Cameron Diaz reveals she would have been a ‘fool’ not to return to Hollywood as she explains why she is back after decade-long hiatus

Cameron Diaz has revealed why she decided to return to acting after a ten-year hiatus.

The Holiday actress, 52, officially retired from Hollywood in 2018 and her last film was Annie in 2014.

However, she has been lured back by her good friend Jamie Foxx to star alongside him in the pair’s latest action comedy.

Appearing on Friday’s upcoming episode of The Graham Norton Show, Cameron said: “I’m back, all thanks to Jamie,” as she admitted she would have been crazy not to get back into the industry.

The star explained: ‘I didn’t pay attention to anything for ten years; I wasn’t accepting any progress, and then I got this script and thought maybe it was time.

“If I was going to leave my family for 10 hours a day, I wanted to do it with the most talented man in entertainment.”

Cameron Diaz has revealed she would have been crazy not to return to Hollywood as she explains why she’s back after a decade-long hiatus

The Holiday actress, 52, officially quit her Hollywood career in 2014 but was lured back by her good friend Jamie Foxx to star alongside him in the pair's latest action comedy.

The Holiday actress, 52, officially quit her Hollywood career in 2014 but was lured back by her good friend Jamie Foxx to star alongside him in the pair’s latest action comedy.

Expressing her gratitude that she is still working in the industry, she added, “It’s a privilege to make films, and we’re all so lucky to be able to do what we do. The fact that the door was even open to me after ten years was great.

“I enjoyed those ten years for me and my family, but I thought, ‘If I let this go away, if I don’t recommit and if I don’t give it a chance, I’m a fool.’ It could be the start of something, but it’s here now and I’m grateful for it.”

Cameron famously left Hollywood in 2018 to spend more time with her rocker husband Benji Madden, 45.

The two welcomed their daughter in December 2019 and have been incredibly private about their lives as parents to their three-year-old.

Cameron and Jamie star in Back In Action, which will be released on Netflix on January 17.

The film follows Emily (Cameron) and Matt (Jamie), two former CIA agents who have given up their lives of espionage and action to settle down, start a family and live a normal life.

However, things don’t go so smoothly for them as their identities are compromised and they are forced to fight and flee to protect those closest to them.

About doing her own stunts in the film, she said: “There are so many great, dynamic stunts and it was so much fun. After achieving so much in the past, I think it’s like muscle memory – it was like I’d never left.”

Cameron left Hollywood in 2018 to spend more time with her rocker husband Benji Madden, 45, with whom she shares her daughter

Cameron left Hollywood in 2018 to spend more time with her rocker husband Benji Madden, 45, with whom she shares her daughter

She said: 'I loved those ten years for me and my family, but I thought: "If I let this go away, if I don't commit anymore, and if I don't give it a chance, I'm a fool."'

She said: ‘I enjoyed those ten years for me and my family, but I thought, ‘If I let this go away, if I don’t recommit and if I don’t give it a chance, I’m a fool. “‘

She expressed her gratitude that she is still working in the industry, adding,

'The fact that the door was even open to me after ten years was great'

Expressing her gratitude that she is still working in the industry, she added, “It’s a privilege to make films, and we’re all so lucky to be able to do what we do. The fact that the door was even open to me after ten years was great’

The film follows Emily (Cameron) and Matt (Jamie), two former CIA agents who have given up their lives of espionage and action to settle down, start a family and live a normal life.

The film follows Emily (Cameron) and Matt (Jamie), two former CIA agents who have given up their lives of espionage and action to settle down, start a family and live a normal life.

Jamie then joked: ‘I don’t do stunts – I don’t like doing that, but I do enjoy sitting and watching others do them and making myself look good!’

Earlier this week, Cameron made a stunning return to the red carpet for the film’s premiere, marking her first major appearance since leaving Hollywood almost a decade ago.

Cameron turned heads in a sheer black blouse paired with a tight black tank top, allowing her natural beauty to take center stage.

She wore high-waisted jeans and classic penny loafers, while a long black trench coat with a subtle iridescent sheen added an air of sophistication and drama to her look.

Although she has kept a low profile, Cameron made a splash in 2019 when she joined Drew Barrymore and Demi Moore to celebrate Lucy Liu’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame – her last red carpet appearance to date.

The new action comedy, directed by Seth Gordon, 48, serves as a comeback for both Jamie and Cameron as Jamie suffered a stroke in 2023 and Cameron retired from acting in 2014 for family reasons.

But her comeback project was thrown into turmoil in 2023 when it was reported that Jamie “had an absolute meltdown” on the British set of the film, leading to the firing of three people.

Earlier this week, Cameron made a stunning return to the red carpet for the film's premiere, marking her first major appearance since leaving Hollywood almost a decade ago.

Earlier this week, Cameron made a stunning return to the red carpet for the film’s premiere, marking her first major appearance since leaving Hollywood almost a decade ago.

Although she has kept a low profile, Cameron made a splash in 2019 when she joined Drew Barrymore and Demi Moore to celebrate Lucy Liu's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, marking her final red carpet appearance to date .

Although she has kept a low profile, Cameron made a splash in 2019 when she joined Drew Barrymore and Demi Moore to celebrate Lucy Liu’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame – marking her final red carpet appearance to date.

And in March 2023, a source close to the star revealed that – although Cameron had no issues with Jamie – she probably won’t return to the film world after this film, as she found it difficult being away from her. family and hates the ‘drama and confrontation’ that so often occurs on film sets.

Speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com, the source said: ‘These back-to-back 10-hour days have taken a toll on her and she hates being away from Raddix.’

They added: “Cameron loves being a mother more than anything in the world.”

‘She hates drama and confrontation. This is why she retired in the first place

“She has already proven herself in the industry and has nothing left to prove to anyone.”

The Graham Norton Show, BBC One, Friday 17 January 10.40pm. Also available on BBC iPlayer.