Appearing in a movie scene where you have to dance on stage in a bikini, in front of a film crew, holding a snake, might seem daunting.

However, Salma Hayek handled it remarkably well.

In 1996, she starred in the film From Dusk Till Dawn as Santánico Pandemonium, a vampire stripper.

At that time, she was already a renowned actress in Mexico, but her breakthrough in the U.S. coincided with the premiere of the action-horror movie.

In a recent interview with British GQ, Hayek disclosed that she was not provided with any choreography for the scene.

This meant that she had to research and create her own moves while dealing with her genuine fear of the snake wrapped around her shoulders.

Keep reading to find out more about her experience.

Hayek received minimal guidance for the role.

In From Dusk Till Dawn, her character Santánico works as a stripper at a bar visited by characters portrayed by George Clooney and Quentin Tarantino.

They soon discover that the bar staff are all vampires.

During one sequence, Santánico dances in a bikini, shedding a cape and carrying a python.

“They just kind of threw me on the stage with the snake, put the music on and said, ‘Hey, dance!'”

Hayek shared with GQ.

Director Robert Rodriguez informed her that there was no specific choreography to follow but suggested she could observe dancers at a strip club for inspiration.

The 56-year-old actress expressed, “I was feeling insecure [and] just wanted to get through it.”

Despite having a minor role, the moment left a lasting impression on viewers.

She was made aware that someone else was on standby for her part.

Back in 2017, Hayek mentioned to Yahoo!

that Quentin Tarantino informed her another actress would replace her if she couldn’t go through with the scene involving the snake.

Tarantino said, “‘Oh, by the way, you’re dancing with a snake.’

I said, ‘I can’t do that, I can’t do that.

It’s my greatest fear.'”

He then mentioned Madonna as a potential replacement.

Hayek’s role in the film came about as a favor to Rodriguez after appearing briefly as a stripper in one of his previous projects.

Tarantino specifically crafted the From Dusk Till Dawn role for her.

To overcome her fear, Hayek had to enter a “trance” during the scene.

While she admitted to disassociating from the situation, she saw it as an opportunity to confront her phobia.

“It was good because I had to overcome my greatest fear,” the Magic Mike’s Last Dance star told Yahoo!.

She described the dance as improvised, emphasizing that there was no choreography due to the unpredictable nature of the snake.

Dancing with a snake was not initially planned.

In a 2021 interview with E!

News, Hayek admitted to having a phobia of snakes.

She agreed to the movie without knowing about the snake dance, which was added later by Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino.

Despite her initial hesitation, she proceeded with the scene because she needed the income.

Hayek delved into researching the symbolic meaning of snakes in various cultures, finding that they represent inner power.

She convinced herself that the dance was about embracing her inner strength.