According to Hayek, there was no s*x scene in the script when she accepted the role of Carolina, a bookstore owner, from director Robert Rodriguez. However, the studio demanded it after seeing the chemistry between Hayek and Banderas.
Hayek admitted that she had a difficult time with the scene and cried throughout the entire shoot. She had never done anything like it before and was scared of Banderas, who was very free and easygoing. The scene was shot on a closed set with only Hayek, Banderas, Rodriguez, and his then-wife, producer Elizabeth Avellán. Despite feeling embarrassed about crying on set, Hayek said that her co-stars were all amazing and that Rodriguez never pressured her.
Hayek couldn't enjoy the scene because of how she felt while filming it. She held onto her towel tightly and would start crying again every time they tried to take it off for a shot. The "Desperado" love scene appears in short clips because Hayek kept crying during takes. She recalled that Rodriguez tried to get her into character, which helped her.
Hayek also talked about how the progress in giving women in film more agency has evolved considerably since the release of "Desperado" 25 years ago. However, there is still work to do as women are still underpaid compared to their male counterparts. Hayek hopes that the industry will support filmmakers, writers, and other people behind the camera in the future.
