Who is Salma Valgarma Hayek Jiménez?

Who is Salma Valgarma Hayek Jiménez? The world knows her as Salma Hayek, she is a Mexican and American actress, director, television and film producer. Hayek has appeared in more than 30 films and performed as an actress outside of Hollywood in Mexico and Spain. Hayek's charitable work includes increasing awareness on violence against women and discrimination against immigrants.[1]
Hayek is the first Mexican national to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress. She is one of the most prominent Mexican figures in Hollywood since the legendary Dolores del Rio. She is also, after Fernanda Montenegro, the second of three Latin American actresses to achieve a Best Actress Oscar nomination.
In July 2007, The Hollywood Reporter ranked Hayek fourth in their inaugural Latino Power 50, a list of the most powerful members of the Hollywood Latino community.[2] That same month, a poll found Hayek to be the "sexiest celebrity" out of a field of 3,000 celebrities (male and female); according to the poll, "65 percent of the U.S. population would use the term 'sexy' to describe her".[3] In December 2008, Entertainment Weekly ranked Hayek number 17 in their list of the "25 Smartest People in TV."[4]

Hayek was born September 2, 1966 in Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, Mexico, the daughter of Diana Jiménez, an opera singer and talent scout, and Sami Hayek, an oil company executive.[5][6][7] Hayek's father is of Lebanese descent while her mother is of Mexican descent[8]. Her first given name, Salma, is Arabic for "peaceful" or "calm". Raised in a wealthy, devoutly Catholic family, she was sent to the Academy of the Sacred Heart, Grand Coteau, Louisiana, at the age of twelve.[7] While there, she was diagnosed with dyslexia.[9] She was also an accomplished gymnast aspiring to compete in the Olympics, but her father prevented her from being recruited by the Mexican national team.[10] The religious sisters running the Academy ejected Hayek, citing behavioral problems, so she returned to Mexico. She was later sent to live with her aunt in Houston, Texas where she stayed until she was 17 years old. She attended college in Mexico City, where she studied International Relations at the Universidad Iberoamericana. To the surprise of her family, she dropped out to pursue a career as an actress.[7]

[At the age of 23, Hayek landed the title role in Teresa (1989), a successful Mexican telenovela that made her a star in Mexico. In 1994, Hayek starred in the film El Callejón de los Milagros (Miracle Alley), which has won more awards than any other movie in the history of Mexican cinema. For her performance, Hayek was nominated for an Ariel Award.[11]

Hayek moved to Los Angeles, California in 1991 to study acting under Stella Adler,[12] hoping for a career in Hollywood, despite limited fluency in English, attributed to her suffering from dyslexia.[13] Robert Rodriguez and his producer wife Elizabeth Avellan soon gave Hayek the break she needed, a starring role opposite Antonio Banderas in 1995's Desperado.[7] The movie caught Hollywood's attention, as moviegoers proved to be dazzled by Hayek as Rodriguez had been. Due to Hayek's loyalty to the director, she would later decline playing the role Catherine Zeta-Jones eventually took in The Mask of Zorro after Rodriguez abandoned the project. She has also appeared in the Spy Kids trilogy. Hayek had a starring part opposite Matthew Perry in the romantic comedy Fools Rush In. She followed her success in Desperado with a brief but memorable role as a vampire queen in From Dusk Till Dawn, where she provocatively danced on a table. In 1999, she co-starred in Will Smith's big-budget Wild Wild West, and played a supporting role in Kevin Smith's Dogma.[7] In 2000, Hayek had an uncredited acting part opposite Benicio del Toro in Traffic. In 2003, she reprised her role from Desperado by appearing in Once Upon a Time in Mexico, the final film of the Mariachi Trilogy.

Frida, co-produced by Hayek, was released in 2002. Starring Hayek as Frida Kahlo, and Alfred Molina as her unfaithful husband, Diego Rivera, the film was directed by Julie Taymor and featured an entourage of stars in supporting and minor roles (Valeria Golino, Ashley Judd, Edward Norton, Geoffrey Rush) and cameos (Antonio Banderas). She earned a Best Actress Academy Award nomination for her performance.[7] This made Hayek, along with Katy Jurado and Adriana Barraza, one of only three Mexican actresses to have been nominated for an Academy Award. The film earned two Oscars.

