At the age of 23, Salma Hayek landed the title role in Teresa (1989), a successful Mexican telenovela that made her a star in Mexico. In 1994, Hayek starred in El Callejón de los Milagros (Miracle Alley), which has won more awards than any other movie in the history of Mexican cinema. For her performance Hayek was nominated to an Ariel Award.
Despite limited fluency in English, Hayek moved to Los Angeles, California in 1991 to study acting under Stella Adler, hoping for a career in Hollywood. Robert Rodriguez and his producer wife Elizabeth Avellan soon gave Hayek the break she needed, a starring role opposite Antonio Banderas in 1995's Desperado. The movie caught Hollywood's attention, as moviegoers proved to be as dazzled by Hayek as Rodriguez had been.