Could my beautiful Salma b headed 4 Oscar?... read on:


Hayek Aims to Help Hispanics in Film

By SANDRA MARQUEZ, Associated Press Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Hollywood has long stereotyped Hispanic women as spitfires, bombshells and maids.

It responded no differently to Salma Hayek (news), who packed two suitcases and moved to Los Angeles from Mexico City on a whim in 1991, leaving behind a budding career as a soap-opera star. The struggling actress got one of her first breaks as a scantily clad vampire who tackles an enormous python in Quentin Tarantino (news)'s "From Dusk Till Dawn," in 1996.

"I am not the kind of person that wants to sit down and whine about something," Hayek said of her determination to find strong roles for Hispanic actors. "Instead, I want to get up and make an effort and do it myself."

She took inspiration from one of her heroes, Mexican painter Frida Kahlo, who defied convention throughout her life. For eight years, Hayek nurtured a movie project based on Kahlo's life.

"Frida," which opens in New York and Los Angeles on Friday, is one of the most high-profile Hispanic-themed movies in years.

Hayek stars as Kahlo — the most challenging role of her career — and is one of the film's producers. She said she hopes it will help create more visibility for Hispanics in Hollywood.

The movie about Mexico's most famous female artist comes at a time when America's 35 million Hispanics, roughly 12.5 percent of the population, are increasingly capturing the attention of advertisers and studio executives.

"It seems to me the door is ajar. It ain't really open yet," said Rita Moreno, who was the first Hispanic actress to win an Academy Award, for a supporting role in 1961's "West Side Story."

"My perception is that Latinos really have to fend for themselves. Salma Hayek really killed herself to have this film made. Perseverance is the order of the day still, and it probably will be for some time to come."

"Frida" eventually found a home at Miramax studios, which made it for $12 million.

Hayek beat out rival projects linked to Jennifer Lopez (news) and Madonna (news - web sites). She persevered even when funding fell apart, the project switched studios, directors dropped out and the script was repeatedly rewritten. She convinced friends Alfredo Molina, Antonio Banderas (news) and Ashley Judd (news) to co-star for scale wages.

Early reviews were generally good. The Associated Press' Christy Lemire said the movie was "worth the wait," and Chicago Sun-Times critic Roger Ebert said Hayek's performance was worthy of an Oscar nomination.

The small group of Hispanic actors who have won Academy Awards (news - web sites) are Jose Ferrer, Anthony Quinn, Moreno and, most recently, Benicio Del Toro (news), for 2000's "Traffic."

Hollywood saw a small, brief Hispanic boom in the 1920s, when Lupe Velez and Delores Del Rio were cast in silent movies. The leading man in the original, 1926 version of "Ben-Hur" was Mexican actor Ramon Navarro.

"It ended up being a Latin craze. It was a fad that blew away. By the '30s, it was on the wane," said Charles Ramirez Berg, a film professor at the University of Texas and author of the newly released "Latino Images in Film."

Hollywood's current love affair with Hispanics is probably not as fleeting, he said.

"I think it probably has more to do with demographics."

The relative success commercially and critically of recent Latin American films such as "Amores Perros" and "Y Tu Mama Tambien" of Mexico, and "Son of the Bride" and "Nine Queens" of Argentina, have not escaped studio notice either.

Universal has entered into a joint venture with Arenas Entertainment, headed by Spaniard Santiago Pozo, to produce feature films in English and Spanish geared to the U.S. Hispanic market.

Other signs of Hispanic culture seeping into the mainstream can be seen on the small screen, including an array of Hispanic-themed TV shows such as "Greetings From Tucson" on the WB network, the "George Lopez" show on ABC, "Resurrection Blvd." on Showtime and "American Family" on PBS.

Nonetheless, Hispanics remain the most underrepresented group in prime-time television, accounting for only 2 percent of all characters, according to a recent study by the University of California, Los Angeles.

HBO has launched HBO Latino, a Spanish-language channel aimed at 18- to 34-year-olds. It will offer original programming as well as dubbed versions of such HBO shows as "Sex and the City (news - Y! TV)" and "Six Feet Under."

