Salma Hayek Applauds Angelina Jolie As 'The Best Director' To Work With

Actress Salma Hayek is full of praise for Angelina Jolie's directorial skills.

The Mexican actress had previously starred opposite Jolie in the superhero film "Eternals" before landing a role in her colleague's upcoming film "Without Blood."

The movie is an adaptation of a book with the same title and is one of the few films Jolie has helmed since she started taking on directorial roles. The actress had previously directed "Unbroken," "First They Killed My Father," and "By the Sea."

Hayek, who co-stars with Oscar contender Demián Bichir in "Without Blood," recently lauded Jolie's directorial skills and revealed that she enjoyed collaborating with the actress.

Hayek shared in a recent interview with Deadline that her favorite director to work with was Jolie. The actress made her glowing comments after the two worked together on the upcoming film "Without Blood."

"Angelina is the best director I've ever worked with. I absolutely loved working with her; enjoyed every second of it," the actress said.

Speaking about their time on the set, Hayek described it as challenging but revealed that Jolie made it exciting and far easier. She added: "It's a tough piece, but it was so delicious to come to work every single day. She is a genius, and I think this might be her best movie yet. She did an amazing job, really."

Jolie's first directorial debut came in the 2011 war film "Land of Blood and Honey." Since then, she spearheaded three more films, "Unbroken," "First They Killed My Father," and "By the Sea," the latter starring her ex-husband Brad Pitt.

While it is unclear when filming started for her fourth directorial role, Hayek's comment about Jolie's expertise will keep fans highly anticipating the release of the film in the nearest future.

She added, "I was completely blown away by her mind, her dedication, her technical knowledge, and her control of every aspect, as well as her vision which is so clear.

The "House Of Gucci" star also raved about her colleagues' relationship with the actors and other crew members, which she described as filled with kindness.

"She is so good with the actors, so passionate, and so focused. But most of all, I was blown away by her kindness to every single person on the set," Hayek continued. "I talked about this with my co-star Demián Bichir, and we were saying, 'Wow, she's really something.'"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpbCIpTzW1E

Before collaborating on "Without Blood," Jolie and Hayek starred in Marvels' "Eternals," an action thriller film where they both played extraterrestrial superheroes who abandoned their sinister mission to save the earth. Hayek's character died in the movie, which closed the possibility of her starring in a sequel.

Much of the plot details about "Without Blood" is still under wraps, and a release date is yet to be set even though the movie is now in post-production. However, per Daily Mail, the film will follow "a young Italian girl named Nina after she witnesses an act of violence."

Based on a bestselling novel of the same name, "Without Blood" is Jolie's debut film for Fremantle after signing a three-year deal with the film giants. She also stars as the producer and writer in the movie alongside her directorial role.

In an interview with People Magazine, Jolie shared why she chose to make a movie about "Without Blood." "The book had an impact on me, as it has so many other people," she said. "It carries themes and questions important to discuss."

At the time, she lauded Hayek and Bichir's performances in the film and gushed about being a fan of their works for years, which was one of the reasons she brought them on.

"Salma and Demián are very authentic and brave in this film. I had been a fan of their work. I knew they would bring solid commitment and craft to the film, but honestly, they both blew me away," she added.

Jolie's sons, Maddox, 21, and Pax, 18, collaborated with their mother on "Without Blood," with both of them working in the assistant director department on the film set. Pax first worked with his mother on "First They Killed My Father," where he shot stills for the film.