Salma Hayek

Salma Hayek Jiménez (born September 2, 1966) is an Academy Award-, Golden Globe- and Emmy-nominated Mexican/American actress, Daytime Emmy-winning director, and an Emmy-nominated TV and film producer. Hayek has appeared in more than thirty films and performed as an actress outside of Hollywood in Mexico and Spain. Hayek's charitable work includes increasing awareness on violence against women and discrimination against immigrants.
In July 2007, The Hollywood Reporter ranked Hayek fourth in their inaugural Latino Power 50, a list of the most powerful members of the Hollywood Latino community.That same month a poll found Hayek to be the "sexiest celebrity" out of a field of 3,000 celebrities (male and female); according to the poll, "65 percent of the U.S. population would use the term 'sexy' to describe" her.



Hayek was born in Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, Mexico, the daughter of Diana Jiménez, an opera singer and talent scout, and Sami Hayek, an oil company executive.Hayek's father's side of the family is of Assyrian-Lebanese descent[6] and her mother's family is of Spanish descentReflecting her Assyrian heritage, her first name literally means ‘peace’ or ‘calm’ in Aramaic.Raised in a wealthy, devoutly Catholic family, she was sent to the Academy of the Sacred Heart, Grand Coteau, Louisiana, at the age of twelve.She was also an accomplished gymnast aspiring to compete in the Olympics but her father prevented her from being recruited by the Mexican national team. The religious sisters running the Academy ejected Hayek citing behavioral problems, so she returned to Mexico. She was later sent to live with her aunt in Houston, Texas, where she stayed until she was seventeen. She attended college in Mexico City, where she studied International Relations at the Universidad Iberoamericana. To the surprise of her family, she dropped out to pursue a career as an actress.

Hayek has been a spokesperson for Avon cosmetics since February 2004.She formerly served in the same function for Revlon in 1998. In 2001, she modeled for Chopard and was featured in 2006 Campari adverts as photographed by Mario Testino.On April 3rd of that year she helped introduce La Doña, a watch by Cartier inspired by fellow Mexican actress María Félix.
She was also featured in a series of Spanish language commercials for Lincoln cars. Consequently sales of the Lincoln Navigator among Hispanics increased by twelve percentage points.

Hayek is a naturalized U.S. citizen. She dated actor Edward Norton between 1999 and 2003, and then Josh Lucas in 2003. She has friends in Los Angeles and Mexico and is best friends with Spanish actress Penelope Cruz. The two co-starred in the 2006 film Bandidas. Hayek studied at Ramtha's School of Enlightenment.
On March 9, 2007, Hayek confirmed she was expecting her first child with PPR CEO François-Henri Pinault.On September 21, 2007, Hayek gave birth to daughter Valentina Paloma Pinault at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.She speaks Spanish and English.