The actress reveals how becoming a mother reshaped her priorities and sparked her return to acting.
Cameron Diaz, the beloved star of The Mask and There’s Something About Mary, recently shared how motherhood has profoundly changed her outlook on life—and her career. Speaking to E! News during the premiere of her comeback film Back in Action, the 52-year-old actress opened up about the emotional shift she experienced after starting a family.
“You’re a different person after you have children, after marriage, after building a life,” Diaz reflected. Since stepping away from Hollywood for a decade, she’s embraced her role as a mother to five-year-old daughter Raddix and her infant son Cardinal, whom she welcomed in 2024 with her husband, musician Benji Madden.
Motherhood, she explained, brought a new depth to her understanding of priorities. “I’ve never made a movie while having a family. All the boxes that need to be checked have changed,” Diaz said. “There’s a lot more happening in my world now, which gives me a completely different perspective on life.”
Diaz’s decade-long hiatus from acting was driven by a desire to focus on personal growth and family life. She previously revealed she hadn’t planned on returning to Hollywood—until Jamie Foxx, her co-star in Back in Action, convinced her otherwise.
“How do you say ‘No’ to Jamie Foxx?” she joked. “If there’s anyone I’d spend months on set laughing and having a ball with, it’s him.” Diaz credited Foxx’s charm and the unique opportunity to collaborate with him as key factors in her decision to come back.
Before her return, the actress was fully immersed in her role as a mum. “I was just living my normal life,” she explained. “That’s where my focus was—on being a mum and navigating day-to-day life.”
Back in Action marks Diaz’s first film in nearly a decade, and her fans are thrilled to see her back on screen. The action-comedy promises to deliver the humour and charisma that made Diaz a household name, while also showcasing the depth and perspective she’s gained in her time away from Hollywood.
As Diaz juggles her return to acting with her responsibilities as a parent, she’s embracing this new chapter with gratitude. Her journey illustrates the balance between career and family—a balance she’s determined to navigate with the same energy and grace that defined her illustrious career.
