Salma Hayek does it all – she’s an actress, director and in her latest film, Septembers of Shiraz, she is the executive producer.
The 49-year-old Mexican-American beauty turned heads last night at the Toronto International Film Festival red carpet premiere with co-stars Adrien Brody and Shohreh Aghdashloo.
RELATED: Salma Hayek says Hollywood is moving “too slowly” on better female roles
In the drama she plays an Iranian woman living through the 1979 Iran Revolution, which was based on Dalia Sofer’s 2007 novel. She wanted to bring authenticity and justice to her character and says one of the challenges for her was nailing the accent.
“I was terrified I arrive and I had to do this accent and I got help from my peers on the set who were Iranian,” said Hayek while chatting with Cheryl Hickey in ET Canada’s Festival Central Lounge. She went on to explain how she had one Iranian friend on the phone she would call and gossip to for hours to listen to her accent.
Hayek’s co-star and Oscar nominee, Aghdashloo, experienced the revolution first hand. She enjoyed working with Hayek so much, saying, “I’m in love with her.”
The story is a real testament to the power of women who are “the unsung heroes,” she says, which is why Hayek wanted to be a part of a film – a story for the world to remember.
“Women in times of chaos are the ones who not only have to keep the family together but keep the humanity alive,” Hayek adds.
The actress will next co-host the Global Citizen Festival happening September 26 in Manhattan’s Central Park, which boasts performances from Beyoncé, Pearl Jam, Ed Sheeran and Coldplay.
Comments