Diaz has also written two health books:The Body Book (2013), aNew York Times bestseller, andThe Longevity Book (2016). Her personal life has drawn media attention throughout the course of her career, mostly regarding her relationships and fashion choices. In 2015, Diaz marriedGood Charlotte guitaristBenji Madden; they have two childrenvia surrogate.
Cameron Michelle Diaz was born August 30, 1972,[5] inSan Diego, California, to Billie (née Early), an import/export agent, and Emilio Diaz,[6] a foreman of the California oil companyUnocal.[7][8] Diaz has an elder sister, Chimene.[7] Her father's family isCuban, and Diaz's forebears had emigrated from Spain to Cuba.[9] Diaz stated that her directSpanish ancestors were originally fromCádiz.[10] Later, they settled inYbor City, Tampa, Florida, before moving to theLos Angeles area, where her father was born.[11][12] Her mother has predominantlyEnglish andGerman ancestry.[13][14]
Diaz was raised inLong Beach[8] and attendedLos Cerritos Elementary School, and thenLong Beach Polytechnic High School,[15] where she was a schoolmate ofSnoop Dogg.[16] She recalled her upbringing as frugal, stating: "I had amazing parents, they were awesome. We weren't privileged—very much the opposite. My family would collect [soda] cans to turn in for extra money, because $20 meant something to us. But we were very happy."[17]
While still attending high school, Diaz signed a modeling contract withElite Model Management at age 16[18] and appeared in advertisements forCalvin Klein andLevi's.[19] The following year, at age 17, she was featured on the cover of the July 1990 issue ofSeventeen magazine.[18] Diaz also modeled for 2 to 3 months inAustralia and shot a commercial forCoca-Cola inSydney in 1991.[20][21][22]
At the age of 21, Diaz auditioned forThe Mask, playing a jazz singer named Tina Carlyle,[23] based on the recommendation of an agent for Elite, who met the film's producers while they were searching for the lead actress. Having no previous acting experience, she started acting lessons after being cast.The Mask became one of the top ten highest-grossing films of 1994[24] and launched Diaz as asex symbol.[25][26] During this period, Diaz dated video producer Carlos de la Torre.[27]
Diaz subsequently starred in the independent black comedyThe Last Supper (1995), playing one of severalliberal graduate students who invite a group ofextremist conservatives to a dinner in an attempt to murder them.[28]Roger Ebert deemed the film "a brave effort in a timid time, aSwiftian attempt to slap us all in the face and get us to admit that our own freedoms depend precisely on those of our neighbors, our opponents and, yes, our enemies."[29] She then had a lead role as an ex-stripper in the dramatic comedyFeeling Minnesota (1996), in which she co-starred oppositeKeanu Reeves,Vincent D'Onofrio, andCourtney Love.[30]Emanuel Levy ofVariety noted: "Sadly, with the notable exception of the attractive Diaz, who's well cast as the sexual aggressor and romantic manipulator, there are no exciting performances in the film."[30] The same year, she was cast oppositeJennifer Aniston in theEdward Burns-directed comedyShe's the One (1996),[31] followed by a starring role inHead Above Water (1996), a crime-comedy in which she played an unfaithful wife implicated in her ex-lover's murder.[32]
She was scheduled to perform in the filmMortal Kombat, but had to resign after breaking her hand while training for the role.[33] Besides a starring part in the little-seenA Life Less Ordinary, Diaz returned to mainstream in 1997 with the romantic comedyMy Best Friend's Wedding. In it, she starred oppositeJulia Roberts, playing the wealthy fiancée of a sportswriter who is the long-time friend of Roberts' character. The film was aglobal box-office hit[34] and is considered one of the best romantic comedy films of all time.[35][36]
In 1998, Diaz starred inThere's Something About Mary, as the titular role of a woman living inMiami having several men vying for her affections. It was remarked inThe Austin Chronicle: "As the Mary at the center of it all, Diaz certainly exudes that irresistible 'something' expressed in the title. In films such asMy Best Friend's Wedding andA Life Less Ordinary, Diaz has shown herself to be a good comic sport who is game for just about anything. Here, it's no stretch to understand why, at the end of the movie, some half-dozen suitors have converged in her living room to throw themselves at her feet."[37] Thesleeper hit was the highest-grossing comedy of 1998 in North America as well as the fourth-highest-grossing film of the year; it made US$176million in the United States and US$369million worldwide.[38] She was nominated for aGolden Globe Award in the category of Best Actress – Musical or Comedy.[39] Diaz also starred in the critically panned comedyVery Bad Things (1998).
