I’m Still Thinking About These 4 Fabulous Photos From Salma Hayek Pinault’s SI Swimsuit Debut

The award-winning actor served bold, fierce energy on set with SI Swimsuit.

Salma Hayek Pinault at the 2025 Kering Women In Motion Awards and Cannes Film Festival Presidential Dinner / Bertrand Guay/AFP/Getty Images

Iconic actor Salma Hayek Pinault has been a household name for decades, starring in a long list of fantastic films, as well as serving as a director and producer. With her production company Ventanarosa, the 58-year-old Mexican-American star continues to highlight LatinX stories, with a particular focus on women. Proving she can do it all, she made her debut as one of the 2025 SI Swimsuit cover models this May, delivering an unsurprisingly fabulous feature.

Salma Hayek Pinault was photographed by Ruven Afanador in Mexico. Swimsuit by Alida Herbst. / Ruven Afanador/Sports Illustrated

Though all of the photos in her gallery from Mexico are truly stunning, these four really stand out as unforgettable. It’s been almost a month since Hayek Pinault debuted her cover, and I still can’t get over how well her magnetic energy and timeless beauty were captured by photographer Ruven Afanador.

Salma Hayek Pinault was photographed by Ruven Afanador in Mexico. Swimsuit and cover-up by Raquelle Pedraza. Necklace by Jacquie Aiche. Body chain by Logan Hollowell. / Ruven Afanador/Sports Illustrated

Being photographed in her home country was an extra special experience for Hayek Pinault, and it even helped calm her nerves when she was uncertain about the opportunity. As she explained to the team on set, a particularly magical moment made her realize she was at the right place at the right time. But it definitely wasn’t easy at first.

Salma Hayek Pinault was photographed by Ruven Afanador in Mexico. Swimsuit by Sommer Swim. Cover-up by Kasia Kulenty. Body chain by Jacquie Aiche. / Ruven Afanador/Sports Illustrated

While a guest on The TODAY Show to unveil her cover last month, Hayek Pinault also detailed the mishaps that occurred leading up to the shoot, which left her even more uneasy about it all.

“I tried about 100 [swimsuits] on—more than 100. A lot of them needed to be altered. And then I was in L.A., so we did all the alterations in L.A. I took the suitcase with me to Mexico—because, of course, we shot it in Mexico—and guess what? They lost the suitcase,” she recalled.

Salma Hayek Pinault was photographed by Ruven Afanador in Mexico. Swimsuit by Ark Swimwear. Necklace and body chain by Jacquie Aiche. / Ruven Afanador/Sports Illustrated

But fortunately, all of her doubts went away with the surprising appearance of a whale.

“I showed up [to set] feeling like, ‘What am I doing here?’ And the first shot is on the beach, I stood up, and a whale jumped behind me,” Hayek Pinault continued. “And all of a sudden I felt: this is magical. This is my land. I’m 58 and I’m doing this! My generation—especially Mexican women—we thought we were going to be dismissed at 35, you know? And I got so excited. I felt really free, and I put Bad Bunny on and I started dancing, and I loved it!”

The response to Hayek Pinault’s cover moment has been, expectedly, so positive, with people of all demographics praising the impressive creator for her illustrious career and undeniable beauty—inside and out.

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