Cameron Diaz lit up the big screen starring in some of the best rom-coms of all time and being part of the cast of Shrek as Princess Fiona. Then in March 2018, the actress declared herself “actually retired” from the profession when asked about a Sweetest Thing reunion. Now, a few months before we see her acting comeback in Back in Action, the Charlie’s Angels actress opened up about why she left acting in the first place.
The actress became a household name starring as Jim Carrey’s love interest in The Mask. Then, she dominated the big screen as rom-com royalty with films like My Best Friend’s Wedding, The Holiday, and What Happens in Vegas, to name a few. However, after she starred in box office hits like The Other Woman, Sex Tape, and Annie in 2014, she decided to step away from Hollywood.
Now, ahead of her 2025 movie release of Back in Action, she explained why retirement felt like the right move for her back then at Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Summit:
For me, it was just something I had to do. It felt like the right thing for me to reclaim my own life. And I just really didn’t care about anything else. I didn’t. 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.
That’s incredibly admirable of Cameron Diaz to leave the hustle and bustle of Hollywood so she could dedicate herself to her family.
She’s been married to Good Charlotte musician Benji Madden since 2015, and her first child, Raddix, was born in 2019. With the entertainment business being demanding with rehearsals, filming, and traveling, it’s understandable why she’d rather devote herself to her loved ones at home.
One of Hollywood’s most bankable stars found plenty of ways to live her best life during this new chapter of her life. For example, she sold lots of wine through her popular brand Avaline. On top of that, she welcomed a new member of the family when she gave birth to her second son Cardinal in March this year.
Cameron Diaz has also placed great emphasis on living a healthy life as told in her health books “The Body Book” and “The Longevity Book.” After all, she’s previously said it’s important to her to be present in Raddix’s life when she’s in her forties. As the Vanilla Sky actress looks like she hasn’t aged a day, I believe that dream will become a reality for her.
Just when she felt she didn’t “have what it takes” to star in movies anymore while living comfortably in her retirement, it was announced that she’d be leading the Netflix action-comedy Back in Action alongside Jamie Foxx.
Not only will we see Cameron Diaz “back in action” for her Netflix movie debut, but she’ll be reprising her role as Princess Fiona in Shrek 5 alongside Mike Myers and Eddie Murphy. Plus, maybe those rumors about a sequel to The Holiday can actually come true now that she is out of retirement.
With Cameron Diaz originally leaving acting to place a focus on her family, coming out of retirement to star in the Netflix movie Back in Action is the perfect way to show that you really can have it all. This powerhouse woman seems to be capable of performing the balancing act of performing in movies, being a good wife, entrepreneur, and mother to her two kids.
So, with that being said, make sure to watch her stellar comeback in Back in Action with a Netflix subscription on January 17, 2025.