Salma Hayek and Maria Bello Talk “Grown Ups,” Breastfeeding & Bathing Suit Bodies
Technically speaking, we’re adults. We just don’t act like it when we see beautiful naked actresses. Two of our favorites are Salma Hayek, who bust into our lives in 1995’s Desperado (and even got us to watch 2002’s Frida by taking it all off for art’s sake), and Maria Bello, whose stairwell grudge-fucking and cheerleader strip tease in 2005’s A History of Violence had us saying, “RAH! RAH! SIS-BOOM-BAH!” You can see them this weekend playing the wives of immature dudes (Adam Sandler x Hayek; Kevin James x Bello) who won a junior high basketball championship together 30 years before in the new comedy Grown Ups. Complex caught up with Hayek and Bello on their press tour to talk breastfeeding, fake breasts, and…we’re sure we talked about something other than twos, but it escapes us now! Read on and find out for yourself.
Complex: Maria, you play a woman who has a four-year-old kid she still breastfeeds…
Maria Bello: I had this special machine built for the boobs. But the funny thing about the kid was that there were all these rules. The kid had to stay six inches away from a breast and they fixed it with a computer afterwards. I definitely felt bad for them. They were twin little boys and there I was sticking my fake boob in their face. I had the biggest boobs in this film I’ve ever had. I think that’s why they cast me. [Laughs.]
Complex: You’re a huge advocate for breastfeeding, Salma. Did you have a problem with the film poking fun at it?
Salma Hayek: No, I didn’t have a problem with it. Breastfeeding is extremely important, and I think not making it a serious taboo, like in the film, actually helps people being relaxed about it. We need to have conversations about it and dialogue. But I do think that breastfeeding at four years old is a little too old! [Laughs.]
Complex: There’s a scene where all of the wives wear bathing suits. I don’t have a question. I just enjoyed that.
MB: I felt great in my bathing suit until I saw Salma’s ass and Maya [Rudolph]’s breasts and I was like, “Not really.” And I remember taking my son to the mall to shop for clothes and he was like, “Mom, why don’t you ever shop? You wear jeans and a T-shirt every day.” And I was like, “Yeah, that’s pretty much my comfortable wear.”
Complex: You did look extremely sexy in your bathing suit, Salma. Did you engage in some extra Krav Maga to prepare?
SH: I’ll tell you, having to wear a bathing suit on camera in front of all these people and extras really motivates you to work out.
Complex: This is the first movie in which you’re going by your married name, Pinault, rather than Hayek. Why did you switch it up?
SH: My daughter, Valentina, suggested it. At the beginning of the film, my chair said Salma Hayek and she saw it and she said, “What does it say? Where is Pinault?” Her last name is Pinault. In France, my husband [businessman François-Henri Pinault] is much more famous than me. She’s used to it. She felt left out, and I also have two children from the marriage, so I did it just to bring the family together.
Complex: So you had your daughter on set?
SH: We all brought our children to the set. Adam made it a great environment to bring children. [The guys] were always funny and making them laugh.
Complex: Adam plays the guy who hit the winning shot for the championship as a kid. Can he play for real?
MB: Adam could be a professional basketball player. I mean, he almost beat my nine-year-old.
Complex:[Laughs.] Salma has done comedy before, but this is your first comedic role. How was it?
MB: I was terrified of doing comedy. I was really, really terrified. This was the first time I’d ever done that sort of comedy, but all of the guys were so generous. From the first day, they were giving me different lines—especially David Spade, who kind of directed me and pulled me aside and said, “Do it like this! Say it like this!” I learned so much doing it and I felt more comfortable with these guys.
Complex: Your character is consumed with Hollywood gossip. Do you have friends like that?
MB: You have no idea. I’m from Philadelphia and I’m still friends with these girls from home; they all stayed home and got like three and four kids now and they ask me every question you can imagine. “How are Brad and Angelina? What’s going on with them?” And I would be like, “I don’t know them!” My girlfriend came out to visit a couple weeks ago and I took her to a Hollywood party with me and—I swear to God—she had Hilary Swank and Chad Lowe in a corner. She wanted to know everything, and now she texts them. [Laughs.] She’s awesome.