Cameron Diaz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cameron Diaz
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Diaz in 2012
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Cameron Michelle Diaz
August 30, 1972 San Diego, California, US
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Benji Madden
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| Children | 2 |
| Awards | Full list |
Cameron Michelle Diaz (born August 30, 1972) is an American actress. She has starred in many popular movies, both comedies and dramas. Her films have earned over $3 billion in the U.S. box office. In 2013, she was named the highest-paid actress over 40. Diaz has received many awards and nominations, including for a British Academy Film Award and four Golden Globe Awards.
Diaz was born in San Diego, California, and grew up in Long Beach. She started modeling while still in high school. She made her first movie at age 21, starring with Jim Carrey in the comedy The Mask (1994). She became even more famous after starring in There's Something About Mary (1998). She also showed her skills in serious roles in films like Any Given Sunday and Being John Malkovich (both 1999).
Diaz was praised for her roles in Vanilla Sky (2001) and Gangs of New York (2002). She also had big success in the action comedies Charlie's Angels (2000) and its 2003 sequel. Many people know her voice as Princess Fiona in the Shrek movies, which started in 2001. After starring in three successful comedies in 2014, Diaz took a break from acting to focus on her family. She returned to acting with the action comedy Back in Action, released in 2025.
Diaz has also written two health books: The Body Book (2013), which was a New York Times bestseller, and The Longevity Book (2016). In 2015, Diaz married musician Benji Madden. They have two children.
Contents
Early Life and Modeling
Cameron Michelle Diaz was born on August 30, 1972, in San Diego, California. Her mother, Billie, was an import/export agent, and her father, Emilio Diaz, was a foreman for an oil company. Cameron has an older sister named Chimene. Her father's family came from Cuba, with Spanish roots from Cadiz. Her mother has mostly English and German family history.
Diaz grew up in Long Beach. She went to Los Cerritos Elementary School and then Long Beach Polytechnic High School. She was a schoolmate of the famous rapper Snoop Dogg. She has said her family didn't have a lot of money but they were very happy.
When she was 16, while still in high school, Diaz signed a modeling contract with Elite Model Management. She appeared in ads for brands like Calvin Klein and Levi's. The next year, at age 17, she was on the cover of Seventeen magazine. She also modeled in Australia and filmed a commercial for Coca-Cola in Sydney in 1991.
Career Highlights
Early Films and Rising Fame
At 21, Diaz tried out for the movie The Mask. She got the role of Tina Carlyle, a jazz singer, even though she had no acting experience. She started acting lessons after being cast. The Mask was one of the top ten highest-earning films of 1994.
Diaz then appeared in the independent comedy The Last Supper (1995). She played a student who invites people with extreme views to dinner. She also had a main role in Feeling Minnesota (1996) with Keanu Reeves. The same year, she starred with Jennifer Aniston in She's the One (1996). She also appeared in Head Above Water (1996).
Diaz was supposed to be in the movie Mortal Kombat but had to leave after breaking her hand during training. In 1997, she returned to mainstream films with the romantic comedy My Best Friend's Wedding. She starred alongside Julia Roberts. The movie was a big hit around the world.
In 1998, Diaz starred in There's Something About Mary. She played Mary, a woman in Miami who has several men trying to win her over. Critics praised her performance. This movie was the highest-earning comedy of 1998 in North America. It made US$369 million worldwide. She was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress. Diaz also appeared in the comedy Very Bad Things (1998).
Dramatic Roles and Success
In 1999, Diaz starred in Being John Malkovich, directed by Spike Jonze. She played the pet-loving wife of a puppeteer. The film was highly praised. Critics noted how different she looked in the role. For this part, Diaz was nominated for several awards, including a Golden Globe and a BAFTA. Her next film in 1999 was Any Given Sunday, a sports drama directed by Oliver Stone.
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In the movie Charlie's Angels (2000), Diaz, Drew Barrymore, and Lucy Liu played a team of investigators. The film was one of the highest-earning movies of the year, making US$264.1 million. In 2001, Diaz starred in the drama The Invisible Circus. Later that year, she appeared in Vanilla Sky with Tom Cruise. Critics praised her emotional performance in Vanilla Sky. She earned more nominations for Best Supporting Actress for this role.
Also in 2001, she lent her voice to Princess Fiona in the animated film Shrek. Her character is a princess who turns into an ogress at sunset. She is rescued by Shrek, whom she falls in love with. Shrek was a huge success, earning US$484.4 million worldwide. It was the first movie to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. In 2002, Diaz starred in the romantic comedy The Sweetest Thing.
After Shrek, Diaz starred in Martin Scorsese's historical drama Gangs of New York. She played a pickpocket and the love interest of Leonardo DiCaprio's character. The film received good reviews and was a box office success, earning US$193 million worldwide. Diaz then returned to her roles in the successful sequels Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003) and Shrek 2 (2004).
