Salma Valgarma Hayek born September 2, 1966 in coatzacoalcos, veracruz ) is a Mexican-American actress, director and producer. She is one of the most prominent Mexican figures in Hollywood. She received a Best Actress Oscar nomination for her role as as Frida kalho in the movie Frida.
Hayek was born in Mexico, the daughter of Diana Jiménez Medina, an opera singer and talent scout, and Sami Hayek Dominguez, an oil company executive who once ran for mayor of Coatzacoalcos.Hayek's father is of descent, while her mother is of Spanish descent. Her first given name, salma, is Arabic for "Welcome". Raised in a wealthy, devoutly family, she was sent to the Academy of sacred heart in Grand coteaou, Louisiana, at the age of twelve. While there, she was diagnosed with dylexia. She attended college in Mexico city, where she studied International Relations.
Hayek moved to Los Angeles, California in 1991 to study acting, She had limited fluency in English, which was attributed to her suffering from dyslexia. Robert Rodriguez and his producer and then wife Elizabeth Avellan soon gave Hayek a starring role opposite Antonio Benderas in 1995's Desperado.
Hayek had a starring part opposite Mathew perry in the romantic comedy Fools rush in. She followed her role in Desperado with a brief role as a vampire queen, in which she performed a table-top snake dance. In 1999, she co-starred in will smiths big-budget wild wild west, and played a supporting role. In 2000, Hayek had an uncredited acting part opposite in Traffic. In 2003, she reprised her role from Desperado by appearing in once upon in Mexico , the final film of the Mariachi Trilogy.