Salma Hayek Details ‘Desperado’ Love Scene Trauma: ‘I Started to Sob’

Salma Hayek recently went into detail about her emotional love scene in the 1995 film Desperado. The 54-year old actress recently appeared on the podcast Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard and Monica Padman and said when she first landed the role of Carolina, there was no mention of a love scene with El Mariachi, who was portrayed by Antonio Banderas. She wasn’t told about it until production began.

“So, when we were going to start shooting, I started to sob,” Hayek said, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. Hayek agreed to do the scene, but only her, Banderas, director Robert Rodriguez and his wife were allowed on a closed set. She then kept saying to the three other people, “I don’t know that I can do it. I’m afraid.”

“One of the things I was afraid of was Antonio — he was an absolute gentleman and so nice, and we’re still super close friends — but he was very free,” Hayek continued. “It scared me that for him, it was like nothing. I started crying, and he was like, ‘Oh my God. You’re making me feel terrible.’ And I was so embarrassed that I was crying.”

The love scene in the film is done in quick cuts. When talking about the scene Hayek said: “When you’re not you, then you can do it. But I keep thinking of my father and my brother. And are they going to see it? And are they going to get teased? Guys don’t have that. Your father will be, ‘Yeah! That’s my son!’” The one thing Hayek did mention was Banderas and Rodriguez “were amazing” and Rodriguez “never put any pressure on me.”

Desperado was a big hit and launched Hayek’s career. She went on to star in notable films such as From Dusk till Dawn, Fools Rush In, 54, Frida, Grown Ups, Grown Ups 2 and The Hitman’s Bodyguard. This year, Hayek is set to star in the new Marvel film Eternals as well as The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard. Earlier this month Hayek’s latest film Bliss was released on Prime Video. She stars with Owen Wilson and, and the movie has received mixed reviews from critics.

“The audience kind of can decide which movie to see,” Hayek said when talking about Bliss to Variety. “There’s two versions of it. It’s not an abstract film. There’s a beginning, middle and an end. It works both ways.”