Until a few years ago, Cameron Diaz was a regular in Hollywood blockbusters.
Since her iconic entrance to the silver screen in 1994’s The Mask, Diaz has appeared in multiple films in every subsequent year.
From There’s Something About Mary to Being John Malkovich, Charlie’s Angels to the Shrek films, Diaz has been a consistent presence in high profile feature films. However, since 2014’s film adaptation of Annie, the 47-year-old actor has been largely absent from public life.
In a new interview, Diaz has explained why she’s taken the past five years to focus on other things aside from acting, and what she’s been up to in that time.
The actor told InStyle:
I started [experiencing fame] when I was 22, so 25 years ago — that’s a long time. The way I look at it is that I’ve given more than half of my life to the public. I feel it’s OK for me to take time for myself now to reorganize and choose how I want to come [back] into the world. If I decide to.
She continued:
At this point, I’ve done so much, I feel fulfilled with the adventures I’ve sought out in my life. I’m in a great place, and the world is so different now too. The mid-1990s are an era that will never exist again. I’m just so grateful that I got to witness and partake in it.
So what has Cameron been up to? Well, it seems she’s still keeping her cards close to her chest.
She explained:
It’s fun to just not have anybody know what I’m up to. Because my time is all mine. I’m not selling any films, and because I’m not selling anything, I don’t have to give anybody anything. I’m not doing this anymore. I’m living my life.
However, Diaz did hint that if she was to return to the limelight, it might not be as an actor:
I don’t miss performing. Right now I’m looking at the landscape of wellness and all that. But whatever I do, it has to be something I’m passionate about — something that just feels effortless.
Having spent the last five years away from the spotlight, Diaz also spoke about how much she’s enjoying her marriage and being in her 40s.
She added:
You know, I think the 40s are the best decade. You just get to be real with yourself, and you can also make necessary changes because you have the experience of looking back on four decades. Looking at patterns and seeing what things really work. You get to let go of giving a shit about anything.
Getting married to [Benji Madden] was the best thing that ever happened to me. My husband’s the best. He’s the greatest human being, and he’s my great partner.
The 47-year-old said she has a few projects ‘brewing’, though it’s ‘too early’ to talk about them. She did, however, hint she’d been very fond of what Gwyneth Paltrow had done with her lifestyle brand Goop, and her sister-in-law Nicole Richie’s brand House of Harlow.
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Charlie Cocksedge is a journalist and sub-editor at UNILAD. He graduated from the University of Manchester with an MA in Creative Writing, where he learnt how to write in the third person, before getting his NCTJ. His work has also appeared in such places as The Guardian, PN Review and the bin.