Her breakthrough role was in the 2002 film Frida as Mexican painter Frida Kahlo for which she was nominated in the category of Best Actress for an Academy Award,BAFTA Award, Screen Actors Guild Award, and Golden Globe Award. This movie received widespread attention and was a critical and commercial success. She won aDaytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing in a Children/Youth/Family Special in 2004 for The Maldonado Miracle and received an Emmy Award nomination forOutstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series in 2007 after guest-starring in the ABC television comedy-drama Ugly Betty. She also guest-starred on the NBC comedy series 30 Rock from 2009 to 2013.
Hayek's recent films include Grown Ups (2010), Grown Ups 2 (2013), and Puss in Boots (2011).