Even after more than two decades since the release of the film "Desperado," renowned actress and producer Salma Hayek still recoils at the memory of the intimate scene from the 1995 blockbuster.
In this cinematic tale, she embodies Carolina, a young woman managing a bookstore cafe in a town where reading is a rarity. Her co-star, Antonio Banderas, takes on the role of El Mariachi, a vengeance-driven musician concealing firearms in his guitar case.
During an insightful conversation with Dax Shepard and Monica Padman on the "Armchair Expert" podcast, Hayek recounted that the controversial sex scene was not initially part of the script. "It was demanded by the studio when they saw the chemistry," she revealed in the podcast episode released on Monday, "and I had a really hard time with it."
Her decision to venture northward for a Hollywood career had already made her the subject of ridicule in her native country's media. While Hayek, the lead in the soap opera "Teresa," was a star in Mexico, in the U.S., she was merely an extra.
When Robert Rodriguez, the writer-producer-director of "Desperado," approached her, she was elated. "I was so excited to get a job," Hayek reminisced. "I remember this is a time when it was almost seen as illegal to hire a Mexican in a leading role."
Despite her nerves about the sex scene, Rodriguez and his then-wife, Elizabeth Avellán, who co-produced the film, ensured privacy on set. The filming, marked by intermittent breaks due to Hayek's tears, involved only Hayek, Banderas, and the two producers.
Banderas, according to Hayek, was "super nice and an absolute gentleman." Avellán became her best friend, and Rodriguez provided guidance throughout the challenging scene.
Yet, Hayek couldn't shake off the concern for her father and brother. "Are they going to see it? Are they going to get teased?" she wondered aloud. During the film screening, she escorted them out of the theater specifically for the duration of the scene.
"It's not that my father is a tyrant," she clarified, "but you want him to be nothing but proud of you."
When questioned by Shepard about enjoying the scene during screenings, Hayek responded with a straightforward "No."
Hayek went on to earn an Academy Award nomination for her role in "Frida" (2002), a film she also produced.
In a 2017 op-ed for the New York Times, the actress disclosed that Harvey Weinstein, a former film producer and convicted sex offender, attempted to halt "Frida" unless she agreed to include a full-frontal nude scene. Weinstein disputed her claims, stating, "All of the sexual allegations as portrayed by Salma are not accurate."
Discussing the role of sex appeal in her career, Hayek shared with the podcast hosts, "At the beginning of my career, I had to embrace it as a tool, in a protective way."
"I can be myself now," she added, "but at the beginning, you're disappointed that that's all they can see."
Most recently, Hayek graces the screen alongside Owen Wilson in the sci-fi drama "Bliss."
