How Cameron Diaz made her grand return to film in 2025

Ten years after her last movie, Cameron Diaz has returned to our screens. Much to our delight, the American actress has starred in the Netflix movie 'Back in Action.' Of course, the title is spot-on!

In 'Back in Action,' Cameron Diaz teams up with Jamie Foxx as a couple of former spies who left their CIA careers to start a family. But when their cover is blown, they find themselves plunged back into the world of espionage.

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A Hollywood superstar, Cameron Diaz surprised everyone when she decided to step away from acting. Burnt out, the actress longed for a simpler, more peaceful life with her family.

Since May 2014, Cameron Diaz has been happily in love with Benji Madden, guitarist for the rock band Good Charlotte, and her career left her little time to enjoy it.

Cameron Diaz and Benji Madden got married in January 2015, less than a year after they met. To celebrate their union, they had a secret wedding with very few leaked images, like the one we’re sharing with you.

In December 2019, the couple welcomed their first child, a daughter named Raddix, via surrogate. The actress announced the birth of their second child, Cardinal, in March 2024.

In March 2018, Cameron Diaz told Metro, "I’m not doing anything these days. Living, loving, spending time with family, and running errands." To better understand why the actress bid farewell to Hollywood, let's take a look at her journey.

Cameron Diaz was born on August 30, 1972, in San Diego, California, to a Cuban-Spanish father and a mother of English, German, and Dutch descent. After years of drifting between modeling and acting, she got a big break.

Her life changed in 1994 when director Chuck Russell chose her for the female lead in 'The Mask.' The film was a huge success and turned the model, who dreamed of becoming an actress, into one of Hollywood’s rising stars. With her blonde hair, piercing gaze, and youthful freshness, Cameron Diaz began a promising film career.

In the 1990s, Cameron Diaz made a name for herself in Hollywood with supporting roles and red carpet appearances that showcased her charm. Her Cuban heritage, comedic talent, and incredible on-screen presence made her a highly sought-after actress. However, she wasn’t content with secondary roles—Cameron Diaz wanted to be the star of her own story.

Cameron Diaz started taking roles that gave her more prominence on the big screen. In 1996, she used this film to shed her image as the "tall, seductive blonde" and proved her acting chops.

In this 1996 movie, she worked with her good friend Keanu Reeves. At the time, Cameron Diaz was a style icon: her fashion, hairstyle, and even mannerisms were emulated by many young women.

This 1996 role solidified her star status. Yet, during this period, Cameron Diaz was more known for her love life than acting. Carlos de la Torre, Matt Dillon, and Jared Leto were some of the men she dated.

In 1997, her career took off, but not because of this film. 'My Best Friend’s Wedding,' where Cameron Diaz starred alongside Julia Roberts, Dermot Mulroney, and Rupert Everett, was a worldwide hit.

This is one of the most memorable films of Cameron Diaz's career. She cut her hair, adopted a sweet and innocent smile, and delivered one of her standout performances.

With this film, Cameron Diaz changed her look to become a femme fatale for the role, her first offered by the renowned Danny Boyle. Fresh off 'Trainspotting,' the British director cast Cameron Diaz in his next project.

This film was Cameron Diaz's first major box office flop. The dark comedy with Johnny Depp and Benicio del Toro earned just over $10 million, despite having a budget of about $19 million.

Arguably Cameron Diaz's most recognized film, this role catapulted her and Ben Stiller to the top of Hollywood’s A-list. It was the fourth most-watched film in the US in 1998 and earned her a Golden Globe nomination, solidifying her as the queen of comedy.

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This film earned her a second Golden Globe nomination. It also marked a real change in her look, with curly, darker hair.

For her next role, Cameron Diaz returned to her usual look. In this Oliver Stone film with Al Pacino, she played a young president and co-owner of an American football team.

A new turn in her career came with this film, which featured stars like Glenn Close, Calista Flockhart, and Holly Hunter. Although the film’s success was modest, the experience was positive for Diaz and showcased her acting skills.

In 2000, Cameron Diaz scored another commercial hit with this film. Alongside Lucy Liu and Drew Barrymore, she broke box office records that year.

This drama didn’t achieve the expected success. However, it was a new challenge for Diaz and gave her fans a new look to admire.

In 2001, Cameron Diaz and Tom Cruise (along with Penélope Cruz) embarked on this remake of the Spanish film 'Abre los ojos' by Alejandro Amenábar. The film was well-received by critics and earned Diaz another Golden Globe nomination, although she didn’t win.

Cameron Diaz’s favorite genre is definitely comedy! She proved it again with this hilarious story about three young women experiencing all sorts of adventures.

In 2002, Diaz played Jenny Everdeane in this Martin Scorsese film, which was a huge success and received ten Oscar nominations (though it didn’t win any). It earned Diaz a Golden Globe nomination in 2002.

This sequel to 'Charlie’s Angels' allowed Cameron Diaz to add some zeros to her bank account!

In this film, Diaz took on a slightly more dramatic role, which helped her reach a more adult audience. In the early 2000s, she often appeared on red carpets and magazine covers with Justin Timberlake, whom she dated for several years.

Diaz returned to romantic comedy with this Christmas movie, sharing the screen with Kate Winslet, Jude Law, and Jack Black.

In 2008, Diaz starred in 'What Happens in Vegas' with Ashton Kutcher. While the film did well at the box office, some critics didn’t think highly of Diaz’s performance, which wasn’t flattering for the star.

That might explain why Diaz followed up with this more serious film by Nick Cassavetes.

Did this film mark a change in Diaz’s acting? Not really. However, it helped secure her financially, as she was one of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood at the time.

Reuniting with Tom Cruise, Diaz starred in this film, which was poorly received by both the public and critics.

This action film by Michel Gondry didn’t add much to Diaz’s career trajectory, not even a change in look!

This film reconnected Diaz with her loyal audience, filling theaters once again. On screen, she reunited with her ex, Justin Timberlake, whom she had broken up with in 2007.

In this comedy, Diaz played a pregnant woman obsessed with fitness. She shared the screen with Jennifer Lopez, Elizabeth Banks, Anna Kendrick, Dennis Quaid, and Chris Rock, among others.

Written by the Coen brothers and a remake of a 1966 British film starring Shirley MacLaine and Michael Caine, 'Gambit' was a failure and marked the beginning of the end for Diaz’s career.

Javier Bardem, Penélope Cruz, Michael Fassbender, and Brad Pitt joined Diaz in the cast of this Ridley Scott film. Diaz sported an aggressive look, and her performance was quite good.

Diaz returned to romantic comedy for one of her last films before retiring from cinema. Despite its box office failure, it was a fun role for her.

This film earned Diaz the Razzie Award for Worst Actress in 2014. A fatal blow to her career.

This was the last time we saw Cameron Diaz on the big screen. The remake of the famous musical was disliked by both critics and the public.

After receiving her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Diaz decided to retire. She told InStyle that she had dedicated more than half of her life to the public, and wanted to give herself time to reorganize and decide on what would come next. Fair enough!

Diaz wanted to pause her career to focus on her family and to distance herself from the multiple failures she experienced in the final years of her career. With 'Back in Action', she may not have avoided an artistic failure - the reviews of the film were lukewarm at best - but it must have been a commercial success for the previously retired actress. Let's see what else she will do!

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