She starred inSpike Jonze's directorial debutBeing John Malkovich (1999), portraying the pet-obsessed wife of an unemployed puppeteer who, through a portal, finds himself in the mind of actorJohn Malkovich. The film received widespread acclaim and was an arthouse success.[40]Janet Maslin ofThe New York Times concluded that Diaz "does a hilarious turn" in her "frumpy wife" role,[41] andRoger Ebert felt that the actress, "one of the best-looking women in movies, [...] here looks so dowdy we hardly recognize her [...] Diaz has fun with her talent by taking it incognito to strange places and making it work for a living".[42] For her role, Diaz earned Best Supporting Actress nominations at the Golden Globe, BAFTA, and SAG Awards, however, she was snubbed for the Oscar, which was met with backlash. Her next film release in 1999 wasOliver Stone's sports dramaAny Given Sunday (1999), in which veteran coach Tony D’Amato (Al Pacino) has fallen out of favor with her character Christina Pagniacci, the young woman who owns the team. While critical response was mixed, the film made US$100million globally.[43]
In the film adaptationCharlie's Angels (2000), Diaz,Drew Barrymore, andLucy Liu played the trio of investigators in Los Angeles. The film was one of the highest-grossing films of the year, grossing US$264.1million.[44] In 2001, Diaz starred in the Sundance-premiered independent dramaThe Invisible Circus, as a young woman who commits suicide in Europe in the 1970s, and next in the year, she appeared inVanilla Sky, as the former lover of a self-indulgent and vain publishing magnate (Tom Cruise). A wide critical response and commercial success greetedVanilla Sky upon its release;Los Angeles Times called her "compelling as the embodiment of crazed sensuality"[45] andThe New York Times said she gives a "ferociously emotional" performance.San Francisco Chronicle similarly stated of the film, "most impressive is Cameron Diaz, whose fatal-attraction stalker is both heartbreaking and terrifying."[46] She earned nominations for Best Supporting Actress at the Golden Globe Awards, theSAG Awards, theCritics' Choice Awards, and theAmerican Film Institute Awards for her performance in the film.
Also in 2001, she voicedPrincess Fiona in the animated filmShrek.[47] In the film, her character is plagued by a curse that transforms her into an ogress each and every sunset. Locked in a dragon-guarded castle for several years, she is rescued by thetitle character, whom she later comes to love. The film was a major commercial success, grossing US$484.4million worldwide and became the first movie to win theAcademy Award for Best Animated Feature.[48][49] In 2002, Diaz headlined the romantic comedyThe Sweetest Thing, playing a single woman educating herself on wooing the opposite sex when she finally meets the man of her dreams. The film was a moderate commercial success with a global gross of US$68.6million.[50]
After completingShrek, Diaz starred inMartin Scorsese's epic period dramaGangs of New York, set in the mid-19th century in theFive Points district of New York City; she took on the role of a pickpocket-grifter and the love interest ofLeonardo DiCaprio's character. The film received positive reviews by critics and was a box office success, grossing a total of US$193million worldwide.[51][52]A. O. Scott ofThe New York Times, agreeing with other top critics on co-starDaniel Day-Lewis's presence overshadowing Diaz and DiCaprio,[53][54] felt that the actress "ends up with no outlet for her spitfire energies, since her character is more a structural necessity — the linchpin of male jealousy — than a fully imagined person. The limitations of her role point to a more serious lapse, which is the movie's lack of curiosity about what women's lives might have been like in Old New York".[55] Diaz next reprised her roles in the commercially successful sequelsCharlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003), andShrek 2 (2004).
