Salma Hayek doesn’t take her role in “Eternals” lightly.
The 55-year-old, who portrays Ajak, leader of the immortal aliens in the Marvel blockbuster, opened up about how emotional she got upon seeing her superhero costume for the first time.
"When I put it on, I burst into tears. Not like in telenovelas, but the tears came out and I said, 'What happened here?'" Hayek said during an appearance on the Spanish-language morning show “Despierta America,” according to Buzzfeed.
"The image of it did something to me and I said, 'Why?'"
The Mexican-born actress quickly realized she was overcome with feelings due to the message the role would send to impressionable young girls.
"I saw my brown face... I saw my brown face in a superhero suit and in seeing my face, I saw your face,” she added. “I saw my face as a little girl, who had to have a lot of courage to dream big. I saw the face of all the little girls.. and I realized that a door had opened where I didn't enter alone –– but inside that suit were all the Latinos who waited so long for this moment."
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“Eternals” is the latest film on Hayek’s long list of credits following her appearance alongside Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson in “Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard”
Earlier this summer, the Oscar-nominated star discussed her newfound love of showing off her adrenaline side in action films.
"I hit my 50s and suddenly it's all happening," said Hayek. "Like everything in my life, it makes no sense."
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Hayek referred to a full-choreographed fight scene filmed on a yacht as her most complicated in “Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard.”
"I was kicking some (butt), fighting with like four or five guys, taking them all on," she continued. "That was my best action. But that's OK, you cannot fit everything in a movie."
Fans can continue to see Hayek’s action skills in “Eternals,” which is in theaters now.
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