Cameron Diaz opens up about staying away from films to focus on family and kids: ‘My world felt complete’
After taking a decade off from Hollywood to focus on marriage and kids, Cameron Diaz, in a recent interview, opened up about putting family before her career.
Hollywood star Cameron Diaz is stepping back into Hollywood with a fresh outlook and a renewed sense of purpose. After a ten-year break from acting, the There’s Something About Mary star is balancing her passion for storytelling with her role as a devoted mother. At 52, she’s made her return in the action-comedy Back in Action, reuniting with long-time friend and co-star Jamie Foxx.

Reflecting on her life now, Cameron, in an interview with E online said, "You’re a different person after you have children, after marriage, after building a life. Everything changes—your whole perspective, your whole world, your understanding of it. For me, I never made a movie before with a family. So, all of the boxes change that need to be checked off. That’s the most important, and then everything else has to line up to support that."
Her decision to return to acting was not made lightly. Cameron stepped away from her glittering career to focus on her family—her husband, and frontman of the popular rock band Good Charlotte, Benji Madden, their five-year-old daughter Raddix, and their ten-month-old son Cardinal. The time away, she said, gave her a chance to experience life beyond the Hollywood bubble and fully immerse herself in family life.
"As an actor, it’s completely different having taken 10 years and lived a life that I wasn’t living when I was an actor. There’s a lot more happening in my world that allows me a different perspective on life, period," she explained.
Cameron shared that discussions with her husband influenced her decision to return and was also motivated to comeback with Jamie Foxx, with whom she was seen in Annie (2014), before she went on a hiatus. "I hadn’t considered anything other than this. Benji and I talked about how maybe it would be cool to do something with the family, like switch it up a little bit," she admitted. "The only reason I would even consider it is because I know what I’m getting into with [Jamie] as a partner: His talent, his professionalism," she added.
Her years away from acting brought her immeasurable joy. "Spending half a decade blissfully at home with our kids was a dream," she said. "I didn’t feel the need to do anything else. My world felt complete."
But stepping back into the industry has reignited her creative spark. With a wealth of experiences and a broader perspective, she’s embracing this new chapter with gratitude. "When you live life outside of the bubble of Hollywood, you gain so much perspective," Cameron reflected. "That’s been the most profound part of this experience—being able to bring that perspective into my work now."
