7 little-known facts about Marvel’s Eternals star Salma Hayek: she got tapped as an Olympic gymnast and her first role was a Disney princess in a play

Oct 2 , 2021

Did you know these seven facts about Marvel’s Eternals star, Salma Hayek? Photo: @salmahayek/Instagram

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Salma Hayek is a household name worldwide, and is in the spotlight again for her role as Ajak in Marvel’s Eternals. But here are some facts that even fans might not know about her …

She wanted to be a gymnast

Becoming a gymnast was Hayek’s childhood dream.

“I fell in love with the sport, but there were no classes, nobody else was doing it, and I was teaching myself,” Hayek said during a 2017 appearance on Live With Kelly and Ryan.

Salma Hayek wanted to be a gymnast when she was a child. Photo: @salmahayek/Instagram

The actress said that at nine years old, she “begged” her dad to take her to a gym in Mexico City for the summer.

“I was there two months and I was so focused and so good,” she said. “At that age, I got drafted for the Olympic team. However, that would mean that I would have to be in a boarding school, six hours a day of gymnastics … And I would have to be away from my family because it’s in Mexico City, and my father said no.”

“My Olympic dream died there,” Hayek added.

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