The amazing Salma Hayek was born on September 2 1966, in the oil boomtown of Coatzacoalcos, Mexico. Hayek has freely admitted that she and her brother Sami were spoiled rotten by her well-to-do Lebanese businessman father and her Mexican-born opera singing mother. After having seen Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) in a local movie theatre, Salma decided she wanted to become an actress. Her education included a stint at a New Orleans convent school, where she pulled pranks on the nuns by setting their clocks back three hours. She was soon expelled. Only after attending Mexico City's Universidad Iberoamericana did she feel ready to pursue acting seriously. article continued below...

She soon landed the title role in "Teresa" (1989), a hugely succesfull soap opera which earned her the star status in her native Mexico. However, anxious to make films and to explore her talent and passion, Hayek left both "Teresa" (1989) and Mexico in 1991. Heartbroken fans spread rumors that she was having a secret affair with Mexico's president and left to escape his wife's wrath.

At long last, Salma made her way to Los Angeles. The 24 year old actress approached Hollywood with naive enthusiasm, and quickly learned that Latin actresses were, if at all, typecast as the mistress maid or local prostitute. By late 1992, Hayek had landed only bit parts. She appeared on "Street Justice" (1991), The Sinbad Show, "Nurses" (1991), and as a sexy maid on the HBO series "Dream On" (1990). She also had one line in the Allison Anders film Mi Vida Loca. Feeling under-appreciated by Anglo filmmakers, Hayek vented her frustrations on comedian Paul Rodriguez's late-night Spanish-language talk show in 1992.

Robert Rodriguez and his producer wife Elizabeth Avellan happened to be watching and were immediately smitten with the intelligent opinionated young woman. He soon gave her her big break. To star opposite Antonio Banderas in the now cult classic "Desperado" which put her on Hollywood's map. The moviegoers proved to be as dazzled with Hayek as he had been.

After her break, she was cast again by Rodriguez to star in his "From Dusk Till Dawn". Although her vampy role opposite Clooney and tarantino was a small one, it was a good credit to her box office name. Hayek's first star billing came later that year with "Fools Rush In" opposite "friends" actor Matthew Perry. The film was a modest hit, and Hayek continued to rise her star in both commercial and artistic films such as "Breaking Up" with an unknown Russel Crowe. "54" about the rise and fall of the legendary New York club. "Dogma", the muse in a somewhat odd comedy co-starring Matt Damon and Chris Rock. "In The Time Of The Butterflies" the small artistic film which won Hayek an ALMA award as best actress. and the 1999 summerblockbuster "Wild Wild West". Her production company Ventanarosa produced the 1999 Mexican feature film No One Writes to the Colonel, which was shown at the Cannes Film Festival and selected as Mexico's official Oscar entry for best foreign film.

The new millenium started out quietly around Salma as she was preparing to produce and star in her dream role. The role was that of Frida Kahlo, The legendary Mexican painter whom Salma had been admiring her entire life and whose story she wanted to bring to the big screen ever since her arrival in Hollywood. It finally happened in 2002. "Frida", co-produced by Hayek, was a beautifully made film overflowing with passion and enthusiasm with terrific performances from Salma and Alfred Molina as Kahlo's cheating husband Diego Rivera. On the side was an entourage of stars including Antonio Banderas, Ashley Judd, Geoffrey Rush, Edward Norton and Valeria Golino.

The picture was a hit and was nominated for 6 Oscars including best actress for Hayek, who became the first Latin actress to be nominated in the category, and won the awards for make-up and its brilliant original score by Elliott Goldenthal. Hayek established herself as the serious actress that she is and in the same year expanded her horizons directing "The Maldonado Miracle" which was shown as the Sundance Film festival. In 2003 she starred in the final of Rodriguez's Desperado triology "Once upon a time in Mexico" again opposite Banderas, and has just finished "After The Sunset" opposite Pierce Brosnan and "Ask The Dust" opposite Colin Farrell. Both are scheduled for release in early 2005. In the works are Robert Altman's "Paint" and "Bandidas" in which she will star with her friend Penélope Cruz.

• Chosen by People (USA) magazine as one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world [1996]
• Is dyslexic.
• Was ranked 8th of the 100 Sexiest Women by FHM Taiwan (2001).
• Frequently collaborates with Antonio Banderas and Robert Rodriguez.
• Fluent in English, Arabic, Spanish and Portugese
• Was originally considered for the part of Alicia Larde in A Beautiful Mind (2001) because the character in real life is from El Salvador. But the character for the film was later changed to American and given to Jennifer Connelly.
• Salma is an Arabic name that means "peace" or "calm".
• Godmother to Robert Rodriguez's children.
• Measurements: 36C-25-37 (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine)
• She was sent to a boarding school in Louisiana at age 12, but was soon sent back home after getting in trouble for frequently terrorizing the nuns!
• Father is great-grandson of a Lebanese immigrant. The remaining 7 of her 8 great-grandparents were Mexican.
• Father was born in Lebanon and came to Mexico to start a small business where he met Salma's mother.
• Studied International Relations & Drama at College in Mexico City.
• Won Best Newcomer at the 1989 Novela Awards for "Nuevo amanecer, Un" (1988).
• Has her own production company, Ventanarosa.
• Is the second Latin American actress to be nominated for the Best Actress in a Leading Role Academy Award, for her performance in Frida (2002). Brazilian veteran Fernanda Montenegro was the first, for "Centraal station" (1974).
• Dated Edward Norton [1999-2003]
• Her brother, Sami, designs custom chairs. His celebrity clients include Jennifer Aniston and her husband, Brad Pitt.
• Dated Josh Lucas [August 2003 - July 2004].
• Shares a birthday with actor Keanu Reeves, heavyweight boxer Lennox Lewis and NFL Hall of Fame running back Eric Dickerson.
• Made the cut to People magazine's 50 most beautiful people list twice. in 1996 and 2003
• Was named one of the ten most stylish women in the world by Mr. Blackwell (aka Richard Selzer) in 1997. InStyle named her the most stylish celebrity of 2003 and Eonline.com ranked her as the best dressed female celebrity.
• Ranked #31 in Stuff magazine's "102 Sexiest Women in the World" (2002).
• Good friend of Penélope Cruz.