Time of the Butterflies is a 2001 feature film based on the Julia Álvarez book of the same name, covering the lives of the Mirabal sisters.
In the movie, Salma Hayek plays one of the sisters, Minerva, and Edward James Olmos plays the Dominican dictator Rafael Leónidas Trujillo whom the sisters opposed. Marc Anthony plays a brief role as Minerva's first love, and as the motivation for her later revolutionary activities.

In 2003, Hayek produced and directed the The Maldonado Miracle, a Showtime movie which won her a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing in a Children/Youth/Family Special.[15] In December 2005, she directed a music video for Prince, titled "Te Amo Corazon" ("I love you, sweetheart") that featured her good friend Mia Maestro.[16]

Hayek is an executive producer of Ugly Betty, a television series airing around the world since September 2006. Hayek adapted the series for American television with Ben Silverman, who acquired the rights and scripts from the Colombian telenovela Yo Soy Betty La Fea in 2001. Originally intended as a half hour sitcom for NBC in 2004, the project would later be picked up by ABC for the 2006–2007 season with Silvio Horta also producing.

Hayek guest-starred on Ugly Betty as Sofia Reyes, a magazine editor. She also had a cameo playing an actress in the telenovela within the show. The show quickly became a ratings hit and won a Golden Globe Award for Best Comedy Series in 2007. Hayek's performance as Sofia resulted in a nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series at the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards.[17]

In April 2007, Hayek finalized negotiations with MGM to become the CEO of her own Latin themed film production company, Ventanazul.[18] The following month she signed a two year deal with ABC to develop projects for the network through her production company, Ventanarosa.[19]
Hayek is developing and producing La Banda, a Spanish-language romantic comedy set in Mexico, written by Issa Lopez.


Hayek has been credited as a song performer in three movies. The first was Desperado for the song Quedate Aquí. In Frida she performed with band Los Vega the Mexican folk song La Bruja. She also recorded Siente mi amor, which played during the end credits of Once Upon a Time in Mexico. She also contributed to Happiness is a Warm Gun in "Across the Universe" as the singing nurses.

Hayek has been a spokesperson for Avon cosmetics since February 2004.[20] She formerly served in the same function for Revlon in 1998. In 2001, she modeled for Chopard[21] and was featured in 2006 Campari adverts as photographed by Mario Testino.[22] On April 3, she helped introduce La Doña, a watch by Cartier inspired by fellow Mexican actress María Félix.[23]
Hayek was also featured in a series of Spanish language commercials for Lincoln cars. Consequently, sales of the Lincoln Navigator among Hispanics increased by twelve percentage points.[24]


In spring 2006, The Blue Star Contemporary Art Center in San Antonio, Texas displayed 16 portrait paintings by muralist George Yepes and filmmaker Rodriguez of Hayek as Aztec goddess Itzapapalotl.[25]

Hayek is a naturalized U.S. citizen.[26] She dated actor Edward Norton between 1999 and 2003, and then Josh Lucas in 2003. She has friends in Los Angeles and Mexico and is best friends with Spanish actress Penélope Cruz. The two co-starred in the 2006 film Bandidas. Hayek studied at Ramtha's School of Enlightenment.[27] Her brother, Sami Hayek,[28] is a designer with his own line of products at Target[29] and clients that include Louis Vuitton, Brad Pitt, and the Mexican Government.[30]

Hayek often uses method acting to play characters. While she was cast as Frida Kahlo, Hayek had to smoke for the role using real cigarettes. As a result in her own admission she became a smoker and is currently trying to kick the habit.

