Senior Writer
MARCH 27, 2025 5:09 PM EDT

Salma Hayek has a roster of incredible videos at her disposal. The actress and producer has been famous for years and knows exactly when to share one of her hilarious responses. Earlier this month, Hayek celebrated St. Patrick's Day by sharing a video of her appearance on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" on her Instagram. 

Salma Hayek in Venice in 2024© Daniele Venturelli
Hayek celebrated St Patrick's Day by sharing a hilarious throwback video

The clip is from 1999 and shows Hayek explaining the link between Irish men and Mexican men to a flustered O'Brien. "What is it about Irish men that you like so much?" asks O'Brien.

"They're very passionate, they're almost Mexican," says Hayek. As the camera cuts to O'Brien, he tries to reign in his laughter. "Almost Mexican?" he asks, making her laugh. "Wait a minute." 

"You're Irish, aren't you?" continues Hayek. "Yeah, I'm as passionate as any Mexican guy!" 

"That's what I said," she says. 

View post on Instagram
 

The late '90s were an important time for Hayek

Hayek has been making films in Hollywood for decades, with the '90s cementing her status as one of the big Hollywood icons. In 1996, Hayek was featured in "Desperado" and "From Dusk Til Dawn," two films directed by Robert Rodriguez, that put her onscreen with talents like Antonio Banderas, George Clooney, and Quentin Tarantino

In the following years, she appeared in films like "Fools Rush In," "Wild Wild West," and more. In 2002, she was a producer and star in "Frida," the film that earned her an Academy Award.

Salma Hayek at the 1999 Annual Moving Picture Ball American Cinematheque Award© WireImage
The '90s were a key decade for Hayek's career in the US

“It took me eight years to get that done. And I'm very proud because I practically did it by myself against all odds when I was not very famous,” said Hayek of her role in a Role Recall interview. “It was a movie that nobody wanted to do.”

“I wanted to have a different kind of artistic value visually, because she was an artist. And it was so hard to get it done because it was unusual, and she was unusual and nobody knew who she was.”  

Salma Hayek in the movie 'Frida'© Miramax Films
'Frida' ended up earning several nominations at the Academy Awards

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