Jennifer Lopez doesn’t think Salma Hayek can do any roles outside of the ‘bombshell’ stereotype.

Salma Hayek is one of the most talented actresses in Hollywood. She has one of the most distinctive ranges, playing some extremely versatile characters throughout her impressive and lengthy career. She has starred in many critically acclaimed projects like Frida, Desperado, House of Gucci, and Once Upon a Time in Mexico, becoming an extremely well-known and respected figure in the film industry.

Salma Hayek as Sonia Kincaid in The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard
Being as successful as she is, it is only natural that she has many questions about whether she deserves all that she has. It is surprising to find out, however, that Jennifer Lopez of all people has done this. In an older interview that has recently resurfaced, she raised a finger at many respected women in the film industry, among which, Hayek was also subjected to harsh criticism.

Jennifer Lopez Questioned Salma Hayek’s Capabilities As An Actress

Jennifer Lopez gave an interview with Movieline Magazine in 1998, via Newsweek, where she went into great detail about what she thought about specific women in the film industry. Salma Hayek was subject to the harshest criticism by the singer. She started by saying that she and the Oscar-nominated actresses were at very different levels. She mentioned that she herself prefers doing many different types of roles, whereas she thinks that Hayek can only do roles that can be described as a ‘bombshell’ character.

Matthew Perry and Salma Hayek in Fools Rush In (1997)
“We’re in two different realms.” Said Jennifer Lopez, “She’s a sexy bombshell and those are the kinds of roles she does. I do all kinds of different things. It makes me laugh when she says she got offered Selena, which was an outright lie.” She went on, “If that’s what she does to get herself publicity, then that’s her thing. Columbia offered me the choice of Fools Rush In or Anaconda, but I chose the fun B-movie because the Fools script wasn’t strong enough.”
A bombshell in Hollywood refers to actresses who can only play attractive roles and not anything worth substance. She also criticized the actress for saying that she had an opportunity to be a part of Selena, a movie that was a breakout role for Lopez. The singer stated that this was not true and that the actress was saying this to get attention.

Salma Hayek’s Name Wasn’t The Only One Jennifer Lopez Dragged Through The Mud

Salma Hayek wasn’t the only actress that Jennifer Lopez dragged through the mud in this interview, as she spoke ill of Cameron Diaz, Claire Danes, Winona Ryder, Gwyneth Paltrow, and even Madonna. She mentioned that, according to her, Diaz was simply a model who was given a lot of opportunities, and she was not doing enough with them.

Jennifer Lopez in The Mother
“A lucky model who’s been given a lot of opportunities I just wish she would have done more with,” Lopez talked about Diaz, then talked about Paltrow, “I swear to God, I don’t remember anything she was in. Some people get hot by association. I heard more about her and Brad Pitt than I ever heard about her work.” For Danes, she said that she is “A good actress. Her emotional and inner life are available to her, which is a good start. But I feel like I see a lot of the same thing with every character she does.”
She then talked about Paltrow, stating that she cannot remember anything that she had featured in, focusing more on her relationship with Brad Pitt. She also talked about Danes, stating that though she thinks that she’s a good actress, she finds it unfortunate that she plays the same character in all of her movies.

Hollywood star and singer Jennifer Lopez
“I was never a big fan of hers,” Lopez said, moving on to discussing Ryder’s career. “In Hollywood she’s revered, she gets nominated for Oscars, but I’ve never heard anyone in the public or among my friends say, ‘Oh, I love her.’” finally talking about Madonna, she said, “Do I think she’s a great performer? Yeah. Do I think she’s a great actress? No. Acting is what I do, so I’m harder on people when they say, ‘Oh, I can do that—I can act.’ I’m like, ‘Hey, don’t spit on my craft.’”
When talking about Winona Ryder, she acknowledged that she is a very critically acclaimed actress. Despite this, she did not give her credit for her works, stating that she cannot remember the last time anyone said that they liked her as an actress in real life. Finally, she spoke of her fellow musician, Madonna, stating that though she is a magnificent performer, she cannot say the same about her acting.