Cameron Diaz is returning to acting after retiring a decade ago, as she's starring in Netflix's Back in Action. Diaz was one of the most bankable movie stars in the 1990s and 2000s, as her breakthrough role starring alongside Jim Carrey in The Mask shot her to fame. That led to huge blockbuster movie roles, such as Natalie Cook in the Charlie's Angels movies and voicing Fiona in the Shrek franchise. Diaz became one of the best comedy actors of the time too, starring in the comedy classic There's Something About Mary, What Happens in Vegas, and Bad Teacher.
Back in Action is Diaz's first movie since 2014, and it plays to her strengths, as the movie is an action comedy, a genre that Diaz has had more experience with than almost anyone else. Between Knight & Day, The Green Hornet, and the Charlie's Angels series, Back in Action seems tailor-made for Diaz, and the movie's title couldn't be more appropriate. Diaz retired from acting in 2014, a year that saw her lead three different movies; The Other Woman, Sex Tape, and Annie, so it's no surprise the actor took a long hiatus afterward. However, there's a reason why Diaz retired, and one movie star encouraged her to return.
Jamie Foxx Encouraged Cameron Diaz To Act Again
Jamie Foxx was the one who convinced Diaz to return to the spotlight and star in Back in Action with him, and it didn't seem like a difficult task. Foxx ed thinking about how to pitch the movie to her, explaining, "Cameron is such an incredible force and she has done so much in this business. We love her. We had to be very innovative in how we, you know, brought her back” (via HuffPost). Foxx simply asked Diaz.
According to Foxx, he simply asked Diaz, "'Do you wanna have some fun? Just have some fun!’ And I think that’s what brought her to it.” Foxx has helped guide Diaz through every step of the way of coming out of retirement. When Diaz was struggling with how to tell the world she was returning to the spotlight, Foxx arranged a phone call with Tom Brady, who says he's "relatively successful at un-retiring." Foxx even posted part of the phone conversation on Twitter.
Why Cameron Diaz Retired From Acting For A Decade
Diaz retired in 2014 for a couple of reasons. The most important thing to Diaz was that she wanted to focus on her family and raising her children, but she also wasn't enjoying the lifestyle anymore. Diaz spoke candidly about her retirement in 2017 (via Insider), explaining, "I just went, 'I can't really say who I am to myself,' which is a hard thing to face up to. I felt the need to make myself whole." The actor also revealed that two decades of traveling had been exhausting, and it hardly comes as a surprise that she had these feelings in 2014 after releasing three movies in quick succession.
However, that acting itch always comes back, as so many great actors have returned after retiring, including Joe Pesci, Ke Huy Quan, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Daniel Day-Lewis, who coincidentally returned to acting to star in Gangs of New York alongside Diaz. Now, Diaz is added to that list, and it isn't a one-and-done either, as Diaz will return as Fiona in Shrek 5. Though that might just be a voice-only role, it's likely that Back in Action has reignited Cameron Diaz's love of acting.
Sources: HuffPost, @iamjamiefoxx/Twitter, Insider
