Salma Hayek was on the Late Show last night. Her interview didn’t really getting interesting until she talked about the incident where she freaked out over a snake. Two weeks ago Salma was with Maya Rudolph and Maria Bello promoting their film The Grown-Ups when an unseen snake approached their chairs, causing Salma and Maria to jump up and start screaming. Salma freaked out and became hysterical while perched on a railing in high heels. The video made Salma look like she was deathly afraid of snakes and freaking out for no reason. The way she retold it on Letterman, the threat was worse that we could imagine as the snake was coming right for them hissing like it was out to get them. She expected one of the security guys to protect them, but the person who came to their aid was actually Maria’s hairdresser. I’m sure Salma is exaggerating, but it was damn funny the way she told it.

On the snake incident
We were promoting this movie in Los Angeles by Malibu lake. There were 40 people around us and three girls talking, Maya, Maria and myself. The snake got through this huge crowd of people and it was a big snake and she was coming towards us… There were bodyguards, cameramen, electricians, all these tough guys. [smacks hands] They ran.

The minute they saw the snake they were gone. I know this video we’re gonna see it shows like it was resolved very easily and all these tough guys came over. It’s a lie it’s been edited. Maria is not even afraid of snakes… but this one because it was coming towards us and her head was up and she was hissing. And there was no one coming for the longest time… five foot snake… it was light… not a water snake.

Of course you will see the video and laugh at us… When it got to the chair where the three of us are [sitting] the macho man who saved us was Maria’s hairdresser that came shaking [a] bag with brushes. When he shooed the snake far enough to the water then everybody came up [and] pretended to do something. ‘Are you ok?’ ‘Are you ok?’

When you see the video it’s like there’s all these people. No, there was no one there… until the snake got to the chair….

I have a phobia.

[Transcribed from The Late Show, aired 6/21/10]

Salma explained that she called the snake a “she” because it’s a feminine noun in Spanish. She also told some semi-interesting stories about how smart and funny her daughter Valentina, two and a half, is, and enthused about eating bugs, which she called a cultural practice in Mexico. (Video of that part is below.)

I find Salma a little stuck-up lately since she married that billionaire and I don’t buy her story, which she repeated last night on Letterman, that Valentina encouraged her to take her husband’s last name because she somehow noticed that her mommy was “Salma Hayek” without the Pinault part. Salma claims that Valentina is trilingual and knows English, Spanish and French. My son was slower to explain concepts and pick up complicated words just learning two languages, not three. I can’t imagine him noticing my last name and asking about it before he even turned three. Still, boys are different than girls and we all think our kids are little genuises.

Good for Salma for having the humor to explain the snake incident and letting Dave air the video. She doesn’t take herself too seriously, but she does find snakes incredibly threatening. Maybe she’s upset that they’re eating all those bugs she loves to snack on.

Salma is shown outside the Late Show on 6/21. Credit: L. Gallo/WENN.com. She is also shown with her husband, Francois Henri Pinault, at the French Open on 5/31/10. Credit: ANG/Fame Pictures