Cameron Diaz is taking one giant step back into the spotlight with the release of her first new movie in over a decade.
The Bafta nominee can currently be seen in Netflix’s aptly-named Back In Action, which pairs her with Jamie Foxx as a married couple who have hidden from their family that they’re both former prolific spies.
As the title suggests, the pair are then pulled back into the world of espionage after a major incident, with Glenn Close and Andrew Scott also putting in appearances in the action comedy.
Cameron last appeared on our screens in 2014, appearing in a trio of poorly-received movies – the rom-com The Other Woman, the poorly-timed raunchy comedy Sex Tape and a reimagined version of the classic musical Annie.
Speaking to Variety last year, Cameron said that taking an extended hiatus was “just something I had to do”.
The Charlie’s Angels star explained: “It felt like something I had to do to reclaim my own life. And I just really didn’t care about anything else. 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.”
So, what exactly has Cameron Diaz been up to in the last 11 years? Here’s a quick whistle-stop tour.
Starting a family
Cameron told Variety that when it came to her time away from the spotlight: “It really comes to: What are you passionate about? For me, it was to build my family.”
She and Good Charlotte musician Benji Madden tied the knot in 2015, and welcomed their first child, a daughter named Raddix, in December 2019 via a surrogate.
In March 2024, the couple revealed that they had also added a son, Cardinal, to their family.
Asked about her break by Us Weekly in 2025, Cameron said she has been focussing on “just trying to stay alive just like every other mother”.
Releasing her second book
In 2013, Cameron preceded her final three films with the release of The Body Book, offering tips from the Hollywood star and her co-writer Sandra Bark on nutrition, fitness and general mindfulness.
Three years later, the pair reunited for a follow-up, The Longevity Book, billed as an examination of “the art and science of growing older”, offering “concrete steps women can take to create abundant health and resilience as they age”.
Cameron wrote on Instagram at the time: “I am so proud of this book and very much looking forward to engaging us all in a new conversation about aging – how to do it with strength, grace, health and wisdom.”
Launching her own range of wines
After the release of her second book, Cameron made a move into the business world, investing in wellness brands like Seed Health and Modern Acupuncture.
Her most prolific venture is the wine range Avaline, which Cameron boasts has the unique selling points of being vegan-friendly and made from 100% organic grapes.
Cameron’s business partner Katherine Power told Forbes in December 2024: “We’d never thought about this drink that we enjoy so much – ‘What is actually in the bottle?’.
“We thought it’s just grapes, right? We turned the bottle around and we were reminded that wine is one of the only consumable products where you have no ingredient lists or nutritional facts. So, that just set us out on a journey to understand what goes into the winemaking process - what could be put in the bottle.”
Katherine added: “Wine is something that’s governed by the TTB, not the FDA. So, as a wine company, you’re not required to disclose any information about what’s in the bottle - We do.”
Comparing her wine venture to the career that first made her famous, Cameron explained: “I’ve never written or directed or produced a film. I’ve just always been like an actor in the movie and somebody else’s vision, which has been very satisfying to me.
“I don’t want to direct a movie – that’s too big of a piece to bite off for me. But with this, Avaline was born out of a conversation that we had that led to another conversation to another conversation. Then, we added more people to the conversation. As we did that, we came up with this idea of what we wanted to create, and then we did.”
She added: “It’s very satisfying to go from the genesis – from the very first conversation about something and then just to build it and put it out into the world and have people enjoy it and to value it and bring it into their lives.”
Reuniting with various co-stars
Cameron began dipping her toe back into the Hollywood world a few years ago, by coming together with some of her old co-stars to celebrate their past work.
In 2019, she teamed up with Julia Roberts, Rupert Everett and Dermot Mulroney to discuss My Best Friend’s Wedding as part of Entertainment Weekly’s first ever rom-com issue.
She has similarly come together with Charlie’s Angels co-stars Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu on several occasions.
Cameron and Lucy were guests on the first season of Drew’s daytime show in the US, and the trio reunited again when the Kill Bill actor’s star was unveiled on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame.
Cameron also did a joint interview for Entertainment Weekly with her The Sweetest Thing co-stars Christine Applegate and Selma Blair about the film in 2018, but sadly this wasn’t accompanied by a reunion photoshoot.
Guest judging on RuPaul’s Drag Race
For many of us who hadn’t seen Cameron on screen for many years, it was a big deal when she was unveiled as part of the judging line-up for the seventh season of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars in 2022.
All Stars 7 was a special season for a number of reasons – not least the fact it featured a host of former winners returning to the competition to vie for the title of “Queen Of All Queens”.
What’s next for Cameron Diaz?
It seems Back In Action may have given Cameron back the acting buzz (and we’re thrilled to hear it).
She’s already been cast in the Jonah Hill comedy Outcome, a black comedy that will also feature Keanu Reeves, Matt Bomer and Laverne Cox, and will reprise her role as Princess Fiona in the long-awaited fifth Shrek movie.
“I don’t know how I view it,” Cameron told Variety of her future in action.
She added: “It’s hard to say. If I say it then it becomes this thing.
“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. I’m not defining anything. I’m just open to whatever makes sense for me and my family at any given moment.”
Back In Action is now streaming on Netflix.