
After a years-long hiatus from acting, Cameron Diaz is back. The Bad Teacher actress recently appeared on the red carpet for the first time in five years for the premiere of her Netflix film, Back in Action. During her break from acting, Cameron was largely focused on starting her own wine company, Avaline. Other than that, she focused on being a mom — though that is absolutely a full-time job in itself.
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Cameron Diaz launched her wine company in 2020.
Cameron and her friend Katherine Power started Avaline with the desire to make “a cleaner wine.” During a behind-the-scenes video shared on January 15, Cameron said her wine company “was what I was putting most of my focus on” during her acting hiatus.
Other than that, she focused on motherhood.
Cameron shares Raddix, 5, and Cardinal, 10 months, with her husband Benji Madden. During her acting hiatus, she was working on her wine brand “if I was doing anything other than just sort of being a mom and living my day to day.”
“That was pretty much it,” she said. “I’m just trying to stay alive just like every other mother. I’m just trying to keep it going.”
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She didn't think she would act again.
Cameron’s return to acting came as a surprise, even to her. “I didn’t think I was gonna make another movie,” Cameron said. “I was perfectly happy, you know, just living my life.”
Back in Action is her first movie in 10 years, so clearly it’s been a long time coming!
A call from Jamie Foxx changed her mind.
Though Cameron was offered opportunities during her break from acting, she recalled saying “no to everything” and doing “nothing public.” But when she received the call from Jamie Foxx, she couldn’t turn him down.
“How do you say ‘no’ to Jamie Foxx?” Cameron said, adding, “if there’s anyone I’m gonna go back and spend months on end on set, having a ball, laughing with, it would be Jamie.”
In December 2024, when speaking to Empire, Cameron described Jamie as the only one who could get her to break her acting hiatus. “Seriously. I had other opportunities along the way and I was always saying, ‘No. I’m not doing it, I’ve told you … What? Jamie asked? Jamie? Oh, I can do a movie with Jamie!’” she said.
Previously, Cameron described being a mom as 'the best, best, best part of my life.'
During an Instagram Live with Katherine Power in 2020, Cameron said she loves being a mom. “I’m so, so grateful and so happy and it’s the best thing ever and I’m so lucky to get to do it with Benji and we’re just having the best time,” she said at the time. “It’s so great. I’m just thrilled.”
On March 22, 2024, Cameron and Benji announced the birth of their second child. “We are blessed and excited to announce the birth of our Son, Cardinal Madden. He is awesome and We are all so happy he is here!” they wrote in a joint Instagram post.
As for whether or not Cameron will keep acting, she said 'it’s hard to say.'
At this point, anything could happen. “I reserve the right to say no to doing a movie ever again, and I reserve the right to say yes if I decide to,” she told Empire.
“I’m just open to whatever makes sense for me and my family at any given moment,” she said.