Salma Hayek is an A-List actress/producer and has been an international superstar for over two and a half decades. She’s won many accolades for her roles in over 80 acting credits, including receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2021. The Mexican-Lebanese actress has broken through numerous stereotypes in Hollywood and starred in many memorable movies along the way. She has never limited herself to a specific genre. Hayek has been in dramas, comedies, biographies, action films, science fiction, voice acting, and more during her illustrious career.
Updated Aug 21, 2023: This list has been updated by Amira Abdel-Fadil with even more great Salma Hayek movies.
While her characters are broad and diverse, you will often see Hayek playing strong-willed, independent women. She is also known for her seductive, deep voice and has been chosen as one of the most beautiful people in the world in numerous polls for many years. Hayek's work also includes recurring television roles in the shows Ugly Betty and 30 Rock. She’s even a philanthropist and has donated to many charitable causes worldwide. However, what she is best known for is her movie career. She’s starred alongside dozens of elite actors and actresses in her time and yet has always stood out in whatever role she plays. Here are Salma Hayek's best movies.
15 The Hitman’s Bodyguard
Hayek plays Sonia Kincaid, wife of Darius Kincaid, one of the world's most infamous hitmen in The Hitman's Bodyguard. Darius and Michael Bryce (a successful private bodyguard who’s fallen on hard times thanks to Kincaid) are forced to work together to stop a mutual foe. This fun action-comedy film also stars Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson, and Gary Oldman. A sequel arrived in 2021.
14 Fools Rush In
In Fools Rush In, Hayek portrays Isabel Fuentes, a free-spirited Mexican-American photographer, who after a one-night stand with Alex Whitman (played by Friends star Matthew Perry) becomes pregnant with his baby. This romantic comedy goes into the differences between the character's cultures, careers, and personalities as the two figure out if they truly have a future with one another or are only together because of Isabel’s pregnancy.
13 Here Comes The Boom
In this 2012 comedy and action sports drama, Salma Hayek and Kevin James play opposite each other. When an indifferent teacher who is not fond of the education system hears that the high school he's teaching at will deprive its students of extracurricular activities, he finds a reason to step up in the most unusual way for his students. The ex-talented and strong wrestler hears that MMA fighters can make some good money. Inspired by the idea, he gets back on the ring in an attempt to help his students have the best school experience they can by attempting to raise money.
Here Comes The Boom is an endearing and entertaining story about a man going to great lengths for his students. Not only is he the school's hero, but he is also wooing the school nurse (aka Salma Hayek) in this hilarious plot.
12 Across the Universe
A wonderfully done movie tribute to the songs of The Beatles. The plot of Across the Universe and its characters are based around the lyrics of many of The Beatles' most famous songs. Hayek appears as the Bang Bang Shoot Shoot Nurses (all 5 five of them) and sings backup vocals to the song “Happiness Is a Warm Gun” in a cameo performance. The film stars Evan Rachel Wood, Jim Sturgess, and Joe Anderson and is a really precious musical.
11 Traffic
The critically and commercially praised Traffic is based on three different stories exploring the illegal-drug trade industry from the perspectives of numerous characters. Hayek plays Rosario, a glamorous mistress to the Juárez drug lord, in a cameo role. The movie had lofty goals by trying to be very realistic and detailed while giving time to its talented cast to tell a nuanced story without judging or preaching to the audience. Check out the ensemble cast: Don Cheadle, Benicio Del Toro, Michael Douglas, Erika Christensen, Luis Guzman, Dennis Quaid, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Topher Grace, James Brolin, and Benjamin Bratt.
10 Time Code
Starring Salma Hayek, Jeanne Tripplehorn, and Stellan Skarsgård, Time Code is a lesser know film that is shot through four different cameras and is displayed through a screen split into four. Each timeline has a story, but they're all interlaced. Upon repeated viewings, the story becomes clearer and more intact.
The stylistically daring film highlights the lives of four individuals which is touched by love, infidelity and ulterior motives. Rose, an aspiring actress, is trying to convince Alex, her filmmaker boyfriend, to get her a screen test. Meanwhile, she has a girlfriend, and Alex has a wife who both find out about their affair. How does each person react, and what will be their fate?
