Hollywood "Has Never Been Extremely Receptive to Mexican Actresses"

Salma Hayek, who graces the cover of GLAMOUR magazine's July issue, candidly discusses Hollywood's limited perception of Latina women.

The sultry actress, who stars in the upcoming summer flick "Wild Wild West," talks about her journey to Hollywood from Mexico, where she was one of the best known actresses in her native country. "It's very rare that Hollywood writes a female character who's incredibly smart and sexy and also foreign," she says. "Hollywood has never been extremely receptive to Mexican actresses."

At a young age, Hayek realized that she wanted to be an actress when she saw "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory." By age 21, she was playing the lead role in one of Mexico's extremely popular telenovelas (soap operas) and quickly became a household name there. At the height of her two-year TV career, Hayek headed to Hollywood thinking that she would be a movie star within four months. Four years later she found herself reduced to a glorified extra in sitcoms.

Hayek's career got a needed boost in 1995 when she was cast opposite Antonio Banderas in "Desperado." Now she has formed her own production company, and is developing several films, including one about the life of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, in which Hayek will star. Although Madonna once coveted that role, her project fell through and Hayek picked it up. "She (Madonna) probably hates my guts," says Hayek. "But I hope not, because I'm a big fan."

Engaged to be married four times, Hayek reveals how her strong, independent spirit has gone beyond her career. "I've had relationships where I've become dependent and then I'm miserable," she says. "I used to be into these passionate relationships, full of complexities. It was just so romantic. But then the smart, business side of me that sees things in a clearer way would say, 'What the hell are you doing? You fight with this man every other week!' I knew it wasn't going to work, but I'd fool myself into thinking that it would. Do I sound like Woody Allen?"