Salma Hayek
Salma Hayek was born on September 2, 1966, and
raised in Coatzacoalcos, Mexico. Her religious parents -- father of
Lebanese descent, mother of Spanish descent -- wanted to ensure that
their daughter would be well educated, and sent her to a Louisiana
boarding school when she was 12. Sent back home for being a
prankster, Salma Hayek finished high school and was sent to Houston
to live with her aunt until the age of 17.
Salma Hayek is teresa in mexico
Once a college student in Mexico City, majoring in international
relations studies, Salma Hayek finally decided to drop out (to her
parents' chagrin) to pursue her childhood dream of becoming an
actress.
Salma Hayek started out doing local theater, including a role as the
female lead in Aladdin and His Marvelous Lamp. Theater work led to
commercials, which finally led to a part on a series called Un nuevo
amanecer. Salma Hayek was considered a star in Mexico for her role
as Teresa on the popular soap opera of the same name. This was,
however, not enough for the ambitious beauty who had set her sights
on Hollywood.
Salma Hayek moved to Los Angeles in 1991, a complete unknown in a
city full of aspiring actors. Foreign to the English language, Salma
Hayek spent the next 18 months taking English lessons, while honing
her acting skills with drama teacher Stella Adler.
Although Salma Hayek spent four months auditioning for a lead role
that finally went to another actress, the film's director, impressed
by her determination, cast her in a smaller role in the same film
(1993's Mi vida loca, aka My Crazy Life) so that she could become a
member of the Screen Actors Guild.