It's a sunny morning in Los Angeles. Salma Hayek spent the day at Ventanarosa Productions, her production company, and even though her flight to Barcelona was cancelled, she keeps her smile bright. She is surrounded by her team, who help her with the preparations, and her faithful Lobito, a white Swiss shepherd who barks energetically whenever someone approaches her. This Mediterranean capernaum fits him like a glove. What impresses most about this woman of a hundred faces, able to bring humanity to every moment and circumstance of life, is that few things seem to confuse her. "It's part of the gana de vida (the joy of living, editor's note) of the Latins," she says, launching a cosmopolitan conversation in three languages (she speaks fluent Spanish, French and English).
In video, Salma Hayek's dance for its 24 million subscribers
In her thirty-year career, she has won all her battles and contributed to those of the causes close to her heart. Salma Hayek is the Mexican-American actress who managed to get thick roles in Hollywood, where she would have been gladly confined to the status of bomba latina. She is also the producer of committed films, such as Frida (about Frida Kahlo) and TheProphet (adapted from Khalil Gibran's book). Women in film – as well as all those on the planet – will always thank her for being one of the first to have had the courage to testify in the Weinstein case and to amplify, with others, the #MeToo movement.
Since then, it has been present on all fronts. The actress is an active member of Women In Motion, a program and award dedicated to highlighting exceptional women in arts and culture, starting with film. Initiated in 2015 in partnership with the Cannes Film Festival, Women In Motion was launched by Kering under the impetus of its CEO, François-Henri Pinault, captain of industry sensitive to women's causes and husband of Salma Hayek. As every year, the actress went to the Croisette to support this prize which, during this edition, was awarded to Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh, the first Asian to win the Oscar for Best Actress in March.
Bottega Veneta dress. Pomellato necklace, bracelets and ring, Boucheron, Saint Laurent cuffs, personal wedding ring. Nao Kawakami hairdresser for The Wall Group. Sofia Tilbury makeup with Charlotte Tilbury products. Manicure Kate Williamson (@ Caren) with O.P.I. Photos Rankin products / Director Carole Matray
Salma Hayek's feminist commitment is also reflected in the choice of her roles. In June, she will star in Steven Soderbergh's Magic Mike, Last Dance, in which she plays a powerful femme fatale older than her partner (Channing Tatum). She is also highly anticipated in Without Blood, the next feature film from Oscar-winning director and actress Angelina Jolie, adapted from Alessandro Baricco's bestseller. At 56, Salma Hayek is sublime. His voice is extremely sweet. We hear the intonations of a loving mother and wife and, at the same time, the determination of an independent woman, with a keen sense of humor. She says she hates stereotypes and is convinced that to change things, we must give ourselves the right to dream and the means to act. There is no doubt that Salma Hayek is a voice for women.
"One life seems too short to me"
Mrs. Figaro. – You play roles in cinema as in life with extraordinary energy. Where do you draw this strength?
Salma Hayek: My main driving force is curiosity. Everything interests me, my thirst for learning is insatiable. One life seems too short for what I still have to do. I decided to become an actress because, when I was a child, I heard someone say that artists had many lives, which I believe is deeply true. Leaving a trace makes you eternal. Art also allows you to be plural. I fought with all my strength to be an actress, director and producer at the same time. When I started, there were no recognized Mexican actresses in Hollywood. Racist comments were commonplace, and gender equality was not on the agenda. My energy increased tenfold because I faced the difficulties. I am part of this movement of women who have come together to change the rules. We have already won many battles.
Everything interests me, my thirst for learning is insatiable
Salma Hayek
There is a lot of delicacy in the tone of your voice as you talk about fights...
This is because I feel a childlike joy in reviewing all that women have managed to change together. I like to be 56 years old, because age allows me to have this perspective on history, to measure our conquests, which gives me the desire to continue to push doors.
monogrammed suit, shirt, earrings and pumps, the Gucci ensemble, Saint Laurent bracelet, personal wedding ring. Nao Kawakami hairdresser for The Wall Group. Sofia Tilbury makeup with Charlotte Tilbury products. Manicure Kate Williamson (@ Caren) with O.P.I. Photos Rankin products / Director Carole Matray
You are loyal to the Cannes Film Festival and the Women In Motion Award. Can you tell us about the origin of this meeting that is close to your heart?
I have been there since the inception of this program. I am part of a generation of actresses who have been systematically underestimated, humiliated and relegated to the role of idiot by the film industry. When Women In Motion was created, Jane Campion was the only female director to win the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. There were also few opportunities for women directors and producers – France was one of the few countries where they were more respected. It was therefore necessary to open a debate. The creation of Women In Motion triggered hype, roundtables and profound transformations. Through its awards, talks and podcasts, Women In Motion recognizes the work of inspiring female artists, and it also provides financial support to talented young creators. The program has been expanded to include photography, design, choreography and music. I am very proud of that.
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You are a member of the Board of Directors of the Kering Foundation, which fights violence against women. What instruments are deployed?
One of the most powerful ways to combat this violence is the empowerment of women, which means getting them to have a better self-esteem as well as to develop their skills, with a commitment oriented towards social transformation. It's a simple equation: greater participation of women in the labour market has a significant effect on the economy. Moreover, when we help a woman, we help her children who are the future of society. In Europe, Asia and the Americas, the Kering Foundation supports NGOs and grassroots associations such as the Maison des Femmes, which is now deployed throughout France, and launches awareness-raising campaigns. Since the foundation's inception, more than 140,000 women have benefited from its support.