Diaz received substantialdefamation damages from suingAmerican Media Incorporated, after theNational Enquirer posted an article and pictures with the headline "Cameron Caught Cheating" on their website in May 2005.[56] The photos claimed to show Diaz cheating on her boyfriend at the time,Justin Timberlake, with the marriedMTV producer of her showTrippin', Shane Nickerson.[56][57] After Diaz complained, the article and pictures were removed from the web and the hard copy did not contain any of the content. The magazine apologized to Diaz, Timberlake, Nickerson and his wife for the distress caused and said the story was untrue and the picture showed no more than a goodbye hug between friends.[56]
Diaz's only film of 2007 wasShrek the Third, the third installment in theShrek franchise, which also featured Timberlake in a supporting role. Although the film was met with mixed reviews from critics,[61] it grossed US$798million worldwide.[62] The same year, Diaz also voiced Princess Fiona in a thirty-minute Christmas special,Shrek the Halls, directed byGary Trousdale.[63] Diaz earned an estimated US$50 million during the period of a year ending June 2008, for her roles in theShrek sequel and her next filmWhat Happens in Vegas oppositeAshton Kutcher.[64][65] A romantic comedy byTom Vaughan, Diaz and Kutcher portrayed two strangers who awaken together to discover they have gotten married following a night in which they won a huge jackpot after playing the other's quarter. Critic reviews were negative but the film still grossed US$219million with a budget of US$35million.[66][67]
In 2009, she starred inMy Sister's Keeper andThe Box. Based onJodi Picoult'snovel of the same name,[68]My Sister's Keeper was released to mixed reviews in June 2009.[69] In the drama, Diaz plays a former lawyer and mother of three, one of whom is dying ofleukemia. A moderate commercial success, it grossed US$95million worldwide, mostly from its domestic run.[70] Set in 1976,The Box, written and directed byRichard Kelly, stars Diaz andJames Marsden as a couple who receive a box from a mysterious man who offers them one million dollars if they press the button sealed within the dome on top of a box, knowing that someone, somewhere, will die from it.[71] Critical response towards thepsychological horror film was mixed,[72] and, though having grossed its budget back, was considered a financial disappointment.[73]
Diaz at Paris press conference forKnight & Day in 2010
In 2010,Forbes ranked Diaz as the richest female celebrity, ranking her number 60 among the wealthiest 100.[74][75] Also that year, Diaz reprised her voice role ofPrincess Fiona inShrek Forever After, the fourth installment in theShrek series. Although the film opened to mixed reviews from critics, it grossed a worldwide total of over US$752million and became the fifth top-grossing film released that year.[76] The same year, she also voiced Princess Fiona in a thirty-minute Halloween special titledScared Shrekless.[77] Also in 2010, Diaz reunited with herVanilla Sky co-starTom Cruise in the action comedy filmKnight and Day. In it, Diaz plays a classic car restorer who unwittingly gets caught up with the eccentric secret agent Roy Miller, played by Cruise, who is on the run from theSecret Service.Knight and Day received mixed reviews,[78] and while the comedy performed poorly at the box office in its debut, it became asleeper hit at the box office with a worldwide gross of US$262million.[79]
In 2011, Diaz was cast as Lenore Case, a journalist, in theremake of the 1940s filmThe Green Hornet. Directed byMichel Gondry, Diaz starred alongsideSeth Rogen,Jay Chou, andChristoph Waltz in the superhero action comedy film. Released to mixed to negative reviews from critics, who called it an "overblown, interminable and unfunny update",[80] the film ended its theatrical run on April 21, 2011, with a worldwide gross total of US$228million.[79] The same year, she played opposite Timberlake andJason Segel inJake Kasdan's adult comedyBad Teacher. In the film, Diaz plays an immoral, gold-diggingChicago-area middle school teacher at the fictional John Adams Middle School who curses at her students, drinks heavily, and smokesmarijuana. Again, it received mostly negative reviews from critics who felt that "in spite of a promising concept and a charmingly brazen performance from Diaz,Bad Teacher is never as funny as it should be."[81] A commercial hit however, theR-rated comedy grossed US$216million worldwide.[82] Also in 2011, Diaz was listed amongCEOWorld Magazine's Top Accomplished Women Entertainers.[83]
In 2012 Diaz was cast inWhat to Expect When You're Expecting, directed byKirk Jones and based on thepregnancy guide of the same name.[84] Diaz, who filmed her scenes in a two-week period, portrays Jules Baxter, a contestant on a celebrity dance show and a host to a weight-loss fitness show, who becomes pregnant with her dance partner's baby.[85] Upon release, the ensemble comedy received mostly negative reviews, but became a moderate commercial success with a worldwide gross of US$84.4million.[86][87] Diaz's other film that year wasGambit, a remake of the 1966film of the same name directed byMichael Hoffman and scripted byJoel and Ethan Coen. The film received overwhelmingly negative reviews,[88] and performed poorly at the box office, grossing only US$10million internationally.[89] Diaz also voicedSigmund Freud inA Liar's Autobiography (2012), a British animated comedy film that is a (deliberately) completely inaccurate portrayal[90] of the life ofMonty Python alumnusGraham Chapman.