"Suddenly, we are an economic force and we have a voice. ... We are coming into our power," said Gabriel Romero, who played the role of a gay surgeon on the Spanish-language sitcom "Los Beltran," which aired on the Spanish-language network Telemundo.

Research by the National Hispanic Media Coalition has shown that 69 percent of Hispanics watch English-language TV.

"Definitely things are changing, but it is very slow. There are still very limited opportunities for Latinos and most of them are very stereotypical," Romero added.

Hayek now laughs at her bold decision to move to Los Angeles 11 years ago with little money or English. After two months without any job offers, reality began to set in.

"I realized what a big challenge I had given myself," she said.

Her 1995 starring role opposite Banderas in "Desperado" helped launch her career. Other screen credits include "Breaking Up" with Russell Crowe (news) and "Fools Rush In" with Matthew Perry (news).

Hayek believes "Frida" will make a difference by projecting an image of Mexico as a historic haven for avant-garde thinkers and artists.

"Even if it doesn't make a lot of money, it will help because it will change the perception of who we are," she said. "It will challenge people to see us in a different light."

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I'll b checking this film out 2morrow!

I hope this works... here's a pic of Salma

Didn't work! Try again - she fine!!!

it worked earlier... try this!

She is overdue for a true Great Performance on Screen.anything too make people forget "Wild,Wild West IMHO.maybe Edward Norton's Talent is rubbing off on Her Finally???She is thick no matter what though.

J.low was going 2 act in that movie right?? I think I saw her in some MTV interview mentioning this,,,

J.low was going 2 act in that movie right?? I think I saw her in some MTV interview mentioning this,,,

June7 said:

her face is ugly.

subyduby said:

uh, I don't think so.




(edited 2 add another gorgeous photo)
[This message was edited Fri Oct 25 10:10:06 PDT 2002 by June7]

I'm not usually this blunt, but, damn... girl got some nice tits...

Salma might recieve an Oscar Nod as a pay-off for all the fighting and clawing (expecially with J-lo) to get this part and then make the movie..

sadly though, this movie has been recieving sub-par reviews for her performance and for the film overall..but, I still think she might be able to pull off a nod...hopefully!!

June7 said:

i think so. the one in where she is wearing red makes her look nice though. very plain taste!

Salma is smokin' and this here movie has been long awaited in my home country of Caspiar.

Anyone know what kind of music it is going to feature?

Baji

I Love Virgos

Dusk till Dawn

That's a good title for a prince Song.

bleh.

Madonna's been trying to make this movie for years.

She should've done it, instead of Swept Away. Just the sort of movie she's always citing as a favorite, but then she goes and stars in things like Swept Away, The Next Best Thing, etc.

subyduby said:

Jealousy always brings out the ugliness in people like you.
It's funny how your profile says you are located in the united states of hipocricy, let's see your picture.

subyduby said:

suby duby, how many times am I gonna tell you - Stop spewing gobbledygook on this message board! Salma is a very pretty woman and I suggest you remove that log in your eye with immediate alacrity.

I am a fan of Frida Kahlo's artwork and have been following this movie for years. FYI - J-Lo and Salma have no love for each other, especially when J-Lo dogged her in the press as saying that she (Salma) could've never played Selena as good as her (J-Lo).

Both J-Lo and Salma had begun working on separate movies about Frida around the same time...then Jennifer's movie fell apart and she walked away. Salma persisted and pushed through till the end.

Can't wait to see it.

And BTW...Salma is sexy as HELL!

Anyone know Salma's heritage. I've always thought she has Middle Eastern roots.

June7 said:

Tom Cruise is better! Hes funky actor been in more films and allows more money! He is better!

