PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Salma Hayek, the Mexican American model, actress, singer, and producer is looking fit and fabulous as she celebrates her 50th birthday today! By the looks of her, one would think she may be immortal… just like one of her most famous roles.
Who could ever forget the famous scene in Quentin Tarantino’s From Dusk Till Dawn when Hayek, as the lovely Santanico Pandemonium, takes the stage? The deadly Vampire Demoness gave George Clooney, Harvey Keitel, Juliette Lewis and Co. a run for their money and their lives 20 years ago at the Titty Twister bar in Nowhere, Mexico.
Welcome…to slavery!
Can you believe she almost didn’t take the part? It seems Ms. Hayek, much like the intrepid archaeologist Indiana Jones, has a rather severe case of Ophidiophobia — fear of snakes! In a 2002 interview with IGN, Hayek talks about overcoming her phobia: “Do you know what it was like to dance with that snake in a bikini? That’s probably the biggest challenge I have ever encountered!”
So how did director Robert Rodriguez convince her to take a role that involved such a large, reptilian dance partner? According to IMDB’s FROM DUSK TILL DAWN Trivia, he did it by telling her he was going to offer the role to Madonna!
Rodriguez’s ploy worked. Hayek spent time in therapy to overcome her fear of snakes and the rest is history! From Dusk Till Dawn premiered in theaters on January 19th, 1996. It earned the #1 spot for the weekend with a $10.2 million opening en route to a $25.8 million domestic gross.
Salma Hayek has acted in more than 60 movies and television projects since 1998, most recently in this summer’s adult animated hit Sausage Party. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress in 2002 for her role in Frida and won a Daytime Emmy for The Maldonado Miracle in 2003.
Follow Salma Hayek on Twitter @SalmaHayek and wish her a very happy 50th birthday today!
