Salma Hayek, the 56-years-old Mexican Lebanese actress/producer, has enjoyed her status as a global superstar for over two and a half decades. She’s earned many accolades and nominations for her performance in more than 80 acting credits. She received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2021. The actor/producer broke through numerous Hollywood stereotypes by never limiting herself to a genre. During her renowned career, we have seen her in dramas, biographies, comedies, action films, Sci-fi, voiceovers, and more.
Although her roles are broad and diverse, she has often portrayed independent, strong-willed women in her movies. Besides her voluptuous beauty and seductive voice, she is also known for extensive philanthropy. However, what gave her global recognition is her movie career. We tribute to her contribution to the industry by listing her top 10 movies of all time.
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Frida
Year: 2002
Director: Julie Taymor
Genre: Biography, Romance, Drama
Cast: Salma Hayek, Mía Maestro, Alfred Molina, Geoffrey Rush,
IMDB Rating: 7.3
Frida was a passion project for Hayek. She played the main role of Frida Kahlo, an acclaimed Mexican artist. Her performance in the movie earned her 46 nominations for global awards, including a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for Best Actress.
Image Courtesy: Indiewire
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Desperado
Year: 1995
Director: Robert Rodriguez
Genre: Action, Thriller, Crime
Cast: Salma Hayek, Antonio Banderas, Joaquim de Almeida, Cheech Marin
IMDB Rating: 7.1
Hayek played Carolina in Desperado. She depicts a practical bookshop owner who supported El Mariachi (Antonio Banderas) in his battle against Bucho and his gang. Her performance in the movie brought her under the spotlight for fans, filmmakers, and critics alike. Desperado became a box office hit that launched Salma’s acting career outside of Mexico and brought Antonio Banderas into light as a potential leading man in the industry.
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Traffic
Year: 2000
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Genre: Crime, Thriller, Drama
Cast: Salma Hayek, Benicio Del Toro, Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta-Jones
IMDB Rating: 7.6
The fans and the critics highly praised the movie, which explored three perspectives related to the illegal-drug trade industry. Hayek (Rosario) is Juárez’s glamorous mistress in the movie. The movie aims to realistically narrate a nuanced story to its audience without taking a preaching or judgmental tone. The talented cast worked very well to depict the plot details with perfection. The ensemble cast includes Don Cheadle, Michael Douglas, Benicio Del Toro, Luis Guzman, Dennis Quaid, Erika Christensen, Catherine Zeta-Jones, James Brolin, Topher Grace, and Benjamin Bratt.
Image Courtesy: The Movie Database
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Fools Rush In
Year: 1997
Director: Andy Tennant
Genre: Romance, Comedy, Drama
Cast: Salma Hayek, Matthew Perry, Jon Tenney
IMDB Rating: 6.1
Hayek plays Isabel Fuentes in the movie. Her performance as a free-spirited Mexican-American photographer is naturally captivating. The movie takes a romantic-comedy turn when Isabel gets pregnant after her one-night stand with Alex Whitman (Matthew Perry of Fiends). This story moves around the different cultural backgrounds and personalities of the character’s cultures. The two lead roles are set to determine whether they have a future together despite the differences, or only their baby is the only catalyst in their relationship.
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The Hitman’s Bodyguard
Year: 2017
Director: Patrick Hughes
Genre: Action, Crime, Comedy
Cast: Salma Hayek, Gary Oldman, Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson
IMDB Rating: 6.9
Hayek (Sonia Kincaid) is Darius Kincaid’s wife in the movie. He is one of the most infamous hitmen. Darius is forced to team up with Michael Bryce (a successful private bodyguard) to stop a mutual enemy. The success of The Hitman’s Bodyguard gave way to a sequel, Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, in 2021.
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Across the Universe
Year: 2007
Director: Julie Taymor
Genre: Drama Fantasy, History
Cast: Salma Hayek, Jim Sturgess, Evan Rachel Wood, Joe Anderson
IMDB Rating: 7.3
Across the Universe is a wonderfully paid tribute to The Beatles’ songs. The movie’s plot and characters are based on many of the band’s songs’ lyrics. Hayek plays the Bang Bang Shoot Shoot 5 Nurses. She also contributed a cameo performance with her playback vocals to the song “Happiness Is a Warm Gun.”
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Once Upon a Time in Mexico
Year: 2003
Director: Robert Rodriguez
Genre: Action, Thriller, Crime
Cast: Salma Hayek, Antonio Banderas, Johnny Depp
IMDB Rating: 6.3
Once Upon a Time in Mexico is the follow-up to Desperado and the third and final installment in Robert Rodriguez’s “Mexico” trilogy. Hayek returns as Carolina. The film was a good watch mainly due to the big names on its banner, including Johnny Depp, Eva Mendez, Mickey Rourke, and many others.
Image Courtesy: IMDb
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Bandidas
Year: 2006
Director: Espen Sandberg and Joachim Rønning
Genre: Action, Comedy, Crime
Cast: Salma Hayek, Penélope Cruz, Steve Zahn
IMDB Rating: 5.7
Salma Hayek (Sara Sandoval) teams up with Penélope Cruz to form a Mexican bank-robbing pair in the movie. The Western action-comedy is set in the 1890s. Salma/Sara is a wealthy, educated woman keen to avenge her father’s murder. She aims to steal lands from Tyler Jackson (Dwight Yoakam) and give them back to the original owners, the poor Mexicans of the area.
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Savages
Year: 2012
Director: Oliver Stone
Genre: Action, Drama, Crime
Cast: Salma Hayek, Taylor Kitsch, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Blake Lively
IMDB Rating: 6.4
In Savages, Hayek plays Elena “La Reina” Sánchez. She is a Mexican cartel leader, head bent on forming a partnership with a popular Californian cannabis company. The action-drama plot escalates into a violent and messy story when a battle starts between the two sides.
Image Courtesy: IndieWire
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Bliss
Year: 2021
Director: Mike Cahill
Genre: Drama, Sci-fi, Romance
Cast: Salma Hayek, Stars, Owen Wilson, Nesta Cooper
IMDB Rating: 5.3
Bliss is an Amazon Prime Video exclusive in which Hayek portrays Isabel Clemens. She is a homeless drug addict whose friendship with Greg Wittle (Owen Wilson) turns into a dark drama. The actors’ performance takes the viewers on the plot’s twisting and turning ride between fantasy and reality.
