Mexico's cultural contributions to the world aren't limited to spicy food and picturesquely crumbling ancient cities. Here's our short list of top Mexican celebrities.
Salma Hayek
Arguably the best-known, not to mention most lusted-after, person on this list, Hayek was born September 2, 1966, in the oil boomtown of Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz. Daughter of an affluent Lebanese-Mexican businessman and a Mexican opera singer, she first captured American audiences' attention in "Desperado" with Antonio Banderas in 1995. Her most famous film, "Frida" in 2002, earned her an Academy Award nomination — the first for a Mexican actress since Dolores del Río. She also was executive producer of the ABC TV series "Ugly Betty."
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Carlos Santana
The guitar virtuoso, who brought his unique Afro-Latin-blues-rock fusion to San Francisco in 1961, was born on July 20, 1947, in Autlan, Jalisco. Extracurricular pursuits have included launching a women's shoe collection and fragrances for both men and women, and establishing the Milagro Foundation to support arts, education and health for disadvantaged children. He's currently producing a musical retrospective for the new Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas and will begin a European tour at the end of September.
Gael Garcia Bernal
Gael Garcia Bernal, the winsome actor who won over U.S. audiences as a teenager in "Y tu Mama Tambien" and later as the young Che Guevara in "The Motorcycle Diaries," was born Nov. 30, 1978 in Guadalajara. He began acting as a child in stage productions with his parents. His first major film was 2000's "Amores Perros," directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu. Though many of his films are foreign productions, he'll next be seen here in "Earthbound," with Kate Hudson and Kathy Bates, due out at the end of this month. He's now filming a thriller, "The Loneliest Planet," in the Republic of Georgia.
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Diego Luna
Bernal's close friend and sometimes co-star was born in Mexico City on December 29, 1979. His parents worked in the film industry, and he began acting in Mexican telenovelas as a child. His breakout 2001 role in "Y tu Mama Tambien" brought him roles in "Frida," John Carpenter's "Vampires: Los Muertos" with Bon Jovi, "The Terminal" with Tom Hanks and "Milk." "Rudo y Cursi" is his most recent film; next up are "In the Playground," a horror movie, and "Horse," an action thriller.
Alejandro González Iñárritu
The first Mexican ever to receive an Oscar nomination for Best Director, for "Babel," was born Aug. 15, 1963 in Mexico City. He started out as a radio DJ while studying film and theater. He composed music for six Mexican features and, in the 1990s, became one of the youngest producers in Mexican TV. He made TV ads before shooting "Amores Perros," which became a big hit at Cannes in 2000. He worked with the same writer on "21 Grams" with Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro and Naomi Watts. His ensemble drama "Babel" won the Golden Globe for best drama and snagged seven Oscar nominations, winning for Best Original Score. His latest film, "Biutiful" with Javier Bardem, opened at Cannes this year and is scheduled for an Oct. 20 release in France.
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Jimena Navarrete
Jimena Navarrete, who captured the Miss Universe crown in Las Vegas at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino last month, was born Feb. 22, 1988 in Guadalajara. She is the second Mexican beauty queen to win the title, following Lupita Jones in 1991. Before she joined the pageant circuit, Navarrete modeled and studied nutrition at a private Catholic university in Zapopan, Jalisco. After a whirlwind of traveling and meeting celebrities at such events as the U.S. Open, she is preparing to make her first official trip, to Spain, as Miss Universe.
Thalía
Ariadna Thalia Sodi Miranda, mercifully known simply as Thalía, was born Aug. 26, 1971, in Mexico City. She began singing at age 9, but it was acting in soap operas that brought her phenomenal world fame. She fronted the successful Mexican band Timbiriche for three years before releasing her first solo album in 1990. "I Want You," from her first English album in 2003, reached the American Top 10, and she has continued to sell well here. She has designed clothing and eyewear for Kmart since 2003. A U.S. citizen since 2006, she now has homes in New York, Miami, Aspen and Mexico. She has an ABC Radio show, "Conexion Thalia," and has published two beauty and fitness books.
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Eduardo Verastegui
The impossibly beautiful model, singer and actor was born on May 21, 1974 in Mante, Tamaulipas. After modeling for Calvin Klein, garnering fame as a pop singer and acting in Mexican telenovelas, he moved to Miami in 2001 and recorded his first solo album. The same year, he appeared in Jennifer Lopez' music video "Ain't It Funny" and landed the lead in the comedy "Chasing Papi" in 2003. He founded his own production company to make films consistent with his rediscovered Catholicism. Its first film, "Bella," won the People's Choice award at the 2007 Toronto Film Festival. Next up is "Kingdom Come," shot in New Zealand with "Lord of the Rings" filmmaker Peter Jackson.
Alfonso Cuaron
Best known in this country for directing "Children of Men," Cuaron was born Nov. 28, 1961 in Mexico City. After being expelled from film school, he toiled in a succession of film and other jobs before writing his first film, "Solo Con tu Pareja" (a.k.a. "Love in the Time of Hysteria"). Sydney Pollack invited him to Hollywood to shoot a feature film, and when the project was canceled, Cuaron stayed in Los Angeles. He directed "Addicted to Love," "A Little Princess," "Great Expectations" and "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," before taking a break and moving to London. Currently in the hopper is "Gravity," a science fiction movie that Angelina Jolie signed on for. Jolie dropped out, and Cuaron has offered Natalie Portman the role.
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Fernando Valenzuela
The only Major League player ever to be named Rookie of the Year and win a Cy Young Award in the same season was born Nov. 1, 1960 in Etchohuaquila, a village in the municipality of Navojoa, Sonora. Valenzuela came to the Los Angeles Dodgers from the Leones de Yucatán of the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol in 1980. Thanks in large part to a killer screwball, he led the team to a World Championship the following year. He still holds the rookie record for consecutive scoreless innings, at 36. In addition to his 10 years with the Dodgers, Valenzuela pitched for five other teams, ending his career with the St. Louis Cardinals. For the past eight years, he has been an analyst for the Dodgers' Spanish radio broadcasts.
Christine Delsol is a former San Francisco Chronicle Travel editor and is a frequent contributor to Travel and the Mexico Mix column on SFGate. She also co-writes the Central Coasting column on SFGate.
Christine is the author of “Pauline Frommer’s Cancun & the Yucatan” and co-author of “Frommer’s Mexico” and “Frommer’s Cancun & the Yucatan.” Her work also appears in Alaska Airlines Magazine and other publications, as well as on Zagat.com, Away.com and AARP.org.
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