Fighting Spirit
After battling severe COVID-19, Salma Hayek is back in three big movies and has her eye on directing By Marc Malkin
What did you think when Patrick told you that he wanted you to be one of the stars of the “Hitman’s Bodyguard” sequel?
Quite frankly, I was shocked. I’ve been in many movies where we get the call: “Oh, my God, you’re one of the most liked characters in the film.” So many times. But for the first time, there was a director that said, “I’m gonna listen to the audience.” But I didn’t trust him. At the beginning, I said, “Oh, he’s just exaggerating. He’s just being nice.” But then when we started talking about it, he told me the storyline, and then I realized, “Oh, my God, this guy is not only for real, but he also wants me involved in the process. Then I said, “Let’s make it really interesting and talk about menopause in a funny way.” Imagine if you have a character that’s already crazy and then add those hormones.
Could you ever have imagined starring in an action movie as a woman facing menopause?
No, never. But I did think I would do action and comedy. I remember there were two big comedies I auditioned for the lead. Afterwards, the directors told me that I was the best audition and that I was better than who they cast and that they regretted it. But at the time, they knew the studios wouldn’t have gone for a Mexican as the lead.
When you think about that now, is there a satisfaction in seeing how far you’ve come, or is there a bittersweetness to it?
I got a lot of satisfaction with them coming to me and telling me because I thought it was very courageous of them. And I thought it changed something. It changed something in them. It made [me think that] maybe the next generation or the next girl that comes in was going to get a better shot because of it. But nobody really looked into my value. If you are a woman and you are in a movie that is very successful and they say you are their favorite character, they will still give all credits of the box office to the guy. They don’t count who you’re bringing into the theaters.
In my case, I was already a very big star in my country. I was bringing the Latino market into the theaters. I know some of the studios knew that. But they didn’t want to accept the value of the Latino market at the time. Even when I did “Frida,” it was an art-house film that had a successful box office. But they ignored it. I still didn’t get the leads. Yes, I thought I was going be an action star. That’s how I started. But at some point at a certain age, I was sure it was never going to happen because it didn’t when it made sense. Now that it doesn’t make any sense, it’s all happening.
And talk about being an action star — you’re playing a superhero next in Marvel’s “Eternals.”
It never crossed my mind to be in a Marvel movie. I guess that I thought that boat had sailed, and it was an absolute shock. All of a sudden, I got a call: “They want to talk to you about a new franchise.” And I was like, “What?” And I said OK, but they don’t tell you any information until you’re on the call. It’s kind of hard to be an action hero if you’re Mexican. It’s really hard to be an action hero if you’re a Mexican and a woman. But to be an action hero, being Mexican, a woman, and my age, it felt like they were punking me. And then the worst part is that I was one of the first people they cast. I had to keep my mouth shut for so many months. I couldn’t tell a soul. And I couldn’t wait for the day that I could say it.
The cast and characters of “Eternals” are so diverse. Do you think Hollywood is finally making strides when it comes to being more inclusive?
I think that there are people in power who have wanted this change for a long time. But it takes a lot of elements for it to happen. For example, [Marvel vice president of film production] Victoria Alonso, I cannot love this woman more. She is extraordinary. She was very supportive to all the cast. And when you talk to her, you can see that this was something meaningful to her for a long time. Even [Marvel chief] Kevin Feige was very proud of it. But I was terrified. They tell you you’re going to be in this movie, but they can’t give you a script, and you have to sign the contract. You have to negotiate and sign the contract, and you cannot tell anyone.
So how much did you know about “Eternals” when you signed on?
I knew the name of my character. But don’t look for it in the comics. When I did look at the comics, I was a man.