LOS ANGELES — Maybe the comedy bug hit Salma Hayek when she produced and guest-starred on the hit series Ugly Betty, and followed that with her cheeky recurring nurse role on the acclaimed sitcom 30 Rock.
Hayek's career is usually defined by more dramatic roles, including her Oscar-nominated portrayal of artist Frida Kahlo in the biopic Frida. Yet, these days, she seems to be on a comedy roll.
The 43-year-old takes another leap into the humour pool co-starring in Adam Sandler's Grown Ups, which opens on Friday, and features Sandler's Saturday Night Live buddies who never let a serious moment get in the way of a good ad lib.
In the Dennis Dugan-directed comedy, Sandler plays a successful talent agent while Hayek defines his work-obsessed, clothes designer wife. They both take a break from their busy schedules to attend a lakeside resort reunion with Sandler's childhood friends who were members of a small town basketball team
Obviously, improvisation was the only constant on set, but Sandler says he figured Hayek was up to the challenge of responding spontaneously to all the impromptu banter.
"We've talked about doing a movie for a long time and Salma was finally available for this one," says Sandler. "She was almost in Zohan (You Don't Mess With The Zohan) and a bunch of other ones, but they didn't time out right."
The timing was right for Grown Ups - as was Hayek's comedic timing. Not that she worried about it too much.
