Cameron Diaz
Cameron Michelle Diaz (born August 30, 1972) is an American actress. Known for her work in both comedy and drama, her films have grossed over $3 billion in the U.S. box-office.[1] Diaz established herself as a sex symbol and one of Hollywood's most bankable stars, and in 2013 she was named the highest-paid actress over 40.[2] She has received various accolades, including nominations for a BAFTA Award and four Golden Globe Awards.
Cameron Diaz
Born in San Diego, California, Diaz was raised in Long Beach. While still in high school, she signed a modeling contract with Elite Model Management. She made her film debut at age 21 opposite Jim Carrey in the comedy The Mask (1994). Following a supporting role in the romantic comedy My Best Friend's Wedding (1997), she starred as the titular character in the Farrelly brothers' comedy There's Something About Mary (1998), which brought her increased fame and her first Golden Globe nomination. Her following two projects—the sports drama Any Given Sunday and Spike Jonze's fantasy film Being John Malkovich (both 1999)—lent Diaz a reputation as a dramatic actress.
Diaz received praise for her supporting roles in Cameron Crowe's Vanilla Sky (2001) and Martin Scorsese's Gangs of New York (2002) and had greater commercial success in the action comedy Charlie's Angels (2000) and its 2003 sequel, as well as for voicing Princess Fiona in the Shrek franchise (2001–2010). Her subsequent films include the comedies In Her Shoes (2005), The Holiday (2006), What Happens in Vegas (2008), Knight and Day (2010), The Green Hornet (2011), and Bad Teacher (2011). After starring in three successful comedies in 2014—The Other Woman, Sex Tape and Annie—Diaz retired from acting to focus on her family, but made a return to the profession in 2022.
Diaz has also written two health books: The Body Book (2013), a New York Times bestseller, and The 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, she married Good Charlotte guitarist Benji Madden; they had a daughter via surrogate in 2019, and a second child in 2024.
Early life and education
Cameron Michelle Diaz was born August 30, 1972,[3] in San Diego, California, to Billie (née Early), an import/export agent, and Emilio Diaz,[4] a foreman of the California oil company Unocal.[5][6] Diaz has an elder sister, Chimene.[5] Her father's family is Cuban, and Diaz's ancestors had originally moved from Spain to Cuba.[7] Later, they settled in Ybor City, Tampa, Florida, before moving to the Los Angeles area, where her father was born.[8][9] Her mother has predominantly English and German ancestry.[10][11]
Diaz was raised in Long Beach[6] and attended Los Cerritos Elementary School, and then Long Beach Polytechnic High School,[12] where she was a schoolmate of Snoop Dogg.[13] 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."[14]
While still attending high school, Diaz signed a modeling contract with Elite Model Management at age 16[15] and appeared in advertisements for Calvin Klein and Levi's.[16] The following year, at age 17, she was featured on the cover of the July 1990 issue of Seventeen magazine.[15] Diaz also modeled for 2 to 3 months in Australia and shot a commercial for Coca-Cola in Sydney in 1991.[17][18][19]