With the release of Cameron Diaz’s new movie, Back in Action, many may be wondering what prompted her to quit acting for 10 years and what’s next for the star following her triumphant return. Cameron Diaz first rose to fame in the 1990s after starring in movies like My Best Friend’s Wedding and There’s Something About Mary. She quickly solidified herself as a talented actor in both dramas and comedies, becoming one of the most recognizable stars in Hollywood in the process. However, Cameron Diaz opted to retire from acting after 2014.

Diaz’s first film after her 10-year hiatus is Netflix’s Back in Action, in which Diaz leads the cast alongside Jamie Foxx. Back in Action follows Diaz and Foxx’s characters, who are retired spies turned parents, as they are forced back into the world of espionage. While Cameron Diaz’s return to acting is very exciting, her reasons for stepping back and the work that she did during that time are equally inspiring and certainly worth learning more about.

Cameron Diaz Retired To “Reclaim” Her Life

Diaz Chose To Retire To Focus On Her Pᴀssion For Other Projects

While acting and fame might seem exciting from an outside perspective, the work can be as exhausting as any other job and there is always attention turned towards actors, so it seems understandable that Diaz may have wanted a break. While at Fortune Magazine‘s Most Powerful Women Summit, Cameron Diaz elaborated on her decision to step back from acting over a decade ago, saying that it was time for her to “reclaim [her] own life.” By retiring, Diaz was able to follow her pᴀssions as she had not been able to while acting.

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During the talk, Diaz affirmed that no one “could change my mind about my decision of taking care of myself and building the life that I really wanted to have” to the applause of audience members. The actor’s decision to walk away from her former career was full of both self-care and confidence. Out of the spotlight, Cameron Diaz’s life was unapologetically her own, and her hiatus allowed her to explore her other talents and things that made her happy well beyond the films that she has come to be known for.

What Cameron Diaz Did After Retiring From Acting

Cameron Diaz Kept Busy During Her Time Away From Acting

After retiring from acting in 2014, Cameron Diaz released a book called The Longevity Book: The Science of Aging, the Biology of Strength, and the Privilege of Time in 2016 as a follow-up to her 2013 book The Body Book. The Longevity Book discusses the science of aging and staying healthy from a positive perspective that hopes to lessen the stigma surrounding women’s bodies as they age. Along with publishing her own health book, Diaz also invested in several health and wellness-related startups that further affirmed her commitment to healthy living.

Beyond her activity in the wellness sphere, Cameron Diaz’s major business venture during her time away from acting was launching her own organic wine label. Diaz along with her business partner Katherine Power launched Avaline in 2020 with a specialized focus on creating wines with clean and healthy ingredients. Her personal life has also stayed busy during her retirement, as Diaz got married to Good Charlotte guitarist Benji Madden in 2015, and the couple welcomed their two children in 2019 and 2024.

Cameron Diaz’s Return To Acting & What’s Next

Diaz Has Several New Projects Lined Up

After taking a decade off from acting, Cameron Diaz is certainly back in action for her new film, and the action comedy is a great reminder of her talents. Cameron Diaz has many great movies, but with her 2025 return to film, the best could still be in the future. Her reluctant yet talented spy persona in Back in Action proves that she still seems right at home in comedy movies, and it also shows that she has room to branch back into other genres as well. To this point, Diaz has several other projects lined up after the release of the Netflix movie.

Luckily for fans of the classic animated franchise, Cameron Diaz has already been confirmed to be returning as the voice of Princess Fiona in Shrek 5, which is currently slated for a 2026 premiere. Outside of her return to the Shrek franchise, Diaz will also appear alongside Keanu Reeves in Outcome, an Apple Original Film, though a release date has not yet been set. With such an exciting schedule of releases, one thing is for sure: Cameron Diaz is back with a bang, and Back in Action is the perfect way for her to reemerge as a leading Hollywood actor.

Source: Fortune Magazine