Latinas in Hollywood

After starring in the telenovela Teresa in her native Mexico, Hayek arrived in Hollywood with a suitcase full of dreams. Today, after starring in movies like Desperado and Frida, and producing the popular TV series Ugly Betty (ABC), the 42-year-old actress is not only one of the most famous stars in Hollywood but she is also one of the richest.

With her character of Gabrielle Solís in the Desperate Housewives (ABC) series, the actress of Mexican descent has become one of the best-known Latinas in Hollywood in recent years. Besides her acting, the 34-year-old has become popular for her impeccable fashion style.

Though she was only known in television for the Dark Angel series, the Mexican-American actress switched to the big screen and has made movies such as Honey, Sin City and Transformers. However, it's her beauty and fashion sense that have made her into one of the most popular Latinas in Hollywood.

The actress and singer of Puerto Rican descent jumped into fame with the movie Selena and has been unstoppable since. From creating music albums, launching her own clothes line and developing various brands of perfumes, to becoming a fashion icon, at age 39, J.Lo has the world at her feet.

She's Pedro Almodóvar's favorite actress and one of the most celebrated movie stars in Spain. But it was his romance with Tom Cruise, with whom she made the film Vanilla Sky in 2001, that placed her on the pages of tabloids and made her famous in the U.S. Now, at age 35, she continues to enjoy a firm standing in the Spanish, Italian and Hollywood movie industries.

The actress of Honduran descent overtook Hollywood with her lead role in the popular TV series Ugly Betty (ABC), which won her prestigious awards like the Golden Globe, SAG Awards and Emmy. In real life, however, the 25-year-old Ferrera is far from being the ugly character she plays on TV.

After being known in Latin America for telenovelas like Gitanas, the Mexican actress crossed over to Hollywood with the movie Nacho Libre, with comedian Jack Black. De la Reguera, 32, is currently filming A Couple of Dicks with Bruce Willis.

The actress of Cuban descent went from filming commercials to becoming one of the sexiest and most famous Latinas in Hollywood, with films like Training Day, with Denzel Washington, and We Own the Night with Joaquin Phoenix.

The model tried her luck in Hollywood with the film Chasing Papi in 2003. And, though she has yet to land a lead role, the 37-year-old Colombian keeps working hard to make it in the highly competitive world of cinema. Vergara has appeared in movies like Four Brothers and Madea Goes to Jail.

Many call her "the next Myley Cyrus" because, at the age of only 16, besides being one of the most popular stars in Disney, the actress of Mexican origin is already taking her first steps into the music world.