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"In my relationship, I feel free"
Two years after meeting you, François-Henri Pinault created the Kering Foundation. How did you raise awareness of women's issues?
It happened naturally. I've been committed to women's rights for a long time, but I'm not the kind of person who absolutely tries to convince because I find it terribly boring. I just share what I do. In 2006, I met François and, shortly after the beginning of our story, I told him that I was going to Latin America to help a women's association and then meet refugees. He chose to see that part of me and sometimes accompany me. This is how he found himself, for example, at a talk on violence against women with Eve Ensler, the author of The Vagina Monologues. He could have neglected what I cared about, but he is a very curious person and he started doing research on his own. We are different on many things, but our values are common. I chose to spend the rest of my life with François because I knew that he wanted, like me, to evolve. We move forward together. He made me discover a plethora of visual artists. But he never speaks to me like a teacher who would list a lot of names: everything goes through the organic, the sensitive, the emotion.
We are different on many things, but our values are common
Salma Hayek
Did you have to fight to get roles that matched your talent?
Absolutely. Among those of which I am very proud, I would mention the character of Frida and that of Beatriz at Dinner – a social satire, à la Buñuel, where I played a Mexican massage therapist in the grip of the turpitudes of a privileged and racist America. It's funny, because a lot of people think he's a very remote character from me, whereas he was custom knitted to me by screenwriter Mike White. Recently, Angelina Jolie, whom I deeply admire, offered me another wonderful role in Without Blood. It took me into territories that were unknown to me, triggering something powerful in me. I totally forgot myself to enter the character of this woman, who overcomes all kinds of obstacles and hostilities. She guided me step by step. We shot in wonderful places in Italy, from Puglia to the heights of Mount Etna.
Dress, ring and earring, the Alexander McQueen ensemble.
Nao Kawakami hairdresser for The Wall Group. Sofia Tilbury makeup with Charlotte Tilbury products. Manicure Kate Williamson (@ Caren) with O.P.I. Photos Rankin products / Director Carole Matray
In Magic Mike, Last Dance, your character says this line: "I want every woman who walks into this theater to feel that she can get what she wants when she wants." Tell us...
One day, I got a call from Steven Soderbergh, who asked me to read the script and play the lead role only a few weeks later. I went for it. My character is a brilliant fifties who decides to leave her husband and experience a type of relationship she has never experienced before. She meets Channing Tatum, a stripper with whom she feels perfectly safe in a field that is rarely safe for a woman: sex. The film centers on this strong yet vulnerable character who takes control of his life. I'm thrilled that Hollywood is producing films where women over 50 have the right to be beautiful and desirable. I am also convinced that the more a woman knows her body and goes beyond the taboos of sexuality, the more she helps all others to express themselves in their fullness.
I'm thrilled that Hollywood is producing movies where women over 50 have the right to be beautiful and desirable.
Salma Hayek
Do you have any plans for new productions?
I like to work on projects that often struggle to mount in Hollywood: Frida told the story of a Mexican artist who was married to the communist painter Diego Rivera and who had an affair with Trotsky. The series Ugly Betty was about a young girl with a physique that does not correspond to the usual canons and who works in a fashion magazine. I chose America Ferrera and I had to fight like crazy, because ABC wanted an actress with a bimbo physique. Now, I produce with my company films and series that continue to support South American projects and independent filmmakers. I am very proud of the series Santa Evita, around the legend of Eva Perón (best series at the last Argentine Condor Awards and distributed by Disney+, Editor's note).
Hooded top, Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello. Earrings and ring, Pomellato, personal wedding ring. Nao Kawakami hairdresser for The Wall Group. Sofia Tilbury makeup with Charlotte Tilbury products. Manicure Kate Williamson (@ Caren) with O.P.I. Photos Rankin products / Director Carole Matray
When Khalil Gibran addresses the theme of marriage, he speaks of two equal partners, two "pillars" of the same building... Do these words resonate with you?
They are wonderful. I waited a long time before getting married, I was even reluctant to the idea, because I can't stand feeling like I'm in a cage. In my relationship, I feel free. At no time did Francis make me feel that my work and my passions interfered with our marriage. The pillar of our relationship is respect. We are independent, we do not seek fusion, except for brief moments. Khalil Gibran writes: "God said 'love your enemy.' I obeyed him and loved myself." This means that you have to be able to be strong individually and, for this, work on yourself is necessary. The ability to share comes only after. That's what I want to teach my daughter. Much of our energy also goes to our children. We want them to contribute to a better world.
Much of our energy also goes to our children.
Salma Hayek
At the last Met Gala, dedicated to Karl Lagerfeld, you were resplendent. What is the secret of your beauty?
I love facial expressions too much to do Botox. Instead, I devote myself to a meditation practice, which I explore on my own, based on energy and music. I can do it for hours sometimes. My daughter, who is 15 years old, tells me that afterwards I look younger. Maybe I just look more relaxed, good in my body, which changes everything. I make radio frequencies, masks and I follow my grandmother's advice. She told me never to wash my face when I wake up because, during the night, our body produces substances that regenerate the skin. Beauty is not just a plastic, it is a state of mind. My age suits me well and I want to age with grace.
Magic Mike, Last Dance, by Steven Soderbergh. Released on June 14.