Established Actress
In 2005, Diaz starred with Toni Collette and Shirley MacLaine in In Her Shoes. This comedy-drama is about the relationship between two sisters and their grandmother. Critics liked the film, and Diaz was praised for her performance. She then appeared in Nancy Meyers' romantic comedy The Holiday (2006). She played Amanda, an American movie producer who swaps homes with a British woman. The film was a big success, making over US$205 million worldwide.
Diaz's only film in 2007 was Shrek the Third, the third movie in the Shrek series. It earned US$798 million worldwide. Diaz also voiced Princess Fiona in a Christmas TV special that year. Diaz earned a lot of money for her roles in the Shrek sequel and her next film, What Happens in Vegas, with Ashton Kutcher. This romantic comedy, released in 2008, earned US$219 million.
In 2009, she starred in My Sister's Keeper and The Box. My Sister's Keeper is based on a novel and tells the story of a family dealing with a child who has leukemia. It earned US$95 million worldwide. The Box was a psychological thriller where Diaz and James Marsden play a couple who receive a mysterious box.
In 2010, Forbes magazine listed Diaz as one of the richest female celebrities. That year, Diaz returned as Princess Fiona in Shrek Forever After, the fourth Shrek movie. It earned over US$752 million worldwide. She also voiced Princess Fiona in a Halloween TV special. Also in 2010, Diaz reunited with her Vanilla Sky co-star Tom Cruise in the action comedy Knight and Day. The film earned US$262 million worldwide.
In 2011, Diaz played a journalist named Lenore Case in The Green Hornet. She starred with Seth Rogen and Christoph Waltz. The film made US$228 million worldwide. The same year, she starred with Justin Timberlake and Jason Segel in the comedy Bad Teacher. Diaz played a middle school teacher. The film was a commercial hit, earning US$216 million worldwide.
Focus on Comedies
In 2012, Diaz was in What to Expect When You're Expecting, a comedy based on a popular pregnancy guide. Diaz played a contestant on a dance show who becomes pregnant. The film was a moderate success, earning US$84.4 million worldwide. Diaz's other film that year was Gambit, a remake of a 1966 film. Diaz also voiced Sigmund Freud in A Liar's Autobiography (2012), an animated comedy.
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Diaz's only film in 2013 was The Counselor, directed by Ridley Scott. She co-starred with Michael Fassbender and Brad Pitt. Diaz played a character who was a pathological liar. Her performance was praised. In late 2013, she published her health book, The Body Book: Feed, Move, Understand and Love Your Amazing Body. It became a New York Times Best Seller.
Diaz's first film of 2014 was the comedy The Other Woman with Leslie Mann and Kate Upton. The film earned US$196.7 million globally. Her next film in 2014 was the comedy ... Tape, where she starred with Jason Segel again. They played a married couple who lose a private video. The film earned US$126 million worldwide.
Her last film that year was Annie, a movie adaptation. She played Miss Colleen Hannigan, the strict head of the foster home. Annie made US$133 million worldwide.
Acting Break and Return
After Annie, Diaz decided to take a break from acting. She said in 2017 that she was tired of traveling for filming. She confirmed her retirement in March 2018. She released The Longevity Book in June 2016. Since then, she has invested in health and biotech companies. In 2020, Diaz launched an organic wine brand called Avaline. In 2022, she was a guest judge on RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 7.
In June 2022, it was announced that Diaz would return to acting. She starred with Jamie Foxx in the Netflix action-comedy Back in Action, which was released on January 17, 2025. In March 2024, it was announced that Diaz was in talks to star in the film Outcome with Keanu Reeves. Filming for that project started later that month. She will also return to voice Princess Fiona in Shrek 5, which is planned for release in 2026.
Personal Life
Relationships and Family
Diaz dated video producer Carlos de la Torre from 1990 to 1994. From 1996 to 1998, she dated her There's Something About Mary co-star Matt Dillon. She was engaged to actor/singer Jared Leto between 1999 and 2003. From 2003 to 2006, she dated singer Justin Timberlake. From 2010 to 2011, Diaz dated former baseball player Alex Rodriguez.
Diaz married musician Benji Madden on January 5, 2015, at her home in Beverly Hills, California. They were introduced by her close friend Nicole Richie, who is married to Benji's twin brother Joel. In December 2019, the couple welcomed their first child, a daughter. In March 2024, they announced the birth of their second child, a son.
Other Work
Diaz is known for her work in environmental causes. She was an early supporter of the Toyota Prius hybrid car. She also helped promote Al Gore's Live Earth campaign, which aimed to raise awareness about climate change. Diaz has also been involved with the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA). This is a non-profit group for veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. She has spoken out to support military families.
Acting Credits and Awards
Diaz has received many awards and nominations. These include four Golden Globe Awards nominations, three Screen Actors Guild Awards nominations, and one British Academy Film Award nomination. In 2016, IndieWire named her one of the greatest actors who had not yet received an Academy Award nomination.
See also
In Spanish: Cameron Diaz para niños