On March 9, 2007, Hayek confirmed she was expecting her first child with PPR CEO François-Henri Pinault. On September 21, 2007, she gave birth to daughter Valentina Paloma Pinault at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California.
On July 18, 2008, Hayek and Pinault announced the end of their engagement.[31]


On July 19, 2005, Hayek testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary supporting reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act.[32] In February 2006, she donated $25,000 to a Coatzacoalcos, Mexico, shelter for battered women and another $50,000 to Monterrey based anti-domestic violence groups.[33]
Since the birth of her daughter, Hayek has worked to help mothers in developing nations worldwide, teaming up with Pampers and UNICEF to help stop the spread of life-threatening maternal and neonatal tetanus. She is a global spokesperson for the Pampers/UNICEF partnership 1 Pack = 1 Vaccine to help raise awareness of the program.[34]

Her Honors
Recipient of Glamour magazine Woman of the Year Award in October 2001.[35]
Recipient of Producers Guild of America Celebration of Diversity Award in 2003.[36]
Recipient of Harvard Foundation Artist of the Year Award in February 2006.[37]
Recipient of Time Magazine 25 Most Influential Hispanics in 2005.[38]

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Who is Christopher Maurice Brown?

Who isChristopher Maurice Brown? [2] The world knows him as Chris Brown, he is a Grammy-nominated American singer-songwriter, dancer, music video director and actor. He made his recording debut in late 2005 with Chris Brown at the age of 16. The album featured the hit single "Run It!", which topped the Billboard Hot 100, making Brown the first male artist to have his debut single to top the chart.[3] The album has sold over two million copies in the United States and was certified double Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[4]
Brown's second studio album, Exclusive was released worldwide in November 2007. It spawned two successful singles; his second U.S. number one hit, "Kiss Kiss" featuring T-Pain and "With You", which peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100.[5][6] Brown has released a deluxe version of his album called the The Forever Edition. The first single off of it, "Forever", was released in May 2008 and reached number two on Billboard Hot 100.[7] Exclusive has been certified Platinum by the RIAA.[4]
In addition to his solo commercial success, Brown has been featured on several hits such as "No Air", a duet with singer Jordin Sparks, "Shortie like Mine" with the rapper Bow Wow and "Shawty Get Loose" alongside Lil Mama and T-Pain. The songs have peaked on number three, number nine and number ten on the Billboard Hot 100 respectively.[8][9][10] Due to his dance routines, Brown has been compared to renowned R&B artists such as Usher and Michael Jackson, citing both as large influences on his music.[11]

Brown was born May 5, 1989 and raised in the small town of Tappahannock, Virginia, the son of Joyce Hawkins and Clinton Brown.[12][13] He began dancing at the age of two and began singing in his church choir.[14][15] He was influenced by the soul albums his parents owned. Originally interested in becoming a rapper, he chose to become a vocalist when his mother noticed his singing voice.[13]
From the ages seven to thirteen, Brown was scarred by the domestic violence his mother endured from her boyfriend.[16] He claims to "hate him to this day".[17]
At the age of thirteen, Brown and his mother began looking for opportunities of a record deal.[13] He was discovered by a local production team who visited his father's gas station searching for new talent.[14]

In 2004, Tina Davis, senior A&R executive at Def Jam Recordings at the time, was on the verge of signing Brown, but lost her job. The following day, she became his manager and landed him with a contract with Jive Records a week later.[15] By early 2005, Brown began work for his debut album, working with the likes of Scott Storch, The Underdogs, Dre & Vidal, Bryan-Michael Cox, Bow Wow, and Jermaine Dupri.


Brown left school in late 2004 to begin working on his self-titled debut album which was released in November 2005. The album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 selling over 155,000 copies in first week of sales.[18] It sold over 2.1 million copies in the United States and over three million copies worldwide.[19] His debut single, "Run It!", was number one in the United States, New Zealand, and Australia. Following "Run It!", "Yo (Excuse Me Miss)" became Brown's second top 10 hit in the U.S.,[20] peaking at number seven, and number 13 in the UK.[21] It has been certified platinum by the RIAA.

His third single, "Gimme That", was released in March 2006 which featured Lil Wayne for a remix, originally not featured on the album, but was later included. The single debuted on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 at number 80 and climbed the charts quickly peaking at number 15. Brown also co-directed his music videos for "Yo (Excuse Me Miss)" and "Gimme That".[22] His fourth single is the ballad "Say Goodbye", which is also a part of the Step Up soundtrack. On June 13, 2006, Brown released a DVD entitled, Chris Brown's Journey, which shows footage of him traveling in England and Japan, getting ready for his first visit to the Grammy Awards, behind the scenes of his music videos and bloopers.

