Cameron Diaz Retired From Acting, And We’re Cheering Her On

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Where in the world has Cameron Diaz BEEN?

Her last role was in 2014’s ‘Annie’ remake — then one of the highest-paid actors in the biz just *poof* disappeared. 

She wasn’t a missing person — we knew where she was, but no more acting gigs. 

And since she is a beloved lead, her absence was noticeable. 

The 48-year-old has been a mainstay acting force, appearing in over 50 movies, breaking onto the scene in 1994’s ‘The Mask’ opposite Jim Carrey.

Where’d She Go?

In 2018, during a ‘The Sweetest Thing’ reunion, Diaz was discussing getting together with her co-stars Christina Applegate and Selma Blair, when she dropped this bomb: “That’s so awesome. I’m totally down. I’m semi-retired, too, and I am actually retired, so I would love to see you ladies.”

That was the first clue that she’d taken herself out of the entertainment game. 

I’d hoped it was a throwaway comment, a joke — I grew up with Cameron Diaz and wanted to see her in more roles, as she has the ability to transition from goofy to serious roles with ease. 

But it was not a joke — Diaz has benched herself for good.

Why She Left

Diaz shed some light on her decision to step away from acting in an interview with Kevin Hart last week. 

Joining Hart on his show ‘Hart to Heart’ (streaming on Peacock TV), she discussed her decision to abandon the acting ship and posted a clip to her IG. 

She talked about her reasons for retiring, which “came down to a realization that she was spending so much time and energy on acting, she was no longer managing her own life.”

“When you do something at a really high level for a long period of time” — in her case, acting — “it’s difficult to focus on anything but that one thing.”

The high level included roles in ‘Gangs of New York,’ ‘Being John Malkovich,’ ‘In Her Shoes,’ ‘My Best Friend’s Wedding,’ and, of course, ‘There’s Something About Mary.’

I can’t list them all but basically, before 2014, if there was a movie being made, Diaz was starring in it. 

“When you’re the person who’s sort of delivering on this one thing — you’re the person on the screen, you’re the person who’s ‘the talent’ — everything around you — all parts of you that isn’t that — has to be handed off to other people,” Cameron told Hart.

She also told Hart that while in the Hollywood bubble, “every aspect” of her life, from her money to her daily routines and her house, was run by other people.

“Me as a human being — not me as Cameron Diaz, because Cameron Diaz is a machine — but for my personal, spiritual self, I was realizing that it’s kind of like that one part of me that was functioning at a high level wasn’t enough,” she said.

The actor shared with Hart that even though she loved to act and she “could go forever,” it came to a place where she couldn’t control areas of her own life — “it was so big.

“I really do think it’s about the people you have in your life that can help you keep things moving,” Cameron said. “And I had some amazing people, and I had some people who were not serving my best interests always.

“But you don’t have time to figure those things out if you are just going, going, going, going with blinders on.”

So she backed away. 

“I just really wanted to make my life manageable by me,” Cameron added. “My routine in a day is literally what I can manage to do by myself. It’s the best feeling. I feel whole.”

Not The Only Actor To Step Away

In 2020, Diaz talked to friend and Goop founder Gwyneth Paltrow for an episode of ‘In Goop Health: The Sessions,’ where they both spoke about their choice to change courses at the height of their acting careers. 

“What did it feel like to walk away from a movie career of that magnitude?” Paltrow asked Diaz.

“Like peace. A peace in my soul because I was finally taking care of myself,” Diaz said. 

“It’s a strange thing to say, I know a lot of people won’t understand it, I know you understand it, but it was so intense to work at that level and be that public and put yourself out there,” Diaz continued. “There’s a lot of energy coming at you at all times when you’re really visible as an actor and doing press and putting yourself out there.

“I stopped and really looked at my life,” she added. “When you’re making a movie … they own you. You’re there for 12 hours a day for months on end and you have no time for anything else.”

Her Life Now

After retiring from acting, Diaz co-founded a “clean” wine line called Avaline with businesswoman Katherine Power. 

The brand can boast making “clean, delicious wines with organic grapes. Transparently produced, full of natural goodness, free of unwanted extras.

“We work with talented winemakers who share our values: starting with organic ingredients and adding little else. Clean and delicious from grape to glass.”

In addition to entering the wine business, Diaz wrote a second best-selling book, (‘The Longevity Book: The Science of Aging, the Biology of Strength, and the Privilege of Time’) and became a mom. 

Diaz and her husband, musician Benji Madden (Good Charlotte), had a daughter, Raddix, in January 2020.

Having a child was another big reason for her necessary career shift.

“So it’s just a different time in my life now. Now I’m here and this is the most fulfilling thing that I’ve ever done in my life. [To] have a family and be married and have our little nucleus of a family. It’s just completely the best thing,” Diaz said. “So I can’t give…I don’t have what it takes to give making a movie what it needs to be made. All of my energy is here.”

It sounds like she’s in a great place and focused on what’s important to her, which is so important. 

We’ll miss you, Cameron, and welcome you back with open arms if you ever decide to grace the big screen again.

What do you think of Cameron Diaz’s decision to retire? Let us know in the comments.

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