UptownDeb said:

Uh, I just happen 2 have a brief biography of my dearest... Salma!!!

read this:

Born September 2, 1968 in Coatzacoalcos, Mexico, Salma Hayek has become on of the more popular leading ladies on film today. Salma certainly didn't have the average life of others from her country, as her father was a top exec with the
state-owned oil company and mother was an opera singer. Salma has admitted to having had a very spoiled childhood which included her own private zoo, Colorado ski trips, and summers on Greek islands. Originally, this Spanish speaking actress was working in Mexico on the highest rated television program in that country. Hayek had dreams of going to Hollywood and conquering a bigger name for herself and quit the popular show and start from the bottom, not even knowing the language she was hoping to act in. After heading to LA in '91, Hayek spent extensive time learning English and acting. She also met Richard Crenna Jr. there when they took acting lessons and were briefly engaged but later broke up and called it off.
Hayek got a huge break when director Robert Rodriguez had caught Hayek on a Spanish television talk show. Rodriguez contacted her and had planned on having her star in his upcoming movie Desperado, and after a little convincing of his financial backers, she landed the role. Starring opposite Antonio Banderas, the movie was the start of her highly successful movie career. Though she was criticized in her native country of Mexico for her nude sex scenes with Antonio to which she replied "In Mexico, people are still very reserved about sex". Next up came the movies Fair Game and Fled where she co-starred with William Baldwin. Her roles in 1997 brought the acclaimed Fools Rush In and the TNT movie The Hunchback of Notre Dame.where she dated co-star Edward Atterton for an extensive amount of time before later breaking off the relationship. Salma's latest roles in 1999 brought the much hyped but much disappointing Wild Wild West which co-starred Will Smith, as well as Dogma, which stars Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, and Chris Rock. In Wild WIld West, Salma was so nervous about her nude scene she cleared the studio and was further instigated when Will hung a BA as she was turning to read her lines, but the ever cool Salma didn't even flinch to the displeasure of Smith who presumably wanted to see Salma's fine bod a little longer! She's also scheduled to play the role of painter Frida Kahlo in the biographical film Frida. She wanted the role of the bisexual painter so bad that she volunteered to do a girl-girl lesbian scene if the director so choosed. The role was also one that Madonna coveted. Speaking of girl girl sex scenes, Salma is slated to be in another one this year with Jeanne Tripplehorn and will be smooching big in the new Mike Figgis movie Time Code 2000. Sources say its sizzling.

What's the latest in Salma's life? Well she currently is dating Edward Norton, who earlier had been dating Courtney Love of the band Hole. There is some debate though whether they still are an item, as the Enquirer reported that her and Tony Lord were getting cuddly and holding hands during the taping of Wild Wild West filmed Vancouver before presumably getting naked in the hotel they were staying in. Her spokeman insisted nothing is going on. She also seems highly critical of fellow Latino star Jennifer Lopez. Hayek bristles at comments saying how far Latin's have made it in Hollywood, responding by saying: "Don't tell me that Latins are making it in Hollywood! Every time I hear that, it makes me so mad! Some people say, 'But look at Jennifer Lopez! Look what she's doing.' Jennifer Lopez is from New York. Do you hear an accent? Her grandparents or her parents, maybe. Her Spanish is very bad. She is a very good actress ... and now it's very convenient because when she has to be Latin, she's Latin. But 'Out of Sight' was not about a Puerto Rican. It was about a couple from New York." She further says about Hollywood's anti-Mexican stance: "When I asked a producer to consider casting a Latina as a fashion editor, he told me a Latina might be all right in the role but definitely not a Mexican. People around here think that Mexicans are lazy and have no style." Whatever the case, many in Hollywood do think that Salma has style, and is a refreshing break from the anorexic, bulimic, and siliconed actresses who currently dominate film and music.

salma!

Hey... I've been moved 2 General Discussion... so,

generally, I think she's fine.. now discuss!

Unfortunately, her film has not opened in my city yet... limited theatrical releases suck! When it opens in my town, I'll b there, 1st in line!!!

Holy titage!!!

Salma is HOT! I've been diggn' her since "From Dusk 'Til Dawn" which I hear they r making some sort of sequel 2. I think the movie is more about her charcter though. Antonio will be in it.

I am glad for her good fortune, and tenacity. She is a doll.

As far as looks go, I think that their are other Latinas that are far better looking.

Salma Hayek is beautiful... I am so glad JLO did not get the part.. Salma really loves Frida and knows and respects her art... I can't wait for this Movie to come to San Diego!!! !!!

papaa said:

bkw said:

yup...



that is an awsome picture...