Salma Hayek is one of those actresses who have performed terrifically as far as the memory goes. With her charismatic personality and captivating acting, the stunning actress has won the hearts of many throughout her career. But despite her being so giving and never shying away from anything in all the movies she has starred into date, there was a time in Hayek’s career when she felt so embarrassed when asked to undress for a role that she broke into tears.
This dates back to when Salma Hayek gave up her whopping career in Mexico to start afresh in Hollywood, only to get cast into the lead role in the action/western movie Desperado, starring opposite the charming Antonio Banderas.
Salma Hayek’s Traumatizing Experience With Antonio Banderas During Desperado
While it was certainly her determination to get cast into a lead role for her Hollywood debut that secured her character as Carolina in Desperado, Salma Hayek wasn’t aware of the trauma that would come with it. Although her role remains iconic to date, the now-56-year-old actress wasn’t as confident while shooting as she looked in the movie.
Among other terrifying scenes, there was this one scene in particular that got the Eternals actress panicked – a love scene she shared with her co-star Antonio Banderas. What was more troubling for her was that it was her first time filming a love scene in her first Hollywood movie. Recalling how anxious she felt while shooting the scene that wasn’t even written in the script, Hayek said,
“So, when we were going to start shooting, I started to sob. [I kept saying] I don’t know if I can do this. I’m afraid. He [Antonio Banderas] was an absolute gentleman and super nice and we’re still very close friends. But he was very free. So, it scared me that for him…it was like nothing. And that scared me because I’ve never been in front of someone like that in that situation. And I started crying and he’s like, ‘Oh my God, you’re making me feel terrible.’ I was so embarrassed that I was crying.”
But after an excruciating two hours of Salma Hayek ‘still not [working] up the courage’ to do it, everything finally worked out with the help of the terrifically gentle and patient crew and co-stars, and they were finally able to take enough cuts for the scene.
Salma Hayek Has Been Good Friends With Antonio Banderas Ever Since Desperado
Although that incident and all the time remembering it afterward must have been painfully embarrassing and humiliating for Salma Hayek, the Eternals star revealed that she became good friends with Antonio Banderas ever since Desperado and that their friendship is still going strong to date.
Reports have it that Banderas even expressed concern and called Hayek personally in 2018 when news surfaced about her getting s-xually harassed by Harvey Weinstein on the sets of Frida (2002). After calling the revelations ‘unacceptable’, the Mask of Zorro star also commented on how people like the legendary director ‘should be brought before a jury’.
After their first movie together, Salma Hayek and Antonia Banderas went ahead to create numerous more movies like Puss in Boots and Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, which turned out to be as successful as the actors themselves.
You can watch Desperado on Netflix.
Source: TheThings