On August 17, 2006 to further promote the album, Brown began his major co-headlining tour, The Up Close and Personal Tour. Due to the tour, production for his next album was pushed back two months. Brown was also the opening act for R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles on the Australian leg of her The Beyoncé Experience tour.


Shortly after ending his summer tour with Ne-Yo, Brown quickly began production for his second studio album, Exclusive, which was released in November 2007. The album debuted at number four on the Billboard 200, selling 294,000 copies in its first week.[23] It has sold 1.9 million copies in the United States.[24]


According to MTV News, Brown stated: "I am still going to keep it so my younger fans can continue to listen to my music, but I got a couple of joints on there that's for some of the older people." The album's first single, "Wall to Wall", debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 96, and peaked at number 79 and number 22 on the Billboard R&B and Hip-Hop Chart becoming his lowest charting song to date. "Kiss Kiss", featuring and produced by T-Pain, was released as the second single. "Kiss Kiss", became more successful surpassing the success of "Wall To Wall", reaching number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 to become Chris' second number one single and his highest chart peak since "Run It!" in 2005. On December 4, 2007, Brown released the third single from "Exclusive", entitled "With You", a song produced by Stargate. "With You" reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and had entered the charts in various countries around the world, becoming one of Brown's most successful released to date, entering the top ten in New Zealand, Singapore, Canada, the United States, Cyprus, Ireland, France, the United Kingdom, Malaysia, and Australia. In support of the album, Brown embarked on his The Exclusive Holiday concert tour, visiting over thirty venues in United States. He started the tour in Cincinnati, Ohio, on December 6, 2007 and concluded it on February 9, 2008 in Honolulu, Hawaii. The documented footage was released on June 3, 2008 as the double disc of Exclusive: The Forever Edition. He performed "With You" at the BET Awards '08 in June 2008. He was then joined by Ciara to dance with him to a snippet of the song "Take You Down".

Brown, alongside The Game, is featured on Nas' untitled album on "Make the World Go Round", co-produced by the The Game and Cool & Dre.[25] He is also featured alongside Sean Garrett for Ludacris' single "What Them Girls Like" off Ludacris's album Theater of the Mind. He was also featured on T-Pain's third single "Freeze" off T-Pain's new album Thr33 Ringz. Brown was named the top artist of 2008 by Billboard magazine.[26][27]


Brown has made appearances on UPN's One on One and The N's Brandon T. Jackson Show on its pilot episode.[28][29] In addition, Brown landed a small role as a band geek in the fourth season of Fox's The O.C. in January 2007.[30] Brown then made his film debut in Stomp the Yard, alongside Ne-Yo, Meagan Good and Columbus Short in January 2007.[31] Brown next appeared in This Christmas, a family drama starring Regina King, released on November 21, 2007.[32] On July 9, 2007, Brown was featured in an episode of MTV's My Super Sweet 16 (for the event, it was retitled: Chris Brown: My Super 18) celebrating his eighteenth birthday in New York City.[33] Brown also guest-starred on Disney's The Suite Life of Zack & Cody as himself.[34] Brown is expected to star in the basketball drama film Phenom.[35]

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital received $50,000 in ticket proceeds from Brown's 2006 "Up Close & Personal" tour. In 2008, Brown lent his efforts to promote the Math-A-Thon benefiting that hospital by starring as the host in a film to promote it.[36]


Brown turned himself in at the Los Angeles Police Department's Wilshire station around 6:30 p.m on February 8, 2009 and was booked on suspicion of making criminal threats,[37] while under investigation for domestic violence charges, following an argument with singer Rihanna in Hancock Park, Los Angeles, California. Official reports did not name the female in the incident but stated that she had “suffered visible injuries.”[38] He was set to perform at the 2009 Grammy Awards, but was removed and replaced by Justin Timberlake and Al Green.[39] The Los Angeles Times reported that he is being represented by defense attorney Mark Geragos.[40] Continued fallout of his arrest was evidenced in Brown pulling out of his scheduled appearance at the 2009 NBA All-Star Game. The 19-year-old had been tapped to introduce the players with Shaquille O'Neal before tip-off at Phoenix's US Airways Center. [41] more