Why did Cameron Diaz choose to take a break from acting before starring in Netflix’s Back in Action, reasons explored

Cameron Diaz's return to Hollywood has been met with immense excitement from fans as speculations arise on why the actress stepped away from the industry at the height of her career. Diaz, who was last seen in 2014's Annie took a decade-long break and is finally back for an action comedy film with Jamie Foxx.

Talking to E! News about her decision to take a hiatus from Hollywood, the actress said,

"It felt like the right thing for me to reclaim my own life, and I just really didn't care about anything else"

She further talked about how she wanted to prioritize her own life and her family over everything else, as she added,

"Nobody's opinion, nobody's success, no one's offer, no one's anything could change my mind about my decision of taking care of myself and building the life that I really wanted to have. I think it really comes to what are you passionate about? For me, it was to build my family."

Cameron Diaz's return to Hollywood

Diaz is marking her re-entry into Hollywood with Back In Action, a Netflix comedy thriller where she stars alongside Jamie Foxx. Both the actors have previously worked on Annie and Any Given Sunday.

However, stepping back into the industry was not as easy as one would think. The actress opened up on struggling to find her way back as she spoke during Fortune's Most Powerful Women Summit and said,

"We were in the house for a long time, which was amazing. So, I had to push myself. My husband, he’s just the best. He was just like, ‘You've been supporting us and building the family.’ And supporting him in his businesses. He's like, ‘It’s time for us to support you and let mommy ascend and do her thing.’"

Cameron Diaz is married to Benji Madden and the couple shares two children: daughter Raddix and son Cardinal.

More details on Back In Action

Directed by Seth Gordon, Back In Action will revolve around Foxx and Diaz's characters who return to their lives as spies as they face danger in a suburban city. The official synopsis of the film reads,

"Fifteen years after vanishing from the CIA to start a family, elite spies Matt and Emily jump back into the world of espionage when their cover is blown."

Apart from the lead actors, the film also stars Glenn Close, Kyle Chandler, Andrew Scott, and Jamie Demetriou.

Releasing digitally on Netflix, the film also marks Jamie Foxx's first film after his 2023 stroke which led him to exit the industry for a while.

Back In Action is now available to stream on Netflix.