In 1991, Hayek moved to Los Angeles, California, to study acting. Her teacher was the renowned acting coach Stella Adler. At the time, Hayek struggled with dyslexia, as well as limited English fluency. Her hard work paid off, and in 1995 Robert Rodriguez cast her as the lead in the film “Desperado”, opposite Antonio Banderas.
Her career in the United States began to pick up momentum, and she landed a small role in “From Dusk till Dawn” (1996) as a vampire queen. Although her role was brief, her performance was highly memorable thanks to an erotic table-top snake dance that she performed. Then, she starred opposite Matthew Perry in the romantic comedy “Fools Rush In” (1997), and co-starred with Will Smith in the film “Wild Wild West” (1999).
Other films Hayek has starred in include “In the Time of the Butterflies” (2001), “Once Upon a Time in Mexico” (2003), “Grown Ups” (2010), and “Grown Ups 2” (2013). She voiced the character Kitty Softpaws in the animated film “Puss in Boots” (2011), opposite Antonio Banderas, and its sequel, “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” (2022). She also lent her voice to “Sausage Party” (2016), and more recently has appeared in the films “How to Be a Latin Lover” (2017), “The Hitman’s Bodyguard” (2017), Marvel’s “Eternals” (2021), and “House of Gucci” (2021).