Cameron Diaz reveals how she found ‘peace’ after ditching Hollywood for good
Cameron Diaz’s celebrity and success were unparalleled for performers.
Diaz was one of Hollywood’s most sought-after actresses, starring in hit series like Charlie’s Angels and Shrek as well as ground-breaking parts in The Mask and There’s Something About Mary.
Cameron Diaz has retired from acting in Hollywood as of 2017, which explains why you haven’t seen her on film in recent years.
Diaz recently discussed why she has no regrets about leaving her career behind as well as why she chose to make one more movie.
Being the fifth-highest grossing actress of all time, Diaz is one of the most successful actors in Hollywood history. Her films have taken in a total $3 billion at US theatres. She was nominated for four Golden Globes as well.
Her career was still booming in the 2010s; in 2013, she was the highest-paid Hollywood actress over 40, and in 2014, she made appearances in three films: The Other Woman, Sex Tape, and Annie.
But after that, Diaz was no longer seen in films. She was still a bankable star who could have easily scored significant roles in films and television shows, but she made the decision to leave Hollywood in order to devote more time to her family and herself.
Raddix, a daughter, was born to Diaz and musician Benji Madden through surrogacy in 2019. Raddix is the couple’s first child.
“I just decided that I wanted different things out of my life,” Cameron Diaz said in an interview with Gwyneth Paltrow last year. “I had gone so hard for so long, working, making films and it’s such a grind. I didn’t really make any space for my personal life.”
Diaz has stated in interviews that she does not long for the rigorous and stressful schedule that comes with being a movie star.
“When you’re making a movie, it’s the perfect excuse. They own you,” she continued. “You’re there 12 hours a day for months on end. You have no time for anything else. And I realized I handed off parts of my life to all these other people, and they took it. And I had to basically take it back and take responsibility for my life.”
“When you do something at a really high level for a really long period of time, there’s a lot that — when you’re the person who’s sort of delivering on this one thing,” she told Kevin Hart. “You’re the person on the screen, you’re the person who’s ‘the talent’ — everything around you, all parts of you that isn’t that, has to be handed off to other people.”
When not acting, Diaz kept herself busy by penning The Body Book and The Longevity Book, two best-selling health books.
She has been enjoying retirement and doesn’t regret leaving Hollywood behind, but she recently made the decision to come out of retirement for one more film.
It was announced last year that Diaz would return for a new movie with Jamie Foxx, appropriately named Back in Action. This year’s Netflix release is expected to be Diaz’s first new film since 2014’s Annie.
Since Diaz and Foxx have collaborated on several projects over the years, including Any Given Sunday and Annie, it seems that Diaz couldn’t pass up the opportunity to work with her former co-star once more.
“I took the time, I met my husband, we got married, built our family, built our homes—all those things that take a lot of focus,” Diaz told Rachel Ray. “That’s still my priority. I wasn’t certain at the time whether I could do both, [but] it just turned out that at this point in time, it’s a really nice thing for my family.”
However, according to insiders, Diaz’s comeback to Hollywood is only temporary, and after Back in Action’s filming is done, she will once more retire.
“These back-to-back 10-hour workdays have been a lot on her and she hates being away from Raddix,” a source told Marca. “Cameron loves being a mom more than anything in the world.”
It was further said by the source that Diaz “has nothing left to prove to anyone.”
We adore Cameron Diaz’s films and think she’s a fantastic actor, but it’s obvious that she has no regrets about quitting Hollywood to devote more time to her family and herself.
