Salma Hayek - The Woman and Her Work Quiz

Answer: Desperado

In this film, an assassin posing as a musician (played by Antonio Banderas) seeks to kill a Mexican crime lord to avenge the death of his lover; Hayek plays the assassin's bookstore-owning love interest. Though much better funded than Rodriguez's earlier venture, "El Mariachi" (shot with a minuscule $7,000 budget, albeit with about $1 million in post-production work after it was purchased by Colombia Tristar), "Desperado" was still modestly budgeted for an action picture, costing a mere $7 million.

As a result, most of Rodriguez's crew assumed multiple duties. Rodriguez has remarked that his crew was particularly enthusiastic about volunteering for extra jobs on the day he shot the steamy love scene with Hayek and Antonio Banderas!

Answer: Four Rooms

This wild movie was actually a loosely-bound complilation of four short films, each by a different director, set on New Year's Eve at a posh hotel. In Hayek's segment, "The Misbehavers", Tim Roth is entrusted with the well-being of tough guy Antonio Banderas' children.

When Banderas returns, the room is on fire, there is a dead body in the bed, Roth is holding a hypodermic needle, Banderas' daughter is holding an empty liquor bottle, and Banderas' son is smoking and watching Hayek's torso gyrate on television. On seeing this, Banderas asks: "Did they misbehave?"

Answer: From Dusk Till Dawn

Rodriguez faced many challenges shooting Hayek's scenes in this movie, including the task of making her look tall and imposing - Hayek is only 5'2 - and editing around the many stumbles she took, most of which were due to the 30-lb. snake around her shoulders.

Answer: 54

Hayek really isn't given much to do in this movie, which may be one reason that is was a disappointment, both financially and critically. Mike Myers did receive some kudos for his performance as impressario Steve Rubell. Hayek would also be featured in the film version of the television show "Wild, Wild West", which was also a colossal failure. Thankfully, she would go on to be part of much more successful efforts.

Answer: Dogma

Several protesters, most of them Catholic like director Smith himself, objected to the film's trivialization of Church doctrine in this film about two fallen angels trying to subvert the will of G-d, and thus bring about the Apocalypse. At one highly-publicized demonstration at a New Jersey multiplex, Smith himself posed as a protester and gave an interview to a local television station. (As an aside, the inclusion of a pagan character like Hayek's muse might also raise the ire of a devout Catholic. Though it can be argued that, since much Catholic doctrine draws on pagan classics like the work of Aristotle, the inclusion of a muse among the divine servants is defensible.)

Answer: Traffic

Through her role in "Traffic" is one of the most inconsequential of her career, it is, curiously enough, the film which tops Hayek's credits in the DVD covers of many of her feature films.

Answer: In the Time of Butterflies

In this impressive effort, starring Edward James Olmos as Trujillo himself, Heyak plays Minerva Mirabal, a Dominican dissident who ran an anti-Trujillo newspaper. Mirabal and her sisters were collectively known as "Las Mariposas" (The Butterflies); they were killed under Trujillo's orders in 1960.

Answer: Frida

This film tells the story of Frida Kahlo, wife of famed Mexican muralist Diego Rivera and a great artist in her own right. Months after "Frida's" release, Hayek met Kahlo's niece, who had long been critical of Kahlo's treatment in popular media, at a party. To Hayek's surprise, Kahlo's niece praised the film, saying: "it had been a long time since I'd seen my aunt; thank you for letting me see her again."

Answer: Once Upon a Time in Mexico

As in "Desperado", Banderas' character is again seeking revenge, though this time it is for the death of Hayek's character. Initially, the Mexican military had agreed to supply much of the ordinance for this film. When they found out that it portrayed Mexican politics as inherently corrupt and largely manipulated by the CIA, they changed their minds.

Answer: After the Sunset

To promote this film, AMC Theaters and New Line Cinema printed a large quantity of popcorn bags with an ad for the movie and a special sweepstakes offer. Unfortunately, they misspelled the leading lady's name as "Hayak". Thankfully, this error was quickly caught and corrected.