Salma Hayek is full of chilli-pepper charms. The 37-year-old daughter of a Lebanese father and a Mexican mother, fired up Antonio Banderas in Desperado, mesmerised George Clooney in From Dawn To Dusk, got hot and steamy with Matthew Perry in Fools Rush In and more recently, captivated Johnny Depp in Once Upon A Time In Mexico.
She has been likened to a Spanish Marilyn Monroe. Born and raised in Coatzacoalcis, Mexico, she was the Mexican soap queen, adored by millions in her own country because of her starring role in Teresa, Mexico's number-one soap. She was Oscar-nominated for her role in Frida, which she also co-produced.
Framework
She is tiny. "I act tall, but look how short I am. I'm 5ft 2in." She has been known to stand on a box in some movie scenes when up against taller male co-stars. She says she owes her bronze skin and sharply chiseled face framed by luxurious auburn hair to her grandmother, Maria Luisa Lopez.
"When I was little, she shaved my hair and clipped my eyebrows believing the ritual would ensure a more luxurious growth," she says. "She seems to have been right. That was just one of dozens of her natural beauty tips, along with recipes for facial masks and fruit rubs for the skin. So you see, my body has been looked after from my earliest days."
According to an annual survey conducted by the Beverly Hills Institute for Reconstructive Surgery, she has the most-desired jawline and chin.
Exercise
"I avoid the gym because you are practically eating other people's sweat. Ugh! Anyway, I don't think I need to exercise more than the normal things I do every day."
Diet
"I love Mexican food, of course, which is an ethnic mix of Indian, Spanish and Mexican. I am into lots of fruit, low calorie salads, and all kinds of peppers and vegetables. I've never done drugs, I rarely drink and I don't smoke - except cigars very occasionally."
Love Life
Has been linked - wrongly - with almost all of her co-stars, but among her past relationships were Richard Crenna Jnr, English actor Edward Atterton and, until a few months ago, actor Edward Norton.
They had been together since October 1999. She is currently seeing actor Josh Lucas.
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