The iconic role Salma Hayek will always regret missing out on: “They never called me again”
Every actor has that one role that got away. It stands to reason—only one person can ultimately play any given part, while countless stars are approached and an even larger number audition. This numbers game means that even the biggest names miss out on roles that go on to define other actors’ careers. Salma Hayek, for instance, once revealed that she will always regret failing to land a lead role in a genre-defining late 1990s action movie—a part she admitted she lost out on due to her own laziness during the audition process.
When a mind-boggling science-fiction script began circulating in Hollywood in the ’90s, few executives or actors could make sense of it. One thing was clear, though: it was extremely cool and unique, and if the visionaries behind it could execute their lofty ideas on screen, it had the potential to be something special. That script was The Matrix, and those visionaries were the Wachowskis—and Salma Hayek wanted in on their reality-bending, martial arts-infused cyberpunk adventure.
In 2021, Hayek appeared on Jada Pinkett-Smith’s Red Table Talk to chat about how she and Smith were both in the running to play Trinity, the heroine portrayed so memorably in the movie by Carrie-Anne Moss. “We were one of the four finalists for The Matrix,” Hayek revealed. “We’d jumped through many hurdles, screen testing and many auditions.”
The problem for Hayek, who had shot to fame with Desperado and From Dusk Till Dawn, was the physical demands of playing Trinity. The Wachowskis needed someone athletic, capable of mastering complex fight choreography, and resilient enough to endure a gruelling production. To ensure their chosen actor could handle the role, they brought in stunt coordinators to put auditionees through an intense physical test lasting three hours. Unfortunately for Hayek, though, this exposed that she could barely run the length of herself.
“It was the physical test,” Hayek chuckled. “I’m flexible and agile, but I’m lazy. I never really went to the gym. They said, ‘You have to run!’ I go, ‘To where?’ I couldn’t even go around the room once.” She added, “They never called me again after that day.”
Hayek was quick to point out that Smith, on the other hand, was much better with the physical aspects of the audition than her. “Here comes Jada, a mean, lean, sexy machine,” she gushed. “Oh my God, she was so good. It was so embarrassing. She was so fit, she was so focused, she was so disciplined.” After watching Smith excel at the physical test, Hayek admitted, “I just looked at this woman, and I thought to myself, ‘That’s who I want to be when I grow up.'”
In fact, Hayek was so impressed by Smith’s dedication that she carried her example with her as she advanced in her career. Anytime she found herself in an audition for an action movie, she didn’t leave anything to chance, like she had done with The Matrix. Instead, she told herself, “No, I better start getting some stamina and practice the routines. You’ve got to be like Jada.'”
Ultimately, neither Hayek nor Smith were chosen to play Trinity. However, Smith proved her mettle to the Wachowskis, and when it came time to write the sequels, they crafted the character of Niobe specifically for her. Both actors were gracious in defeat, and even though Hayek has always regretted that she took her audition too lightly, she has never doubted that Moss was the right pick for the role.
