Angelina Jolie had to persuade Salma Hayek to act in ‘Without Blood’ due to the emotional burden

Salma Hayek Pinault is starring in “Without Blood,” directed by Angelina Jolie, but the decision to take on this intense role wasn’t simple. The actress openly expressed her initial reluctance to participate in the project. “I didn’t want to do the film. I didn’t want to be Nina,” said Hayek about the feature film during an interview given at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival.

The Oscar-nominated actress revealed she had a specific reason for her hesitation. Playing Nina would require weeks of deep immersion in the emotional consequences of violence, grief and trauma, something Hayek feared would affect her personally. “I didn’t want to revisit the places she went to, emotionally,” explained the artist.

Angelina Jolie, however, was convinced that Hayek was the ideal actress for the character. After what Hayek described as several “long conversations,” the filmmaker managed to persuade her close friend and former “Eternals” co-star to take on the challenge. The personal connection between the two actresses was fundamental in overcoming initial resistance.

Why Salma Hayek Resisted Her Role in ‘Without Blood’

Written, directed and produced by Jolie, “Without Blood” is an adaptation of Alessandro Baricco’s acclaimed novel. The narrative unfolds after an unspecified conflict and follows Nina, played by Hayek, as she deals with the lasting consequences of her family’s murder.

Demián Bichir stars alongside Hayek in the role of Tito, and Juan Minujín is also part of the film’s cast. The plot explores complex themes such as war, revenge, memory, trauma and the difficult process of healing.

For Hayek, the character of Nina represented an exceptionally demanding acting challenge. She detailed that Nina would need to remain on the edge of a constant emotional breakdown, without ever giving in completely. “You have to be on the verge of a total breakdown the entire movie, and never break down,” the actress said.

This emotional containment was precisely what scared her most. In another interview during the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), Hayek commented that she would need to access “where the trauma resides and hides” while preventing those emotions from spilling over completely, given the nature of the character.

The role did not offer the actor the possibility of hiding or feeling comfortable in any scene. “There’s nowhere to hide,” Hayek commented on the complexity of the performance in “Without Blood.”

How Angelina Jolie convinced Salma Hayek to play Nina

Jolie didn’t just hand the script to Hayek and wait for a response. Their conversations were crucial for Hayek to reconsider his initial misgivings about Nina. By analyzing the character further, the actress began to identify emotional connections between Nina’s experiences and types of trauma that women can recognize outside the specific context of war.

In an interview at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), Hayek described how the character gradually stopped seeming so distant. She began to recognize elements of her own experiences and those close to her in Nina. This new perspective altered his understanding of the character. “I started to see myself, to see my own traumas,” said Hayek when recounting the process.

In another interview, she also drew parallels between Nina’s story and experiences such as being ignored, losing power and having important decisions made by others. Finally, Hayek stated that he understood Nina’s importance beyond the specific events portrayed in the film. “Somehow, she convinced me,” Hayek said of Jolie’s persuasion.

Salma Hayek praises Angelina Jolie as a director

Hayek’s concerns about “Without Blood” eventually gave way to high praise for Jolie’s direction. “This is the best actor director I’ve ever worked with,” declared Hayek.

For Hayek, Jolie’s ability behind the scenes seems to have come in part from understanding what an actor needs when dealing with such challenging material. “I’ve never felt so valued,” said Hayek, adding that Jolie recognized her potential to play Nina even when the actress herself was insecure.

In a 2026 interview, Hayek elaborated on this experience, describing Jolie as an emotionally accessible filmmaker. She reported that Jolie sometimes became visibly emotional when watching her performances. The actress highlighted the freedom to improvise, rehearse when necessary, listen to music and dedicate the necessary time to achieve Nina’s emotional state.

The relationship between the two went beyond the conventional communication between director and actor. Hayek had already stated on another occasion that she considers Jolie “family” and feels safe by her side. She also described Jolie as someone who cultivated a supportive atmosphere during production, a crucial quality considering the psychological demands of the script.

Angelina Jolie reflects on trauma and healing in ‘Bloodless’

Jolie’s attraction to Baricco’s story was intrinsically linked to themes she explored throughout her career as a director.

His previous works include “In the Land of Blood and Honey”, “Invincible” and “Primeiro Mataram Meu Pai”. During the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), Jolie described “Without Blood” as a “final chapter” in her cinematic journey about war and conflict, focusing specifically on what happens after these events.

With the film now on its way to American cinemas, Jolie reinforced her analysis of what people carry with them after traumatic experiences. “Alessandro Baricco’s ‘Without Blood’ examines universal truths about trauma, memory and healing,” Jolie said in a statement announcing the film’s distribution in the United States.

She also praised Hayek and Bichir for the emotional vulnerability they brought to the project, saying she hopes their performances encourage the kind of dialogue Baricco envisioned when writing the novel.

Hayek was also excited about the final experience. In July 2026, she described working under Jolie’s direction as “a deeply enriching experience” and highlighted the filmmaker’s emotional intelligence and sensitivity.

Launch of ‘Without Blood’, directed by Angelina Jolie

Following its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2024, “Without Blood” will finally hit U.S. theaters. Brainstorm Media has acquired distribution rights in the country and will release the film on September 18, 2026.

The release date adds new relevance to Hayek’s earlier statement about her initial hesitation in accepting the film.

For Jolie, the conviction about choosing the actress came much earlier. “She knew I was the right actress,” Hayek said. “I didn’t even know I was the right actress at that point.”