Salma Hayek Pinault, 2 Eylül 1966 tarihinde Meksika'nın Coatzacoalcos kentinde dünyaya geldi. Çocukluğu during the political upheaval of the 1968 Tlatelolco massacre and the 1982 Mexico City earthquake was difficult, with her family struggling financially. Hayek'in annesi, bir opera şarkıcısı ve öğretmen olan Diana Jiménez was determined to give her daughter a good education, and Hayek attended a private Catholic school. Hayek, acting coaching from her mother's friend and telenovela star, Luis Reyes de la Maza, and she made her acting debut in the telenovela "Teresa" at the age of 23.
Hayek's breakthrough role came in 1994 with the film "Desperado," in which she starred alongside Antonio Banderas and Johnny Depp.