Salma Hayek Started Smoking During Frida Role.

Salma Hayek is winning her battle to quit smoking.

The actress developed the bad habit almost 10 years ago when she took on the role of Mexican painter Frida Kahlo in a movie about her life. Hayek confesses she got so used to puffing on cigarettes as the chain-smoking character, she couldn't put them down when filming wrapped.

She says, "I hated cigarettes and I had to learn how to do it for the movie... When I started, I was smoking some horrible, old Mexican cigarettes without a filter, because that's what Frida used to smoke. So, at the beginning, I used to throw up after a couple of scenes and then I actually got addicted to that thing that I hated so much.

"I stopped (for) two years when I was pregnant and I was breastfeeding. Thank god I breastfed for so long because it kept me away from the cigarettes... I tried to give it up but then I picked it up again... I tried everything... (but) I am free and clear now. Yes! For good!"

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