If you’re anything like the rest of the population, then it’s safe to say there’s one thing we can all agree on: We’ve missed seeing Cameron Diaz on our screens. The 52-year-old actress stepped away from the big screen back in 2014 after starring in Annie, and since then, she’s devoted herself to being a mom and raising her two children, Raddix and Cardinal, with husband Benji Madden of famed rock band Good Charlotte.
The actress has kept a relatively low profile over the years, but the beloved blonde is finally stepping back into the limelight as she stars in the all-new Netflix action-comedy, appropriately titled Back in Action. Here, read all about why Cameron Diaz took a break from acting, what she was up to while on hiatus, and what’s next for the screen icon.
Why did Cameron Diaz take a break from acting?
Prior to stepping away from the screen, the actress was known for her work in movies like Charlie’s Angels (2000), Vanilla Sky (2001), My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997), Bad Teacher (2011) and countless others that showcased her range. However, come 2014, Diaz decided that devoting herself to her family was something she felt called to.
“It felt like something I had to do to reclaim my own life. And I just really didn’t care about anything else,” Diaz said during Fortune’s Most Powerful Women summit in 2024. “Nobody’s opinion, nobody’s success, no one’s offer, no one’s anything could change my mind about my decision of taking care of myself and building the life that I really wanted to have. It really comes to: What are you passionate about? For me, it was to build my family.”
“I didn’t think I was gonna make another movie,” Diaz said in an interview with Still Watching Netflix. “I was perfectly happy just living my life, doing other things, day in and day out—not movies.” However, when Jamie Foxx approached her with Back in Action, she had a hard time saying no. That being said—Cameron Diaz is most certainly “back in action.”
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What did Cameron Diaz do during her break from acting?
For the most part, motherhood took up most of her Hollywood hiatus. “That was what I was putting most of my focus on, if I was doing anything other than just sort of being a mom and living my day-to-day,” she told Still Watching Netflix. “And that was pretty much it. I’m just trying to stay alive just like every other mother. I’m just trying to keep it going.” One of the other endeavors she pursued while living a life off-screen was Avaline, her organic wine brand.
What is Cameron Diaz’s new movie about?
Cameron Diaz stars as Emily alongside Jamie Foxx who plays her husband Matt. In a past life, this duo were CIA spies. When they’re forced to come out of retirement, their kids just might see that their mom and dad were once way cooler than they thought as they get back into their old groove. Watch it on Netflix, and see the trailer here.
