Salma Hayek: 'I was terrified I'd never have children'

2 June 2016

Salma Hayek was terrified that she would never have children.

Salma Hayek

The 49-year-old actress - who has daughter Valentina, eight, with husband Francois-Henri Pinault - plays a childless queen who is willing to do anything to conceive in new movie 'Tale of Tales' and Salma admitted she could identify with the character.

Speaking exclusively to BANG Showbiz at the UK premiere of the movie at the Curzon Mayfair in London on Wednesday (01.06.16), Salma said: "I was terrified of whether I could have a child or not and I didn't have mine until I was 41. I think this is a fear that crosses every woman's mind. Sometimes it's, 'Do I want a child?' Or, 'Can I afford a child in my life?' Or, 'Am I going to be able to have a child in my life?' And this is something that is inside of us always, even if you don't want to have a child.

"Even if you don't want to have a child, this relationship with maternity, is a very strong one in a woman's life. And I identify with the character, but I think everyone will in many ways. The other thing that is very interesting is her fear also of losing the child that at one point, you have to let go of the child, and with this, I also very much identify with that."

And although Valentina is only eight years old, Salma admitted she is constantly learning from her daughter.

She said: "She teaches me so much every day. I cannot sum up the magic of having a child and what they do to you every single day in one interview."

Meanwhile, although 'Tale of Tales' is loosely adapted from a 17th-century collection of fairy tales, Salma believes it will resonate with modern-day audiences.

She said: "This is a film from the point of view of women. And I think it was very beautiful because the three conflicts are about love, which I think is the most important thing about us. Mine is about a woman who is desperate to have a child. And of course inside we hope the child will love us forever. Then of course, the fear we have that we will not be loved anymore. And the third is, this thing of, am I going to find the love of my life that I can live with and love forever, and can love me back? And I think that these are things that woman can relate to and the way he (director Matteo Garrone) treats the stories, although it is a period piece, it's almost like a horror because he takes this fear and desperation and ultimately the horror of that. So it is very contemporary, the film feels very modern."