When I got the chance to audition to play Frida I was thrilled. The morning of my audition I was very nervous but at the same time confident. I got ready and headed out the door and when I got to the audition I saw that there were very few people auditioning. I looked around and saw the judges already whispering about the contestants like we were on a game show. I got my script out until they called me up, ¨Salma Hayek, please come to the stage.¨
I was petrified when I walked on stage and all the judges were sitting in front of me staring me down. I pulled myself together and said my lines just as rehearsed, ¨Nothing is absolute. Everything changes, everything moves, everything revolves, everything flies and goes away.¨ I put my heart and soul into the audition. I spoke with anger, sadness, happiness, and joy. As I was saying one of my lines I noticed the judges whispering but some of them were smirking while I spoke. When I looked at the judges and made eye contact I got chills running down my spine and I shook a little. I tried to focus but for some reason I noticed a lot about the judges. There was a lady and two men. The lady sat right in the middle like a queen on her throne. She seemed very bold and strong with her beautiful flowing hair brushing against her blouse and shoulder pads. The men next to her both wore casual suits and had short brown hair. I stuttered but somehow while looking at them and fixed it before the judges noticed.
When I finished I was proud of myself and thought I did pretty good. One of the judges came up to me and I suddenly got very nervous. Was he going to tell me I did a horrible job? Was my acting career never going to happen? Would I become another person whose dreams failed? Thankfully I got lucky and he told me I did a fantastic job and asked me a little about if I knew anything about Frida. I told him about when I was 14 and I first discovered her and I explained how I was always deeply interested in her art and her story. When he walked away he shrugged but not like an annoyed shrug more of a shrug of approval and it made me smile as I puffed up my chest like a proud mother. All the judges called everyone up to the stage and told us all that they would contact us soon.
After I got home I was awaiting my results and was very excited. After a couple of days I got a knock at my door and ran in excitement. I opened it to find the Director standing there with a huge smile on his face. He came in and we talked for a little while. It turned out not only did they want me to play Frida but I also got to help produce the movie! I was smiling with joy as I waved goodbye to the Director.
The second I was able to play Frida I felt like I was her while I was either dancing or recreating her art and poetry. I was able to take the anger, sadness, or joy that Frida would’ve felt in any moment or situation and expressed it in a way that felt so realistic. It was insane being able to relive Frida's struggles as a bi-sexual female artist in the 1930’s.
The day we were filming the scene where Frida found out about Diego cheating on her I was ready. I put on my angry face and changed all my emotions. The second they said action I portrayed as much as I could to represent the mix of emotions that Frida had at this moment. I put it into my mind that Alfred was Diego and I was Frida, and that he hurt me in a way I couldn't believe. When they said cut and the scene was over I shoved the emotions down. Playing a part with a new identity is troubling especially when you have to become someone new. When I stop playing the part, I have to take all emotions and remember who I am and bring myself back like taking off a hot sweaty costume after a long day of pretending to be someone I'm not.
It was great filming Frida and it was amazing the way we were able to work together and the way each of the actors portrayed the other roles. I will forever be proud of that movie and love the people I got to work with. I made some great relationships with the other people and am grateful for this movie, because without it I wouldn't be where I am today.