Salma Hayek was born on September 2, 1966, and raised in Coatzacoalcos, Mexico. Her religious parents -- father of Lebanese descent, mother of Spanish descent -- wanted to ensure that their daughter would be well-educated, and sent her to a Louisiana boarding school when she was 12. Sent back home for being a prankster, Hayek finished high school and was sent to Houston to live with her aunt until the age of 17.

Once a college student in Mexico City, majoring in international relations studies, Hayek finally decided to drop out (to her parents' chagrin) to pursue her childhood dream of becoming an actress.

Hayek started out doing local theater, including a role as the female lead in Aladdin and His Marvelous Lamp. Theater work eventually led to commercials, which finally led to a part on a series called Un nuevo amanecer. Hayek was considered a star in Mexico for her role as Teresa in the popular soap opera of the same name. This was, however, not enough for the ambitious beauty who had set her sights on Hollywood.

Hayek moved to Los Angeles in 1991, a complete unknown in a city full of aspiring actors. Foreign to the English language, Hayek spent the next 18 months taking English lessons, while perfecting her acting skills with drama teacher Stella Adler.

Although Hayek spent four months auditioning for a lead role that finally went to another actress, the film's director, impressed by her determination, cast her in a smaller role in the same film (1993's Mi vida loca, a.k.a My Crazy Life) so that she could become a member of the Screen Actors Guild.