During the filming of 'Desperado,' directed by Robert Rodríguez in 1995, Hayek, still a newcomer at the time, was faced with shooting a s-x scene for which she felt unprepared in her career.
The purpose was to secure more financing for the film, the American sequel to Rodríguez's 'El Mariachi.'
Hayek admits that she broke down in tears before shooting the scene, overwhelmed by fear and uncertainty. She revealed this during an interview on the 'Armchair Expert program.
She particularly mentions Antonio Banderas, her co-star, who was an absolute gentleman and a close friend. However, Hayek was intimidated by his free-spiritedness and was deeply afraid. Banderas had never encountered anything like that before. Hayek's emotional distress affected him as well, and she felt embarrassed by her inability to stop crying.
Despite efforts from Banderas and Rodríguez to make her comfortable, Hayek remembers this scene as one of the most traumatic experiences of her career. Initially, she refused to remove the towel she was wearing, and even when she did, she couldn't hold back her tears. Nevertheless, they managed to finish the scene, doing their best under the circumstances.
The experience was challenging, especially considering Hayek's concern about her family's reaction to the scene. She was worried about her father and brother's thoughts upon seeing the movie. She expressed her criticism that men don't have to face such situations, whereas if a boy accomplishes something in a film, his father proudly acknowledges him. In the case of 'Desperado,' Hayek even forced her family to leave the theater during the scene.
Salma Hayek's recollection of this incident highlights the emotional toll and pressure actors can face during explicit scenes, emphasizing the need for empathy and understanding in such situations.
