Salma Hayek bailando con una serpiente en su hombro vistiendo un bikini en la película Del crepúsculo al amanecer, protagonizada por Quentin Tarantino, es una de las escenas más icónicas de Hollywood.

Hollywood actress Salma Hayek is influential in the film industry and among the first Latina stars to accomplish so much despite racism. She started her acting journey in Mexico and then slowly shifted to Hollywood. Salma’s journey was not easy, especially if one had to dance with a snake around her neck wearing a bikini. Quentin Tarantino starrer From Dusk Till Dawn was one of those movies that helped Hayek get a footing in the industry, but she once called the 1996 movie her biggest challenge.

For the unversed, the movie was directed by Robert Rodriguez and written by Tarantino. It featured George Clooney and Quentin in pivotal roles as they played a pair of criminal brothers who take a family hostage to cross into Mexico but get trapped in a saloon visited by vampires. It was a commercial success at the box office and became a cult classic over time. It has sequels, a video game, and other media adaptations.

Salma Hayek dancing with the snake on her shoulder wearing a bikini in the Quentin Tarantino starrer From Dusk till Dawn is one of Hollywood’s most iconic scenes ever. Another scene that is still discussed online is Tarantino drinking liquor from Salma’s foot in the same movie. Several years later, Salma opened up about her experience in the film and called it the biggest challenge.

In an interview with IGN, Salma Hayek said, “Do you know what it was like to dance with that snake in a bikini? That’s probably the biggest challenge I have ever encountered.” She added, “But to have to put on a bikini and dance with a snake that’s 11 feet long and make it organic? I went to the extent that I created a relationship with this snake.”

Salma Hayek explained how she prepared herself for her dance with the snake in From Dusk Till Dawn. The actress shared that she had to have a meaning about the dance sequence so that she could go into a trance-like state and be able to deliver the scene. It took months of preparation for that sequence. The Frida star mentioned that it was not just a dance but a ritual for her.

She added, “I investigated snakes, and I found that in some cultures, it means your inner power. So that was a dance with my inner powers. I was not just dancing; it had a meaning to it. So that was really, really challenging.”

On the professional front, Salma Hayek was last seen in Magic Mike’s Last Dance alongside Channing Tatum. She has Angelina Jolie-helmed Without Blood in the pipeline, which is expected to premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival in September.