Salma Hayek Recalls Being 'Typecast For A Long Time' Before Adam Sandler Helped Her ‘Land A Role' In Comedy

Aug 15, 2023

Salma Hayek remains one of the most versatile actresses in Hollywood thanks to her ability to morph through action movie genres, softer roles, and rib-cracking comedy roles. However, she was not able to prove her acting prowess across different genres without putting up a fight in the early stages of her career. 

Hayek opened up about beating the odds against being typecast in the movie industry decades ago in a February 2023 interview with GQ. Over the years, the star, whose career has spanned over three decades, was a known actress when she joined Hollywood. 

However, her acting resume did not stop her from being set aside for one type of role- These were roles that exuded sex appeal. The Mexican-born actress had her Hollywood break in 1996 when she starred in "From Dusk Till Dawn" alongside stars like George Clooney, Harvey Keitel, and Quentin Tarantino. 

She had played Santanico Pandemonium, a vampiric character that lurked around a bar in a bikini and a snake adorning her generous curves. It was not a central character, but it did pave the way for Hayek. Nonetheless, it only opened the door to more siren-inspired roles. In retrospect, the “Magic Mike” actress dreamt of acting in the comedy genre. Born in Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, Hayek always knew that being in the front of the big screen was her calling. She dropped out of the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City as a young girl to pursue her acting dreams. 

In 1988, she bagged her first acting role in "Nuevo Amanecer," and the following year, "The Hitman's Bodyguard" star became the star of a telenovela, “Teresa.” 

This catapulted her to fame in her home country, but Hayek wanted to explore more genres. As a young adult, she moved to the United States to pursue her career. She moved to the country in 1991 and started learning the ropes. However, Hayek did not have it easy. The star faced racism and disappointing moments when she was told she would not move past the role of maids. She once revealed to NPR:

"I have had to fight, very, very hard for every little mediocre part I ever got."

It is safe to say that Hayek’s struggles did not end when she starred in “From Dusk Till Dawn.” After the movie, she played more roles in movies like “Wild Wild West,” “Traffic,” and “Dogma.” The star gained critical acclaim in her 2002 movie, “Frida,” for which she got an Oscar nomination. Although Hayek demystified her versatility in the political drama, she found it hard to break out of being known for only her sex appeal. The actress told the outlet:

“When I was nominated for an Oscar, the type of roles that people offered me did not change at all. I really struggled and I thought that was going to change, but no.”

Even while she was making ''Frida,” Hayek faced the same issue. She revealed to New York Times in 2017 that Miramax co-founder and convicted producer Harvey Weinstein told her,” The only thing I had going for me was my sex appeal.” She added that he threatened to shut down the movie because, according to him, no one would want to see her in that role. 

She would go on to fight the stereotype for over 20 years until 2010, when she worked with star actor and comedian Adam Sandler. The mom-of-one revealed to GQ: 

“I was typecast for a long time. My entire life I wanted to do comedy and people wouldn’t give me comedies. I couldn’t land a role until I met Adam Sandler, who put me in a comedy (2010’s 'Grown Ups'), but I was in my forties!"

Working with the comedy icon meant Hayek not only broke the sex appeal barrier but also ageism. The actress bemoaned the Hollywood situation in the 90s and stated, “They said, ‘You’re sexy, so you’re not allowed to have a sense of humour.’ Not only are you not allowed to be smart, but you were not allowed to be funny in the ’90s.”

Hayek played Roxanne Chase-Feder, the wife of Sandler’s Lenny Feder, in the American Comedy. Reflecting on all the years she fought to break out of stereotypes, the “Once Upon a Time In Mexico” actress relayed that she did not feel any animosity. 

She relayed that it was ‘‘sad at the time,” but the years rolled by, and she was glad to have beat the odds. She stated, “Here I am doing every genre, in a time in my life where they told me I would have expired – that the last 20 years I would have been out of business.” Hayek is an icon in the movie industry, acing several accolades and breaking boundaries to achieve that which seemed impossible for a long time.  

Isn’t it inspiring to see Salma Hayek excel in comedy even though she fought hard to get there? Do you remember your favorite Hayek and Adam Sandler scene from “Grown Ups''? Let us know, and be sure to pass this on to other Hayek fans.