‘I'M GRATEFUL FOR AND SURPRISED BY MY WITCHCRAFT INSTINCTS'

HOLLYWOOD ACTRESS SALMA HAYEK ON HAVING A LIFE BEYOND HER WILDEST DREAMS

- JASON ADAMS

At the age of 23, Salma Hayek was a star in Mexico thanks to playing the title character on television series Teresa. Two years later she packed her bags and moved to Los Angeles with the dream of making it big in Hollywood. The rest is history.

Now, three decades later, Salma is still finding herself involved in new and exciting film projects, including The Roads Not Taken, which she stars in with close friend Javier Bardem, and Marvel film Eternals, in which she plays a superhero boss. “Now they’re coming to me, that’s what’s been really invigorating at 53,” she said.

However, she also experienced the darker side of the industry when Harvey Weinstein made life difficult for her when she starred in and produced the film Frida. In an open letter she described him as “my monster” and detailed the numerous sexual propositions she was forced to reject. She was brave enough to come forward and stood at the forefront of the #MeToo movement, which has hopefully changed the landscape for women.

As well as success in her career, Salma has found happiness in her personal life with French billionaire François-Henri Pinault. The couple married in 2009 and have a daughter, Valentina, 12, who is already showing signs of following in her mother’s footsteps.

Here, the actress chats about Valentina’s many talents, her thoughts on Harvey’s guilty verdict and achieving stardom...

Your latest film is about roads not taken. What is your experience of that?