Salma Hayek: I Was An Illegal Immigrant

Salma Hayek discussed her Mexican background with V Magazine Spain (via E! Online), revealing that, for a brief time, she was in the United States without legal papers.

After unknowingly have her visa expire, Hayek said that, "I was an illegal immigrant in the United States. It was for a small period of time, but I still did it."

Hayek's reps clarified that she soon returned to her native country to renew the visa, but she still faced plenty of difficulties in Hollywood.

"I had to endure the worst time of all in terms of racial discrimination in Hollywood when i first started out," she said. "It was inconcievable to American directors and producers that a Mexican woman could have a lead role."

Still, the now full American citizen is pleased with how things have changed.

"Hollywood has definitely grown, in embracing the inclusion of Latinos in the world, because, for some time, we didn't exist. We were not part of any stories."