Ruven Afanador/RedbookA-lister Salma Hayek certainly appears to have it all. The Mexican-born beauty has a booming acting career, a billionaire husband, and an adorable daughter named Valentina. But she didn't always picture herself living the life she has now, she tells Redbook.
"There were many times when I had to emotionally come to terms with the fact that maybe I wasn't ever going to get married. And I started getting comfortable with that," says Hayek, who married French businessman François-Henri Pinault in 2009 at age 43, two years after giving birth to Valentina.
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As for having children, that was going to happen one way or another. "I always wanted one. I was thinking about different options for having one if I didn't find the right man," she reveals in the magazine's November issue.
Ruven Afanador/Redbook
The actress became successful in her native Mexico as a soap star in her 20s, but it took a bit longer for her to make a name for herself here in the States. These days, with roles in feature films like "Grown Ups" and the upcoming "Puss in Boots," an executive producer credit for the campy TV show "Ugly Betty," which ran for four seasons under her belt, and three more movie roles coming up, Hayek's career is in full swing at age 45, and she wouldn't have it any other way.
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"There is nothing better in life than being a late bloomer. I believe that success can happen at any time and at any age. You can put your body in shape like it's never been before. You can have a spiritual awakening and discover a new side of yourself. And best of all, love can happen at any age," Hayek gushes. "Life can just start to get exciting when you're in your 40s and 50s. You have to believe that."
Despite the fact the star's face is constantly on the big screen, in high-definition, or being snapped by paparazzi, Hayek insists she's not tempted to fight the aging process using artificial means.
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"I don't want to do Botox and the fillers, at least not yet. I'm not as afraid of the wrinkles as the face falling apart and losing its tone." Her remedy? Simply working out her facial muscles. "If you're paralyzing your face in your 20s and 30s, you're not exercising the muscles that give it strength," says Hayek. "My feeling is, laugh, cry, move your face. Go ahead. Try it!"
The November issue of Redbook is on newsstands now.
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