9 Bandidas
Salma Hayek and Penélope Cruz team up to form a Mexican bank-robbing duo in Bandidas, a Western action-comedy based in the 1890s. Salma portrays Sara Sandoval a wealthy and highly educated woman. When her father is killed, she goes after revenge, stealing land back for the poor Mexicans whose lands were taken from them by Baron Tyler Jackson (Dwight Yoakam). In Bandidas you'll tag along a fun adventure that brings together two badass and humorous Mexican women to unpack their personal tragedies.
8 Savages
In Savages, directed by Oliver Stone, Hayek is Elena "La Reina" Sánchez, a Mexican cartel leader that engages in trying to force a popular California-based cannabis company into a partnership with them. This action-drama escalates into a messy and violent battle between the two sides, who try to outsmart and one-up each other.
7 Once Upon a Time in Mexico
Once Upon a Time in Mexico is known as the follow-up film to Desperado and third and final film in Robert Rodriguez’s “Mexico” trilogy. Hayek reprises her role as Carolina, the wife to “El Mariachi,” played by Antonio Banderas. This film has an impressive group of recognizable names: Johnny Depp, Mickey Rourke, Eva Mendez, Danny Trejo, Enrique Iglesias, Cheech Marin, and Willem Dafoe round out an all-star cast. You know what's more fun, it's even more over the top than the first two movies in the franchise.
6 Eternals
Hayek joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Eternals. Hayek played Ajax, the leader of the team. In the comics, Ajax is traditionally a male, but director Chloe Zhao wisely gender-flipped, and casting Hayek is a stroke of genius. She carries with her an authority but also a sense of grace. She commands power that the audience believes her to be the leader of this team, but also a warm caretaking energy that makes her the mother figure of this family of heroes.
While it is disappointing Hayek's character is killed off early in the film, the scenes she does get display just how great of an actress she is and how so many action films have underutilized her. Hopefully, during this Multiverse Saga, they allow Hayek to return to the franchise in some capacity.
5 From Dusk till Dawn
From Dusk till Dawn is a movie that shifts genres halfway through. What begins as a grounded crime thriller about two hitmen who kidnap a family to make it to Mexico safely eventually shifts into an over-the-top horror action comedy when it is discovered that the bar they are hiding out at is run by vampires. The shift in the narratives comes thanks to Salma Hayek as Santanico Pandemonium, an exotic dancer who is the first to turn into a vampire.
Hayek's role is minor, but she is arguably the most memorable part of the movie. Her dance sequence is the show-stopping number of the film, one that captivates every audience member. Minimal dialogue is needed to make an impression, as Hayek practically steals the movie.
4 Beatriz At Dinner
In Beatriz At Dinner, Salma Hayek stars as a massage therapist and holistic healer who helps cancer patients. She also has wealthy clients. When a string of events takes place, and she finds herself invited to one of her client's dinners, uncomfortable narratives start to unfold. Beatriz is a Mexican immigrant with perceptions and opinions on the world that are very different from those around her at the dinner table, especially a billionaire called Doug.
She challenges him as they converse about politics, people, animals, and greed, highlighting class differences. The clash of culture, lifestyles, and outlooks makes for a compelling and dark narrative with a thought-provoking ending that's open to interpretation. Beatriz At Dinner is surely one of Hayek's most serious roles.
3 Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
Hayek reprised her role as Kitty Soft Paws in Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. While Hayek played the role in 2011's Puss in Boots, the sequel is a far superior film. A former partner and love interest of Puss in Boots, Kitty Softpaws is a capable fighter and an equal to the famous hero. Hayek allows this character to pop in an ensemble full of great voice roles and in a sequel that exceeded every expectation.
2 Desperado
In the role that put Salma Hayek on the map for most fans, Hayek plays Carolina, the no-nonsense bookstore owner who assists El Mariachi (Antonio Banderas) amidst his battle against Bucho and his gang. Desperado was a hit that not only launched Salma’s career outside of Mexico but catapulted Antonio Banderas to leading-man status.
1 Frida
A passion project of Hayek's about the acclaimed Mexican artist Frida Kahlo became one of her most famous roles. Frida also was her most awarded, too: nominated for 46 awards worldwide. Visually stunning and honestly portrayed, Salma Hayek clearly put her heart and soul into this role. She was even nominated for an Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Actress.