Diaz's first film of 2014 was the romantic revenge comedyThe Other Woman oppositeNikolaj Coster-Waldau,Leslie Mann, andKate Upton. WhileThe Other Woman received mostly negative reviews from critics, who felt that it settled for cheap laughs,[94] it opened atop the US weekend box office with earnings of US$24.7million across the three days;[95] it eventually made US$83.9million in North America and US$196.7million globally.[96] Her next film release in 2014 was the comedySex Tape, in which she starred with Segel again as a married couple waking up to discover that a sex tape they had made went missing, leading to a frantic search for its whereabouts. It ultimately became a moderate commercial success with a worldwide gross of US$126million.[97][98] The role required Diaz to perform multiple scenes of nudity. On her decision to appear nude, Diaz said: "People have seen my butt. I've shown the top of my butt, the bottom of my butt. I'm not opposed to doing nudity, as long as it's part of the story. I'll do whatever has to get done if it's the right thing."[99]
Her final film that year was the film adaptationAnnie, co-starringQuvenzhané Wallis,Jamie Foxx, andRose Byrne. She took on the role of Miss Colleen Hannigan, the cruel control freak of the foster home where the titular character resides.[100] Upon its December premiere,Annie made US$133million worldwide, with Diaz's performance garnering polarized reviews; critics praising her effort, but ultimately calling it too "vampy",[101] as well as "strident and obnoxious".[102]Peter Travers ofRolling Stone says that she "overacts the role to the point of hysteria".[103]
Diaz decided to take a break from acting following the release ofAnnie, stating in July 2017 that she became tired of traveling for filming,[104] and confirmed her retirement the following March.[105] She releasedThe Longevity Book: The Science of Aging, the Biology of Strength, and the Privilege of Time in June 2016.[106][107][108] She has since invested in health and biotech startups, including Seed Health and Modern Acupuncture.[109][110][111][112] In May 2019, she was a keynote speaker atThe Infatuation's annual food festival,EEEEEATSCON.[113] In 2020, Diaz launched an organic wine brand, Avaline, with business partner Katherine Power.[114] In 2022, she appeared as a guest judge in theseason opener episode ofRuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 7, and stated she was a huge fan of the show.[115]
In June 2022, it was announced that Diaz would return to acting by starring alongside Foxx in theNetflix action-comedyBack in Action,[116] which was released onNetflix on January 17, 2025. In March 2024, Diaz was announced to be in talks to star in theApple Original FilmOutcome alongsideKeanu Reeves.[117] Filming started for the project later that month.[118] She will reprise her voice role asPrincess Fiona inShrek 5, scheduled for release in 2027.[119]
From 1990 to 1994, Diaz cohabited with video producer Carlos de la Torre, whom she met in Japan while filming anLA Gear ad.[120] From January 1996 to September 1998, Diaz dated herThere's Something About Mary co-starMatt Dillon.[121] She was unofficially engaged to actor/singerJared Leto between 1999 and 2003.[27][122] From April 2003 to December 2006, she dated singerJustin Timberlake.[123] From May 2010 to September 2011, Diaz dated formerNew York Yankees playerAlex Rodriguez.[124] Diaz married musicianBenji Madden at her home inBeverly Hills, California, on January 5, 2015, in a Jewish ceremony.[125][126] The couple had been introduced ten months earlier by her close friendNicole Richie who is married to Madden's twin brotherJoel.[127] In December 2019, the couple became parents to their first child, a daughter , viasurrogate pregnancy.[128] In March 2024, it was announced that the couple had a second child, a son.[129]
In May 1992, she was photographed and videotaped topless for anS&M leather fashion lingerie editorial by John Rutter, a professional photographer. The photographs and video were never released. Rutter approached Diaz in 2003, ahead of the release ofCharlie's Angels: Full Throttle, offering to sell the pictures and video to her forUS$3.5million (equivalent to $5.98million in 2024) before attempting to sell them to prospective buyers. He stated that he was offering herfirst right of refusal to them; she saw it as attempted blackmail and sued him.[130][131][132] In July 2004, the 30-minute video of the photo shoot, entitledShe's No Angel, was released on a Russian website.[133] Rutter denied releasing it.[134] On September 16, 2005, Rutter was sentenced to more than three years in prison for attempted grand theft, forgery, and perjury.[132]
On February 27, 2025, it was confirmed that Diaz had been one of the people who had traveled onJeffrey Epstein's private plane to his private island in theUS Virgin Islands.[135][136]
Diaz was critical of theGeorge W. Bush administration. She wore a T-shirt that read "I won't vote for a son of a Bush!" while making publicity visits forCharlie's Angels.[137] Diaz has been involved with theIraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), the first and largest non-profit organization for veterans of the wars inIraq andAfghanistan, and has spoken as an advocate for military families.[138]
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